Stevie Unscripted

Smile!

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Have been meaning to share Bear Cub's 24 week profile shot. Will share a more updated version in two weeks!

The Single Digits!

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:05:00 +0000

Far Along: 30 weeks, 2 days
Size of Baby: Approximately 3.2 lbs and 18 inches (the size of a head of lettuce)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +27 lbs and continuing to grow!
Maternity Clothes: All over this one. I’m living in my jean capris, tanks and maxi dresses

Movement: Constant movement. Up all day and up all night movement
Symptoms: Lack of sleep, sore hips/ass from sleeping on my sides and it’s unfortunate, but I was dealt the evil hand of hemorrhoids last week. We’re back in business now, but that was NO fun
What I Miss: Sleep (I’ll miss that for awhile!), walking without a waddle and having a normal personality – I’m all over the place these days
Girl or Boy: Still a surprise!
Belly button In or Out: Total outtie now
Stretch Marks: They haven’t shown up yet
Cravings: Still craving cereal and cold milk, ice cream, chocolate (anything sweet for that matter) and toasted ravs!
Best Moment This Week: Hitting the 30 week mark and getting a ton done with the nursery, horray!

So, I have a lot to fill you in on. I can’t believe it’s been 10 weeks since I last gave an update, but that’s how I roll these days. And by roll, I mean both literally and figuratively.

Am I hanging in there?

Things are going well for the most part! The summer is hot, which doesn’t make for a fun time when you’re 30 weeks pregnant, but we’re handling it as best as we can. I mentioned above that I’m having some hip issues, but that is normal (says the doc) and happens because of the extra pressure on my legs and the way I have to sleep at night. I’ve definitely gained nearly 30 pounds, but luckily the extra weight hasn’t hit my arms or face yet. The rest of my body? Not as fortunate. Just trying to look somewhat normal until my best friend’s wedding on August 20^th. Then my body is free to do what it needs to!

How is baby?

Henry or Avery is doing great. I had another ultrasound at 24 weeks to see if my placenta had risen, unfortunately it didn’t. So I’m heading back on August 5^th for what I’m hoping is my last one – I want some good news! If it is still pretty low, a c-section may be in order, but I’m SURE that won’t be the case.

Our Bear Cub is punching and kicking up a storm at all hours of the day and night. He/she keeps changing positions from a transverse lie to a vertical lie (just not sure what end is where). And BH contractions really started kicking in this week…definitely feels like severe cramping, so I know I have a lot to look forward to come September.

Bear Cub’s Nursery

We are in a REALLY good place with the nursery. I’m not quite ready to share pictures yet, since we’re still waiting on the crib, but it’s coming together! Walls are painted, pictures are hung, mobile is in place, dresser/nightstand arrived, blinds/drapes are hung and we have our comfy chair in the corner. So stay tuned!

The Infamous Bump Progression

22 weeks

24 weeks

26 weeks (from Key West)

28 weeks

30 weeks!

What a Feelin'!

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:40:00 +0000

I felt my baby move today. Not the normal butterfly kisses or love taps, but a strong punch to the gut. And it was THE most amazing feeling I have ever had. Just incredible. And I can't wait to share this with Matt when he comes home tomorrow. I've been waiting for this day for 22 weeks!

I'll leave you with a quick video of my babe's kickboxing class :) Start REALLY watching around the 15 second mark and the 30 second mark. YAY!

20

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:02:00 +0000

It's official, folks! Twenty weeks down, 20 to go. We are halfway there!

BIG NEWS! Matt and I have decided not to find out what we're having. We decided that this will be a really memorable surprise for both of us and at our age, you don't get that many surprises! So we'll have to wait until September to reveal boy or girl!

Let's talk about some stats since I haven't updated since the first trimester...

How Far Along: 20 weeks
Size of Baby: Approximately 12 ounces
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +14 pounds, but I blame that on the 33 oz. of water I had in me from the ultrasound :)
Maternity Clothes: Once you see my latest picture, you'll know the answer. It's hard shopping for maternity clothes! I'm still having a hard time adjusting and finding the right fit.
Movement: We have a gymnast, dancer or soccer player on our hands. This baby is active, which is strange since my placenta is on the front and I shouldn't really feel anything yet. Strong baby!
Symptoms: The morning sickness and fatigue left me in the first trimester, thank goodness! I'm still super tired after work, but once I'm home I get some energy to finish out the day. Still struggling with skin issues, but I think it's finally calming down a bit.
What I Miss: Bending over comfortably, lifting Norman into the car, not always feeling the need to eat
Girl or Boy: It's a surprise!
Belly button In or Out: I started with an innie but now it's totally flush with the rest of my stomach. I'm sure it will be an outie in no time.
Stretch Marks: Not yet.
Cravings: Cereal with cold milk and ice cream, always ice cream!!
Best Moment This Week: Seeing our little bear cub on the ultrasound. What a WONDERFUL experience and one that I can hardly describe. Matt and I laughed, I cried and we watched our baby for about 30 minutes. I'll never forget it. I'll scan in the pictures soon to share.

And we have also finalized our baby names! Henry Lucas and Avery Marian, both representing family members and we are so excited with our decision.

Baby is approximately 12 inches long and nearly 12 ounces. A little more advanced than this piece of fruit :)

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

And to top of the post, here are the bump pictures from the second trimester so far. I'm growing fast!

14 weeks

16 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks!

Now it's time to figure out how to decorate a gender neutral nursery!

Poppingcorn Popping and Butterfly Kisses

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:52:00 +0000

The greatest feeling ever. I'm feeling my little Bear Cub move and I'm so in love :)

First Trimester Review

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:59:00 +0000

One word. Ouch.

My first trimester was far from a good time. I really struggled with fatigue and morning sickness 24/7. I'm not sure if it's worse to feel incredibly hungover at all times (how I felt) or to actually get sick. Surely both are terrible.

But when we went to our first ultrasound, it made all of the pain worth it. That little body, small arms and legs and a beating heart. Wow. I felt such a strong connection already. So I fought through it all, with help from Matt, poor guy. And am now well on my way into my second trimester!

Just some picture background as to how I told Matt the HUGE news!...

I found out on a Tuesday and unfortunately, Matt was traveling until Thursday. Great timing on our part!

So I planned a really nice surprise for Matt as he walked into the door...

And finally, the infamous baby bump pictures!

8 weeks

10 weeks

12 weeks

I'm so happy that this second trimester is proving to be a better experience than the first. And I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a loving husband and supportive family and friends by my side. This baby is going to be spoiled!

Bear Cub

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:07:00 +0000

I've been meaning to put a post up here with some fun news, but just haven't gotten around to it. So finally, after a day of meetings and travel, and some much needed couch time with my pup, I am making time to share with my few loyal readers :)

Matt and I are expecting! We've been calling my little avocado "Bear Cub" since we found out and can't wait to put a real name on him/her once we find out what we're having in May. This has been such a whirlwind, mostly because the First Trimester was full of all of the terrible symptoms that you read about in the books, but now that the Second Trimester is in full-swing, I'm starting to feel like myself again. Phew!

So my First Trimester review will be an upcoming post, but for now, enjoy the first pictures of our little Cubbie Bear, who by the way is due September 27th!

I love...

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:30:00 +0000

...to bake. Seriously, if I could bake all the time, I would. Not sure why I don't feel the same way about cooking, but I'll take what I can get.

Over the weekend, I put my skills to test with a new cookie creation. Get this, a chocolate chip cookie baked around a Double Stuffed Oreo cookie. Um, hello? Why yes, don't mind if I do.

So I did. And let me tell you. This cookie is, well, it's incredible.

I'm not sure how I've been living without this cookie. Please, do yourself a favor and make these. You won't regret it!

WINNING

Bathroom Remodel

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Our bathroom was dated.

A facelift wouldn't do it, so we decided to gut and remodel...ourselves. Scary? Yes. Worth it? Totally.

First we put a budget together - $3K. That's it. Three thousand dollars. Doesn't sound like a whole lot when you go and do this...

And this...

But we pushed on. We tiled...

And we sweat...

And after several weekends of hard work and dedication, we were finished. (insert angels chorus)

Not one thing from the old bathroom remained. New sink, new toilet, new tub, new wall color, toilet paper holder, closet space, faucet, etc. And we stayed within our budget! What an amazing and HUGE accomplishment for us simple DIY'ers.

This remodel then led to a kitchen facelift. Awesome. The fun never ends!

Hello! Is it me you're looking for?

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Hi. It's me. Stevie. You don't remember me? Well, I don't blame you. I haven't blogged in nearly ten months. Not sure why, I think I just got bored with it and felt all of this insane pressure to update on a regular basis. More often than not, I dreaded blogging, so I stopped.

But I'm back. My family loved keeping up with me through Stevie Unscripted and I've decided that being a sporadic blogger isn't such a bad thing. And I've really enjoyed watching some close friends jump back into the blogging world as well (you know who you are!) - so thanks for the much-needed inspiration to take the leap once again.

I have some really cool stuff to share soon. Matt (the hubby) and I tackled some massive home remodeling projects this past year and it was quite the experience. But by doing everything ourselves, we learned things we never thought we would and we saved a ton of money (woot!).

Wow. It felt nice to write this. It's great to be back!

the month of my birth

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:39:00 +0000

Is May seriously over already? How quickly time flies when you’re having fun, right?!

It’s been a whirlwind of a month for me and the family. We celebrated birthdays and new beginnings, went on a fabulous trip to NYC, wrapped up some more house work and of course, hung out with our little man, Norman.

First things first.

Birthdays. I turned 27 on May 19^th. It wasn’t as an exciting day as I imagined. It’s no longer fun getting older! You don’t get as many fun presents! And usually you’re so busy that there isn’t time to celebrate with family and friends. At least that was the case for me. Luckily, my wonderful husband surprised me with a trip to New York City and we had the best time. It’s so nice to get away, especially when shopping and best friends are involved. A quick breakdown of the trip involved: Soho, Wicked, a Yankee’s game, Times Square, runs in Central Park, eating, shopping and spending time with my bestie, Andrea and her boyfriend Dan. The weekend couldn’t have gone by faster, but it was nice to get home to Norman. I hadn’t been away from him for more than a day since we got him, so it was definitely hard to be gone for that long.

Times Square to buy Wicket tickets - w00t!

Loved Wicked

Party time!

And the Yankee's game to round out our fantastic weekend

Me and my buddy on my actual birthday!

Norman went to his first birthday party this past weekend! Sonny, Derek and Tara's yellow lab, turned one! Happy Birthday, Sonny!

Babies. Other May happenings included a shower for my friend, Allyson. She’s having a baby girl, “Baby Girl Lake” on or around July 3^rd. It’s very exciting for our group of friends because this is the first baby to come into our circle. And boy is she going to be spoiled by all of us!

Allyson and her first baby - Houston

And not only is Allyson due next month, but a few more of my friends are pregnant as well! I will reveal them when the time is right, but my heart is bursting for all of them. What a blessing.

Bachelorette. I went to a good friends bachelorette party. Mackenzie and Sam are getting married on June 26^th and I can’t wait to celebrate in their new journey. I’ve seen this couple grow from the very beginning and am so excited to see Kenz walk down the aisle and marry her Sammy!

The Bach!

Me and Kenz!

Me and T, the MOH

Sass

Love this chica!

Backyard. We finally finished our backyard! It took a few more weeks than we thought it would due to the rain/weather, but it looks great and here’s to hoping the up keep won’t be so tough. Norman loves it!

Bedrooms. I never posted the before and after of our guest bedroom and master bedroom. Here you go!

Guest Room - before the finishing touches

And done!

Master Bedroom - BEFORE

And DONE!

Bathrooms. The project has begun! Matt and I have officially started researching costs, likes, dislikes for our master bath that we are building upstairs. This is what we are working with - the old nursery.

Here is what we are envisioning.

Two of these

One of these showers

And this color scheme

And once we finish the master bath, we’ll be on to our guest bath on the main floor. For this one, we’re going to do a simple remodel with a color scheme of brown and white. Very simple and crisp.

Bathroom now

Vision, but we'll use a pedestal sink.

Bubbers. Aka Norman. He’s almost 8 months! I can’t believe how quickly he’s grown and he is so good at making best friends. Cooper is his “uncle” but Sonny, Tara and Derek’s dog, is his best friend. I’m not lying when I say they love each other. See for yourself!

Bubbers

Uncle Cooper!

Norman's first swim

Norman and Sonny - BFF

Whew! If you're still with me, thanks! This was along post. Happy Summer!

My Annual Green Thumb

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Matt and I decided that landscaping is fun, but it's not fun to spend hundreds of dollars each year to create a beautiful backyard. So this year, we took a more simplified approach and are really happy with how things are turning out so far. No more spending hours on end every weekend! We're just about finished laying everything out and can't wait to enjoy our "pocket friendly" approach to gardening.

We bought hanging ferns for the front porch.

And in the backyard, we planted a lot of different grasses...

Like Blue Fescue

And other ornamental grasses

Wildflowers...

And Gladioli

And our latest purchase...Crapemyrtle, so pretty!

Can't wait to finish buying/planting and watching everything grow! I'll put some pictures up once the flowers and bushes start to bloom. Happy Spring!

Where has the time gone?

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:38:00 +0000

Hello blog world! Now that I've taken a month long hiatus, I think it's time to update you on the latest and maybe start posting more frequently. I'm not sure where the time went, to be honest. February and March absolutely flew by and spring is finally in the air. Does the warmer weather and longer days make you as happy as it makes me?

Let me start by saying 2010 has been a great one so far. Married life is great, Norman is growing by the day and the house we bought a year and a half ago has become a home - not that it wasn't before, but we have made it our own (and are almost finished!).

First things first. Norman. What's new? Norman has officially put himself first in our lives. A few posts ago, I was venting about the challenges that a puppy can throw at you. And now? Well, Norman will be 6 months old on April 11th and has turned into quite the gentleman. He's almost 50 pounds (I know!), recently got his first haircut and is listening to commands more frequently than he used to. Sit, down, shake, stay...all things he does often and well. But mouthing and jumping at our guests is still something he/we need to work on and eating the mulch outside, only to throw up at 5 a.m., is a bad habit, to say the least. We have been trying to wean him out of his crate at night and put a bed upstairs in our bedroom. Sometimes he's great and he sleeps through the night but other times he cries and wanders around because he wants to be in his own bed. It's a work in progress, but we just want him in his crate as little as possible - no matter how much he loves it! So, all in all, Norman is such a great pup and we love him so much. Can't wait to watch him continue to grow!

Enough about the dog. The house is growing as well! We are ALMOST finished with the upstairs, just a few finishing touches on the hallway color and a little more work on the closets - yay! But the master bedroom and guest room are finished - can I get an Amen? Thanks. I need to take pictures of the final products - so once I get around to doing that, you'll see for yourself!

The backyard gardening will be in full-swing in the next week or two. I bought my FIRST Groupon, which definitely showed I'm getting older. Instead of buying a facial or a nice dinner, I buy two for a gardening place. Yeah, I know. But it's so expensive to landscape, especially when you have an extremely large backyard, so any coupon, or groupon, helps. The green thumb will be back and I'll post the progress. But first, we need to stain the deck, reseal the patio and figure out how to make the grass grow in the backyard. Wish us luck.

Matt is still traveling all the time. I miss him. And I can't believe our 6-month anniversary is on April 24th. Wow.

And last but not least, I've decided to work more on ME. With Matt out of town and a growing puppy, it's been hard to focus on a healthy lifestyle. So I decided to follow in LC's footsteps and do the Couch to 5K program. Lauren is now running over 5 miles without stopping and she gives me hope to do the same (yay Lauren!). I may even sign up for my first 5K in June. Will I be a "runner"? We will soon see. So that's my Mon, Wed, Friday routine. And every morning Norman and I wake up and go on a long walk. It's a great start to the day and gives me some more exercise!

Phew. Long post!

MIA

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Literally. I was in Miami for work...

Ok.

I have definitely been MIA, too. But work and Norman (and Matt on the weekends) have been coming first and this blog was put on the back burner for a couple of weeks.

So what have we been up to?

I went to Miami the week before Super Bowl for work. It was a blast to get out of the office (it had been awhile!) and head down to warmer weather, to not only work on a great event, but to work with fabulous clients and colleagues. We had a good time!
Matt and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. We took Norman to my parents house for the night and just did whatever our hearts desired. First stop, Mulligan's for wings. Then we headed to Saratoga for some bowling. Drinks at Monarch and finally dinner at The Post. We had so much fun! No time restrictions, no bed time or wake-up call. The night was our own and we definitely took full advantage.
Our friends Joe and Kelly got engaged (yay!) and we were able to celebrate with them over the weekend. So excited for their October wedding!
Norman is really starting to get the hang of this "training" thing, thanks to puppy class and my dad. He is getting neutered next week, so we're hoping this calms him down a bit. We shall see!
This Thursday will mark me and Matt's 5-year anniversary! I can't believe that we have been together for this long. Our love grows by the day and we have really enjoyed being married and building a home together. And yes, we will always celebrate this anniversary with something small, i.e. a dinner or cards, because it marks an important part of our lives - meeting each other. I never want to let this day pass without celebrating "us".

That's all for now. More wedding pictures and home improvement pictures to come this week!

DIY Headboard

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:32:00 +0000

Headboards are awesome.

You know what's even more awesome? Headboards that you make yourself. That's right. Matt and I made a headboard for our guest room bed. We already had the frame (thanks Dad!) and bought foam, batting, fabric and a staple gun. Seriously, this is all you need to create your own headboard and provide a dramatic change to any room.

One old headboard

Some good old foam (found at any fabric or craft store)

Fabric! A queen size bed usually calls for 2 yards

Wrap the headboard with foam

Put batting over the foam to hold it in place

Wa-la!

On to the fabric

And the finished product!

Looks awesome, huh!?

Let's take a look at everything put together...

Closer? Alright!

Still can't see? This may help!

And then we used the leftover fabric for some picture frames

This room has definitely come a long way since...

We still need to buy more decor (vases, wall frames, etc.), but it's looking fabulous!

16 Weeks Old!

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:46:00 +0000

The time has come. Norman is 16 weeks old and losing his puppy teeth! What a sweet, sweet sight for sore eyes (mine, in particular). The thought of no more war wounds on my hands, or rips in my favorite clothes, makes me one happy mama. Not only are things changing in his mouth, but he continues to grow by the day. Norman downs his breakfast and dinner faster than I can say "check your bowl". I'm sure he is nearing 30 lbs and I can't wait to find out at his next vet appointment. So let's see how much my guy has grown, shall we? Here are a few pictures that definitely show the drastic change; you can tell by just looking at his face.

8 weeks

12 weeks (I think)

and now, at 16 weeks

His head has gotten so big! Here are some more pictures of my 16-week old pup....

Happy Sunday!

Lucky

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Alright, folks! I'm finally ready (i.e. have time) to post my favorite pictures from the wedding. I can't believe it's taken me three months to do this, but what can you do...

Luckily for me and Matt, October 24th was the nicest day of the month this year. October was full of clouds, rain and bitter cold, but for some reason, on our Saturday, the clouds opened up and the sun came out. We were definitely being looked down upon on our special day.

The morning started out at my parent's house in Chesterfield. All of my bridesmaids came over to get ready with me and oddly, I felt so comfortable. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't scared, I was incredibly happy and at ease. And being around my family and closest friends definitely helped.

Before all the make-up

My amazing parents

Make-up and hair: check!

Love my Cooper and he loves me. Doesn't he look so handsome in his bow tie??

My hairpiece was my "something borrowed" from Aray.

My dad's tux. Love the H-Diddy. Talk about custom made!

H-Diddy's a ladies man

Thank goodness the counter didn't break

Matt's ring

Great friends

Purple shoes (let me rephrase, UNCOMFORTABLE purple shoes)

My beautiful, amazing and talented mother

What? Matt and Stevie are "saying I do"?

What a good lookin' group of guys

My handsome Matt, love that smile

Tears of joy

Getting ready for "the walk" with my youngest bridesmaid, Sydney

What a magical day! And this post is officially really long, so ceremony and reception pictures will come in another post.

Until then!

Guest Room Additions?

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:35:00 +0000

Like I've mentioned before. It's so hard to hold off on decorating an entire room! I want to buy everything at once so I can finish the project and move on. But, I have come to realize that it takes time to furnish a room with interesting trinkets and wall decor. So, my goal for the guest room and master bedroom is to take. my. time. I'm not going to rush into purchases...when I find something I like, I'll think about it before handing over my worn out credit card.

But today, I have found these two beauties.

Found here. There is so much wall space in this room and I think this votive holder could be just the right purchase. It would look lovely above the custom-made headboard I'm currently working on!

Found here. I just adore the simplicity of this vase set.

The weathered look I created definitely calls for a more rustic approach to guest room decor, which is not something I'm used to. I tend to lean torwards contemporary and modern pieces, but have officially decided to leap out of my comfort zone. How will I do? Only time will tell, my loyal readers (all five of you, haha).

So what do you think of the two pieces above? Any other suggestions/ideas I can work with?

The 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Today, as I sit on the couch incredibly hungover, I can't help but think back on these last three months. Why? Well, three months ago, I married my best friend and MAN has the time flown by. So much has happened...

House updates/projects/makeovers

Reunions with old friends

Weber's Holiday Party and The Relations

Matt's 29th birthday at Harvest

Quality time with family (my parent's have all of our Christmas and Thanksgiving pictures, I need to post them!)

H-Diddy

Cooper

Work trips to Atlanta and Houston where I met and worked with Tony Gonzalez and Matt Schaub

(Pics are at work, I'll get them up tomorrow)

Bangs!

A new family member, Norman

.....

Love

Growth

and Laughter

Matt and I have made many new memories in a mere three months. I can't wait to see what else this first year of marriage has in store for us. SPEAKING of marriage, and looking at these pictures, I realized I didn't post my favorite wedding pictures OR honeymoon pictures. What was I thinking?! Posts to come soon.

Today I'm loving...

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Branches.

And I'm imagining this piece making a bare wall happy. Love it.

Found here.

What are you loving today?

My Little Guy!

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:03:00 +0000

Norman is growing like a crazy person. And it's so funny how you don't notice the size difference when you are constantly together. But looking over the pictures I have taken of my lil pup over the past month and realizing that he is quickly outgrowing my lap, reality is finally setting in. My baby is growing up - and fast!

At 15 weeks old, the teething and growth spurts are in full force. So, of course, Norman is incredibly bossy and outgoing (rolling eyes). It's hard to come home from a long day at work to a crazy puppy, but once he calms down, my heart melts all over again.

Ok, on to the pictures! Just look at how much he's grown!

9 weeks old:

Look at that hankerchef!

10 weeks old:

This is a framer:

Norman's 1st Christmas, 11 weeks;

Yogi and Norm meet!

12 weeks old:

Look at this face!

13 weeks old and loving ice cubes:

His head tilt gets me every time!

My little snuggle bunny isn't going to be little much longer. He's 25.5 pounds now and will continue to grow quickly over the next few weeks. Although I've gone insane at times, and posted about it, I love Norman more than words can say! So happy he's a part of our family.

The Guest Room/DIY Project

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:46:00 +0000

The guest room has definitely been a labor of love. When we moved in, the room was a 3-year old boys room, with bright blue walls and red/white checkered drapery. Adorable for a little guy, not so adorable for a grown up guest room.

So, Matt and I got to work picking the paint color and refinishing the horrid closet. The paint color we chose is this gorgeous light green/blue that matches the ivory bedding perfectly. Too bad it took us months to finish painting. We had things to do, people to see, dogs to train and this room took a spot on our back burner. But because we had a New Year's Eve party, we felt that we had to finish it and we got to work.

First, we finished painting. The walls were incredibly difficult to work with in this room - slanted and cracked. A lot of coats were needed to make the paint look nice and then we had to take a tiny brush to make the trim/edges look nice. We finished - check!

The next project was my DIY project - refinishing my old dressers. Our idea was to create a weathered look and we went to Lowe's to buy all of the "ingredients". My simple, white, 10-year old furniture has been transformed! This was definitely hard work because I couldn't remove the drawers, but it was so worth it. Check it out!

The nightstand:

The small dresser:

The large dresser:

A close-up of my masterpiece:

And the layout, minus the bed (which is an upcoming post):

What do you think? If you are interested in refinishing old furniture, it's so simple...

You'll need:

A sander

A shiny base coat

Crackle glaze

A dull top coat

Clear protector

And it's an easy way to transform the look of a room in just five easy steps. Go ahead and try it out!

I can't wait to share the final result with you, minus wall decor and trinkets for the dresser. It's such a cute room - who wants to have a sleep over?

Lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Lately, I have been...

Hanging out with Stormin' Norman! We are actually having a ball together. Why, you ask? Well, becuase he is officially housetrained. And he is doing a great job in his puppy obedience class! I can't believe he will be 15-weeks old this weekend. I know, I know, you need updated pictures. And if I were you, I'd want to see them too, becuase he is growing like a fish! We just had his 14-week checkup and he is officially 25.5 pounds. He has gained over 10 pounds since we got him in early December. Since my baby is so special, he will get his own post very, very soon.
Working on the master bedroom and guest room. My post last week talked about a DIY project I have been working on. And I'm officially finished with it. The guest bedroom has been put together, the bedding looks AWESOME...and all we need are some trinkets for the dressers and decor for the walls. So close! And our master bedroom is a-MAZING! We got our big girl/boy furniture in last week (a king size bed, two nightstands and a chest)...it's all put together and it's fabulous. I'm trying to bring more glamour into the room with shades of green. Again, a post to come on these home improvements soon.
Spending quality time with Matt on the weekends. He has been gone every week this month, which leaves me and Norm to fend for ourselves. But when Thursday night roles around - the night Matt gets home - we can hardly contain our excitement! I love it when we're all together...I have come to get really lonely when Matt is gone. Not sure why, since he's been doing this for 3 years, but lately it's as if a part of me is missing when he's away. Blah, blah, I know - I don't want to get too emotional in this blog, so I'll stop there.
Cooking! That's right!! I have made some crock pot dinners and this past weekend, I made Matt porkchops with homemade applesauce and a Mediterranean Salmon with pine nuts and couscous. Delish! And the best part of these dishes? They tasted good!
Watching a LOT of TV. Right now, my favorite shows are:

Jersey Shore (GTL, baby)
Real World (love the D.C. season)
American Idol (of course)
The Biggest Loser
Grey's and Private Practice

This is what I've been up to lately. I can't believe January is almost over. I also can't believe Matt and I will be married 3 months this Sunday.

Actual posts to come on the above - with pictures!

DIY Project

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:21:00 +0000

I've been working hard on our guest room these past few weeks. The walls are finally finished and my BIG DIY project is, too! Too bad I didn't take before and after pictures, but I'll work something up over the next few days. It involves a simple white dresser:

And a lot of paint to create this look:

Pictures to come!

Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Stevie) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:10:00 +0000

That's right. Forever is how long it's been since my last post, well, at least it feels that way. Norman has officially taken over my life in a 80% good way and 20% bad way. See, I knew what I was getting into. I have had puppies before, but they were never my sole responsibility, they were my parents...I was just there to help. I knew they loved to bite, jump, pee, play, eat, etc., but I never knew how taxing it could be on one person!

Matt has been out of town this week. And of course, the first week I have Norman alone, I decide to have multiple meltdowns. I'm not talking a tear here and there, I'm talking sobbing, convulsing meltdowns! What did I get myself into? My clothes have holes in them from the puppy teeth, my floor has been cleaned 30+ times because Norman has been difficult to housetrain and I have to come home for lunch every day to let him out. Yes, he's a baby and yes, he's the love of my life, but as I recall from my good friend Lauren's post back in May, yes, I still want to kill him sometimes. I have NO life. I can hardly do laundry, I'm outside in the cold, wind and snow at all hours teaching him to go potty outside, not in and I'm constantly tired from waking up early and going to bed late.

Everyone warned me that taking care of a puppy is hard and that it will eventually get better. I'm desperately looking forward to those days where I don't have to worry that he will have an accident or chew through a couch. It's a learning process, and I'm definitely the student here.

Sorry for the vent, but I needed to post and that is the only thing I knew to talk about right now. Now it's off to let Norman out! Here's hoping he didn't pee in his crate again...