this hawks nest

those little changes I mentioned

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

If you happen to be reading over the weekend, which I suspect some of you may given that I use my weekends to catch up on all my Reader subscriptions, you'll notice that I'm tweaking things. Since I'm doing this all myself, I have to upload the changes in bulks. Hopefully, you'll like what you see. I'll highlight some of the good stuff (other than the obvious color changes and slight banner modification) in upcoming posts.

Thanks for hanging in there!

icj,
~j

pinterest friday : five soft looks

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Happy Friday, friends! Apparently I've been pinning a few things in the same tone. But they're so great! The last one links to a recipe I want to try next week for the bakery.

Enjoy! Hope your weekend is lovely. We have a few house projects planned, but otherwise it looks to be a relaxed, fun weekend of playing with my little guy.

icj,
~j

Source: myhomeideas.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: inmyroom.co.uk via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: lizellelotter.co.za via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: alexandracooks.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

easy recipe : spicy potato beef soup

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Hawk loves his beef. I've tried to sneak in turkey, veggies, and tofu, but he always finds the culprit and after a few bites, makes mac and cheese or a pizza. And with all our recent traveling (almost a month's worth shooting from here to there), our grocery budget is tight. I knew I wanted fresh fruit, veggies, and potatoes, so I spent the majority of our remaining $50 on those goodies.

So my challenge for last night's meal: create a beef-centered main dish with all the ingredients I already have. Allrecipes.com to the rescue (again)!

It was delicious. I had to substitute garlic for the onions (only 2 cloves for one whole onion), twice the amount of sriarcha for tabasco, and I added whole barley and a little paprika for fun.

ingredients
pound ground beef (we use 93% lean)
onion, chopped
cups water
1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
cups cubed potatoes
(8 ounce) cans tomato sauce (we used a 29 oz can)
teaspoons salt (we used 3)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

Brown beef and onion, drain.
Add water, pepper, potatoes, tomato sauce, salt, and Tabasco sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer one hour or until potatoes are tender and soup is thick.

I'll include a photo later today when I reheat it for lunch!

icj,

kids crafts and such

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000

I am always appreciative and in search of great kids activities even though my little guy isn't quite old enough for most of them. I'm hoping to get ahead instead of facing some crazy Thursday morning with freezing weather (or torrential rain) and nothing fun for us to do together.

So here are my recent favorites from my pinterest board, my kids play. Enjoy!

paint and playdough recipes

Source: sixtysecondparent.com via Jennifer on Pinteres t

water balloon paint the driveway

Source: playathomemom3.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

dragon tails

Source: grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

how to paint with kids

Source: tphblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Happy Tuesday, friends! Please link up or include another in your comments!

icj,

come home from a vacay and remain relaxed

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

You know what it's like: you come home from a trip with suitcases and bags galore and three days later, there are still things left to unpack. You spend that transition time stepping over open cases, returning again and again to the same place to retrieve the items you know belong elsewhere.

Hawk, Cormac and I joined our friends, the Conners (with their 12-week-old daughter!), for a four-day-weekend up north. It was lovely. And coming home was just as pleasant. I judge the quality of an experience by how contented I am to let it end. Then I know I got everything I could out of the experience.

It was the same for me in college. I've never been one to reminisce about the good ole days as if the past could ever be better than the present, and I'm convinced it is because I lived those experiences to their fill. Like how a delicious dessert leaves you satisfied rather than craving more when you just can't pack any more goodness into that potbelly.

Ah, I digress. Back to unpacking.

This is the first time we've returned from a trip, even a single overnighter, and felt settled, with the peacefulness of the experience still lingering in the air. I'm pretty sure the difference is three-fold:

We spent the day before departure cleaning the house and packing. We knew we wanted to come home to a clutter-free environment, clean sheets, clean clothes, clean counters, cleared floors.
We planned to return home hours before Cormac's bedtime. Here in the great state of Wisconsin there was an inch of ice over every road on our 4 hour trip. We saw dozens of cars in the ditch and multiple accidents. But arriving home 90 minutes late still didn't disrupt our rhythm because we'd planned ahead.
We swapped playtime with Cormac so that we could each unpack all our items before his bedtime.

So get this people: We were completely unpacked in 45 minutes. This includes all of Cormac's items (which are a-plenty), my suitcase, Hawk's suitcase, snow gear, toys, food items (3 grocery bags full), baby monitors, etc. Everything was back in its place or down the laundry shoot in under an hour. It was amazing and so freeing, and we weren't even at a rush!

This is going to be our way of doing things from now on. Peace can be addicting, I tell ya.

So what is your vacation ritual? I'm very curious!

Happy Monday, friends.

a few days off

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Morning, friends!

Source: demeterclarc.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Last night was a doozy for us. We had our neighbor/friends over for dinner. It was our first time entertaining with a toddler who has a particular bedtime. Let's just say it wasn't our finest showing. Thankfully, they are a great couple so we still had a blast--laughed a lot, talked until we lost track of time. Set off two fire alarms, opened 4 different kinds of beer, wine, and liquor, and threw back a few Brandy Old-Fashioneds.

Very soon after they departed, Cormac woke up with a desperate cry. Something just wasn't right with him; he's been sleeping through the night without any surprises for a while now. It took me 2 hours to get him settled and asleep, and he still woke shortly after 6am.

So I'm exhausted. I'm taking today through Friday as a little vacay from the blog. I have a few updates I'd like to install so instead of writing posts, I'll be working on them. I hope when we all return Monday, you'll be pleased with those I've got working.

Here are my early-weekend well wishes!

icj,
~j

date night : preggo version

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0000

Hawk took a vacation week so last night, we hired our favorite babysitter (so favorite she's our only one), snatched some of the Christmas gifts Hawk received from his team members, and got a night out on the town.

We used the first of our City Tins.

For those of you outside of the Milwaukee/Madison area, let me tell you about this brilliant concept. Printed onto what look like standard bar-fare coasters are $10 gift certificates good toward any $25 bill at the specified restaurant. The restaurants themselves are all on the trendy, young side in that their patrons are generally outgoing, educated 20- to 40-somethings. None of these are chains; all are local and unique! And the first coaster is this great spinner so if you can't decide where you want to eat, you can make the decision into a game.

We chose the place closest to us because Cormac had a slightly rough day and we wanted to make the most of the time we had. We hit up Cafe Hollander and enjoyed the best service--after all, it was a Monday night.

Then, we used our iPic gift and went -- wait for it -- bowling.

For those of you who knock the sport, may I remind you that it is the only physical activity at which most people are mediocre, so everybody can enjoy themselves instead of trying to be competitive.

In our first year dating we used to hit up a local alley for their after 9pm, $1 bowling nights. We'd meet up with a collection of friends, grab a few pitchers, order a small pizza or two from the bar, and laugh our way through a fiver's worth of games.

We bowled 4 games. I won 2 which is unheard of in our relationship---Hawk is good at everything but swimming and rollerskating.

So if you're looking for a gift for a couple expecting a child, I highly recommend City Tins, a certificate to something physical or optional (since at iPic we could have seen a movie instead), and some cash for babysitting.

What is your favorite relaxed date activity?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

icj,

a little change is coming

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:45:00 +0000

I get bored with the same ole same ole thing. I was t that long ago that I reworked the olor sche E of the site, but after a year of it I'm ready for a change. This week, I'll be working out those kinks, so you may pop on and see things looking a little alien. Never fear, it will improve by Monday. By the way, I'm writing this from the doctor's office while waiting for my glucose test to take effect and WHAM, I'm getting kicked in rib and spleen as little Obie gets a taste. Forgive the subsequent typos. Hawk is on va-cay this week so we've got date nights, dinner guests, and three days at his parents' new Up Nort cabin planned with the couple who was with us when Hawk proposed. They have a wee newborn lass, so we can't wait to hAng out! Have a truly lovely day, friends!

pinterest friday : living room makeover

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Happy Friday, friends! I am seriously considering doing a living room makeover on a budget (obviously) since Hawk and I have a new project up our sleeve (wink wink...we're so excited!). Originally, he wanted to paint the living and dining rooms a much more defined gray tone. I was SO hesitant because I gravitate toward creams and light neutrals with interchangeable pops of color thrown in. But after 2.5 years of this greige-more-beige I'm bored. Really bored.

I also realized that I can't hodge-podge the room since so much of what is in there isn't really us. Most of it was either purchased after our wedding or was loaned/given to us by family. Or comes from Hawk's college apartment. Yup. He turns 30 this year and we still use some college items. Don't judge.

You all know I'm obsessed with Pinterest. So here's what I've been reviewing. I'm stuck on 2 color palettes. One is more Hawk and one is more me, but I'll likely end up going with his for two reasons: 1) I should have in the first place rather than settle for an in-between; 2) I get to determine the overall look of the room, so why not go with his sense of tone and give us both a sense of ownership? I mean, it would be different if he was leaning toward some tuscan orange thing (I'm just not into that look), but gray? I LOVE decorating with gray.

So happy Friday, friends. We hope you get outside and enjoy whatever weather you're getting. We went from 60 degrees on Wednesday to 5" of snow today! Playtime!

Hawk's tones:

Source: bhg.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: heirloomphilosophy.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: rashoncarraway.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And here are Jen's picks:

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: homebunch.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: nestegg.typepad.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This last one is my favorite of the three---for tones mostly.

I'm still working on photoshop redesign, so as soon as I have something concrete and realistic to offer you, it'll be up here.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

icj,

Check out our update!

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I attempted the liquid graphite fix to our squeaky hardwood floors. You can read about the result in the update at the bottom of this post.

take it from us : squeaky hardwood floors

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:12:00 +0000

We're starting a new series at thishawksnest. So new in fact that I don't even have a little button or banner for it yet. Here's the plan: we keep finding a number of projects we want to try out but we don't know if they're going to work. We figure let's document it and save others their time and moola. Since we aren't perked for anything on the blog and I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon, you can rest assured you'll get our honest opinion.

Raise a pint to our first challenge: Squeaky Wood Floors. With the exception of the bathrooms and kitchen, every room in our home boasts original hardwood floors. While we LOVE this and it was a must in our home-buying search, it makes for a rather difficult bedtime routine when everywhere you step a major CREEEAKKKK scars your baby's eardrums for life.

As many of you know, Mom Hawk is working on our basement to make it kid-friendly. A month or so ago we asked the carpenter how he might go about repairing some of the creaks. He wasn't optimistic with the nail it down, sally method in such a style house where there isn't much padding and insulation between ceiling-floor space. I'd read before about shaking graphite powder between the boards as a lubricant. The carpenter hadn't heard of this solution, so I put it off for a while.

Today, I came across an article in Southern Living online magazine.

Source: southernliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Since Cormac and I are running a few errands today I figure it's now or never. So I'm going to pick up whichever is cheaper, talcom or graphite powder, and give it a whirl in some areas upstairs where Cormac is least likely to lick the floor or practice his with-help walking skills.

I'll let you know how it goes after the job has been completed with an update to this post!

UPDATE:
During Cormac's morning nap I tried the liquid graphite fix. We'd purchased a small 2 oz bottle from our Village Ace for $3.99, so I knew it couldn't be a total bust if it didn't work out.

I started by pouring the graphite according to the directions over a two-board squeak (about 6 inches square). I then tried to shovel it between the boards and into the nail hole where someone had previously attempted to silence the squeak. You can see (in my sub-par iphone-with-flash pics) that it smudges everywhere.

As I shoveled I also pressed down on the wood, hoping to sprinkle it more deeply between the boards and even start the lubrication---much like how we do with WD-40 and hinges. After about 5 minutes of work, there wasn't a noticeable difference.

After smudging it, I tried to wipe away the residue, but I was left with some pretty clear dark smudges. Yikes!

I finally grabbed our scrubbing-the-floor old toothbrush from the bathroom, some Mrs. Meyer's floor scrub, and got to work. It dredged up some of the residue from between the cracks but otherwise cleaned up perfectly.

I'm still hopeful that over the next day I'll notice a difference but thus far, nothing has improved.

Attempt: Liquid Graphite Fix for Squeaky Hardwood Floors
Conclusion: No noticeable improvement
Cost: $3.99 + tax
Overall Conclusion: Worth the attempt

Hope that helps you folks out! Thanks for following the trial:)

icj,
~j

HouseNotMine : Cumberland Drive

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:45:00 +0000

Hawk and I were in the housewalking mood, so on Sunday we hit the most interesting looking homes in the area. We found this beauty. Though in need of some roof and stonework repair, it really has great bones and lovely style. A young couple could make this home shine in no time!

Living Room:

Living Room Fireplace:

Dining Room Chandelier:

Dining Room:

Sweet little Sunroom off the Living Room:

Master Bathroom (forgive the coloring---I was shooting quickly with a toddler clinging to me!)

Master Bedroom: spacious and full of light. We loved this room, especially that little reading nook.

View of the stairs from the MB:

Upstairs Hallway:

While touring this home, we learned a few things: 1) Check camera settings repeatedly from room to room. 2) When Mama is shooting, keep Cormac out of eyesight so he doesn't want to compete with the camera. 3) Shoot first, study later, or (like this shoot) we lose a chance to get all the rooms before our little guy wants out!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

icj,

fake me out : built-in shelving

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Hawk and I've been spending a bit of our long car rides the past few weeks talking about changes we can make in the house that are either a) appropriate for the 8-year length of time we expect to remain here or b) what we think would make this house really great should we stay or sell.

One of those changes includes building what appears to be built-in shelving along our north living room wall. We have a central window which extends to about 24" from the floor and the wall is right next to the dining room opening, so it doesn't work to put a ton of furniture against that wall. We both hate sofas against walls anyway, and we need functional, attractive storage space in our 1350 sq. ft. home.

Here's the best inspiration photo I've seen yet for what I'm trying to accomplish. I'd like to put the shelving units on either side of the window with a connected larger window seat directly under the window. Duh, where else would it go? Why do I write obvious things:)

Source: decorpad.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I know, you were expecting a greater view of the shelf, right? Well that just goes to show you how hard its been to find an inspiration pic for this project!

What do you think? You like? When I learn how to redesign a room in Photoshop I'll whip up a little something special.

icj,

2012 printable calendar

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:43:00 +0000

Hey friends!

Hawk, Cormac, and I took a long vacation away from the norm. We spent 11 days between 4 different locations! Craziness! We're almost back to normal. I hope your holidays were lovely, joyful, and calm.

To kick us off with this New Year, here's a FREE printable calendar from JeannieJeannie.

Source: jeanniejeannie.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Happy Thursday!

icj,

hump day around the web

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Christmas is almost here, friends! Cormac has been off his sleep-rocker this week, which is always an adventure, so we're rushing out during his normal awake time to get some last minute gifts for those near and dear family and friends. Here are a few things from around the web to keep you busy at work or let you relax at home...

A real photo, by Max Wanger (of course!):

Source: thisisnthappiness.com via Caroline on Pinterest

Paper snowflake mini-garland tutorial.

A pretty color palette.

How to make a vintage shelf with hanging hooks.

Bittersweet and heartfelt recap of yearly Christmas cards from a mother who recently lost her son.

A great, colorful, and simple gray nursery.

Chocolate and peanut butter cookie recipe.

Free holiday gift tags printable from a sweet gal (and neighbor!).

Have a wonderful hump day!

icj,

light me up, baby

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Last Thursday was a great day. Mom Hawk came over and continued work on the basement. She pulled down the remaining panels, cleared the debris, and finished painting the ceiling. We hauled out what we could until Cormac woke from his first nap, and then he and I went shopping.

Shopping you say? Oh yes, shopping.

I never go shopping. We haven't made a major home purchase in about a year and with a son to look after, the budget is just more, well, parent-like. I haven't even gone to any of my favorite fun stores like World Market, Crate & Barrel, Pier One, or Marshall's because if we have the funds I'm out buying itty-bitty clothes for itty-bitty body or we're handling medical bills. I'm quite content with this, but it sure builds up a good desire for some creative spending in a gal.

With the electrician on site today and in the coming weeks, and with a few new light fixtures we simply have to purchase to cover the new holes in the basement, Mom Hawk suggested we find what we want now so that he can install them all at once. Pressure. I am not the best shopper when I need to make a big decision. A time-crunch with a creative adrenaline rush, sure. But real purchases we'll have to live with for years? Not so much.

Regardless, I enjoy doing this sort of thing on my own, so Cormac and I saddled up and snagged some time at Menards & Home Depot. Hawk had a work bowling party that afternoon (how fun is that?!) so it was easy to text photos and opinions back and forth.

The best part? Cormac had fun and Hawk and I agreed on the look and size we wanted. I focused on the outdoor lighting and kept my eyes pealed for good kitchen lanterns. Here's what sonny boy and I found during the first part of the day:

These were all at Menard's. I actually enjoyed myself here. There was a pretty big selection, and I felt we could afford any of the pieces. The Menard's guide said that all the pieces were metal, not plastic. My goal in this at the beginning was to limit spending here. We don't plan to live in this house much beyond 10 years unless we add a major renovation (affectionately called the bay trifecta by locals: master bedroom, additional full bath, over a new family room; sometimes this also includes a kitchen renovation). Everything here ranged between $18-58.

Here was a quick snapshot of some choices for the kitchen. Of these three I liked the outside two, the left the best:

Then we hit up a Home Depot across the street and found these:

I picked up a few from Menard's and a few from HD. Love this modern age of return-if-unused!

Big trouble spot: I didn't want to choose lighting, especially in one day, that Hawk and I didn't really like. We don't have the sort of expense budget to waste on items we settle for, you know? We're doing fine, financially, but it's because we value our dollar and want to see it come back to us in quality.

Then, I got a call from Mom Hawk suggesting we at least take a look at a local shop, City Lights. I love walking through their showroom because it is arranged well and feels classy and clean. So for this second venture, Hawk met up with Cormac and I after work.

This. Was. Brilliant.

We arrived and discovered that the showroom is offering 50% off retail price, with free shipping (it's almost all by-order-only).

We had a blast. We quickly found some options for the exterior lights within the same budget as M & HD. We spent a good 45 minutes searching through indoor lighting in the hopes of finding great kitchen lanterns until our guide confirmed that we can use outdoor lighting on the inside!

Eureka! We ran back to the outdoor lighting section, set Cormac free on the ground, and spent another hour reexamining our decisions both outdoor and in. Does this come in a ceiling mount? What length might it hang? What is the difference between oil rubbed bronze and black? How will this age? And so forth.

We're almost firm in our decisions. We need to make them final this week in order to receive the discount, so as soon as we're on board, I'll let you know! I'm really excited.

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

icj,
~j

pinterest friday : renovation innovation

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Yesterday was a great day. After shopping and purchasing a few items for the house with Cormac and later with Hawk, too, I felt the own-this-house-and-make-it-our-own pull I experienced at the beginning of our home ownership. But more on the specifics next week.

Suffice it to say it was one of those brilliant excursions where husband and wife see eye to eye. And that's saying a lot when there is 16" of air between our eye heights as it is. So once Ace was sleeping peacefully, we hopped up on that world wide web, walked around the house a few times pointing at this and that, and laid some plans for major home changes.

Today's pinterest gives you a glimpse into parts of our discussion. We don't have a budget for any changes right now, and we have no idea if everything we considered could be done. But we're excited. And that's exciting.

Source: fromgreenwich.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: younghouselove.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: blog.hannamac.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

div>

Source: designsponge.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

ahhh, now those other aspects have to fall in line.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Thanks for staying with the nest!

icj,
~j

we have a basement, soon we'll have a room!

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

One thing I love about living in the north is that we have basements. I know that this is relatively unique to the north because I have cousins in Louisiana with crawl spaces---scary, low, dark, SilenceoftheLambs sort of thing to my Midwestern mind.

Our basement spans the footprint of the house, which is close to a perfect square. What's been down there the past 2.5 years? Your typical laundry area, storage space, workbench, and dude-it's-1972-and-we-should-totally-put-up-faux-wood-panelling-so-it-looks-like-we-finished-this-room.

laundry area:

workbench:

storage space #1:

storage space #2

And that faux panelling, displayed with poses from our dear friends during my 30th birthday party in 2010.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, with Obie (baby #2) due in March, and with no family room on the main floor, or any floor, Mom Hawk decided it was time to help us expand. As a very generous Christmas present, she is donating her handy-gal skills to renovate the basement.

But you know what they say about renovations: twice as expensive and three times as long as you thought it would be.

What started as:

new carpet
paint the panelling & ceiling
knock-out the "bar" area (think TheSimpson's sort of thing) and make it a kids' nook for play/reading/toys
trash/sell the old refridgerator
get some space heaters installed

has become:

new carpet
give away the old refridgerator
rip down the majority of panelling
paint the ceiling
paint the one concrete brick wall
dry wall 2 walls
create an 8' built-in media/storage cabinet along one wall
install permanent heating
install new outlets and switches
install new lighting (cans above the kids' nook & track throughout the room)
dry wall the kids' nook
chalkpaint a small panel wall

So here's where it stood last night. This is the view from the stairs. Notice that really cool multi-colored wall? Who thought that was ever a good idea?

With my back to the juicy-fruit stripes:

the soon-to-be media cabinet:

the dry-wall wall

the kids' nook, looking south:

kids' nook looking north. notice that scary lamp hanging down? I swear that thing was going to start some sort of fire.

And we're looking at installing new switches, outlets, and outdoor lighting (for safety) while we have the electrician here. On another note, our across-the-street neighbor will be picking up work for our electrician when he's done here. So though he's from across town, he'll be spending quite a bit of time around this neighborhood in the coming weeks.

We'll keep you updated. I'm really excited! Mom Hawk ripped down the panelling, painted the ceiling, and she'll be "mudding" the drywall sometime in the next two weeks when it is installed. Craziness.

Oh, and did I mention yet how the heating guy found we had a carbon monoxide leak? Yeah, we love this guy!

icj,

it's official, we're quarantined

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Self-imposed, of course, since the government doesn't do that very often anymore.
Or do they? hmmmm. Oh, and this is our newly remodeled reading nook:

Source: savvyhome.blogspot.com via Amanda @ on Pinterest

just kidding.
Cormac was sick again last week. High fevers, crying, no appetite, sleepless nights, doctors visits, compounded by vaccinations and finger-pricks. So now we're back to sleep training again for the 5th time since I've been a career-less woman. (Who knew one of the side effects of staying at home would be introducing various illnesses to your child through an increase in fun.)

Enough, I say, enough.

So we're avoiding public places, I'm washing his hands every 5 minutes, and we're having to turn down really enticing playdates until I can give the kid a full 3-4 weeks of healthy, happy day and nighttimes. Yes, you read that correctly. Three to four weeks. This is hard-core, people.

Please don't be offended; it's not you, it's me. I just can't watch him cry himself to sleep or miss sleep myself, being all preggo and tired enough as it is.

On the bright side since we're losing our social life around one of the most social times of the year, I plan to increase his intelligence by 28 points, teach him Mandarin, make gourmet dinners using 16 or more ingredients, and sew a new quilt every day.

Right. At least I get more time with the little guy. And I recently read a great article by another blogger who closed with the need for mothers to make decisions in the best interest of the health, happiness, and holiness of their children. Consider this my tough decision for the health, happiness, and maybe even holiness of my wee 12-month-old.

Have any of you had to pull a stunt like this? What was it and how did it go?

Have a lovely Monday, friends. If things improve here, I hope to provide you with some great updates, making it home segments, and maybe even a room tour.

Maybe.

icj,
~j

back friday

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Source: the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com via Sherry @ Young on Pinterest

a little kid-and-Christmas-love since my day has been centered around my version

We've been quiet for a few days due to the first full day of 1/2 basement renovation and Cormac's most recent nasty cold (sigh). This morning was full of tears, stuffy noses, vaccinations at the pediatrician's, and finally a good lunch and some play time.

We'll be back with something good for tomorrow's etsy/pinterest day.

See you soon, and enjoy your day!

icj,
~j

housewalking : 2.4

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:25:00 +0000

A simple little cottage a few blocks from our place.

Love the shutters

the low windows

the rounded door

the ivy

the white

Happy Tuesday!

icj,

salon wall : part three, see it all together

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:49:00 +0000

Morning! Happy first-full-week-of-December!

We had a fantastic weekend with Cormac's first birthday party, a laid-back Sunday morning, and an exciting Packers' win. I'll do my best to get you the birthday update from the invitation to the decoration and cake-consumption. I also hope to show you the party in two steps, the first being what went well and the second being goodness, what didn't!

But for today, we're back at the salon wall. Last week, we started with a blank wall and moved up to this:

Not pretty, remember?

But after these steps, we finally produced this much-needed improvement:

But wait, there's more. Nothing ever works out quite as we hope. Here's what didn't go according to plan:

I'm pretty happy with it, though. I realize that object placement is rather like art; subjective. So you may look at this and think, love it. Or not so much. Totally understand. I think that's what makes the salon wall concept so great---there is enough cohesion to make it sensible and universally interesting, but it is personal enough to keep thieves at bay. Right? Who want's to worry about thievery? Not this gal.

Some highlights. First, the clock, set at the time Cormac was born.

Next, the frame that was supposed to contain those latches I found in the basement, but instead contains this cute photo from our most recent family photo shoot.

The Christmas fabric I found at Ikea. That was hard to frame. I hadn't realized how much of a difference one section presented from another, and I want to make a pillow out of it so I couldn't cut from the middle.

The Michael O'Brien painting, painted for me and given Christmas 2005, next to the engagement postcard we received from close family friends in summer 2008.

A printout of Michelle Armas' work next to a printout of a vintage postcard.

Well, my toddler is awake gosh, we have a toddler now. Hope you've enjoyed the update and the how-we-made-this-work.

Have a wonderful Monday morning friends. We're going to enjoy the first stays-on-the-ground snow of the season, head to the library, and play with some birthday toys.

icj,
~j

salon wall : steps two & three, hanging & collecting

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

Welcome back! If you missed Step One, check it out here.

In the past, I've been the gal to just look at the wall, hammer in a nail, and hang that puppy. But this article from the lategreat Cottage Living convinced me that there's a grown up way (i.e., mature) to properly present a hodgepodge collection.

Source: southernliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I had a total blast with this part, believe it or not, so let's get right down to it. I think you'll appreciate how wise it is to take the time for this step.

Choosing your collection
You'll want to gather the pieces you plan to hang. There should be some sort of theme---frame color or shade, subject, etc. See more on that here. I purchased a number of frames from Ikea a few weeks back, so my collection is comprised of empty frames (until this evening!). Thus, I found my theme in the frames themselves. All silver, white, and dark brown. I made a few changes as I'll explain below, but overall I kept with this theme.

Changes: consider using different sorts of objects. I started with all square/rectangular frames but quickly saw that this was unappealing; they were too similar to be of interest. I added a red frame with a Michael O'Brien commissioned painting, a broken red clock that formerly hung in our basement 1970's bar area (now deceased), and two frames from our dining room that hang from ribbon. So instead of all squares and rectangles, I now have a circle and a few triangles thrown in there.

In addition to framed photos, I put in an antique engagement postcard we received for the occassion from close family friends, a framed prayer from my Grandma Shedd's house (a good 50+ years old), a bunch of old latches I found while cleaning out the basement, a printout of a vintage Christmas postcard, and two tickets from a Punch Bros. concert Hawk and I attended.

A word about the subjects. Since I started with the frames, I didn't really decide on all the subject matter until after the layout was set. I kept the color scheme fairly consistent to our living room and to the season. I plan to swap out the fabric and Christmas postcard, as well as one of the Santa Mac photos, when the Christmas season ends in mid-January.

Hanging your collection*
Everything I'm offering here, I drew from this article. After collecting, the women prepared to hang their items by first tracing them on a consistent-colored paper. I chose to use the plethora of paper grocery bags we had around (see the above photo). Cheap, a great way to reuse. Then, simply hang them with painters tape on the wall.

Source: southernliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Here's the great thing about this method. Had I just hung the art without planning in this way, I would have ended up with this arrangement:

Boring, right! See that little rainbow affect? Ugh. Nauseating.

For my second try, I attempted to undo the rainbow and keep things a little uneven, but this was not much of an improvement:

At this point I saw that I needed another shape involved to offset the lamp and add some interest to the arrangement. See the clock-shape at the top center?

I also added a few more frames and allowed for a very slight but almost unnoticeable curve upwards in the center rather than that extreme and obvious version in the previous two tries.

By this time I concluded that I didn't want it symmetrical, so I tried this:

Not bad, but I didn't love it.

This was my last attempt, and I'm very pleased with this one. I think the final result is still a little different, but this gives you the idea.

Now, to properly appreciate the change this wall makes, imagine that the wine bar is 24" to the left, that mirror hangs over it, and there's nothing else on the wall. For the last two years. How did we ever feel like home with such a big, blank blah wall? All I can say is that it has really made a difference having things up.

Come Monday, I'll show you the final result and highlight a few of the fun pieces that made it in.

Thanks for following along! Let us know if you do one, or if you already have one up! We'd love to show it off.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. We are celebrating Cormac's first birthday with a small, laid-back gathering and taking it easy overall.

icj,
~j

25 handmade gifts under $5.00

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Update: The link was broken and for some reason, I can't connect to it, but that may be a problem with my server, so I'm including the link both in the photo and below. Let me know if it still doesn't work!

I came across this list just this morning from The 36th Avenue blog. It is fantastic--pretty to look at and pretty easy to follow the tutorials. I hope you check it out! Let me know if you use anything for Christmas...

icj,
~j

salon wall : step one, inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (the Hawks) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:42:00 +0000

Welcome back from the first of some major holidays!

The past two days have been busy busy busy here at the Hawk's house. I'm simultaneously decorating for Christmas and for Cormac's 1st birthday party.

Since we moved in almost 2 1/2 years ago, we've done very little with our walls. We know we want go hang art pieces we both like, but finding those has taken us far longer than we anticipated, and our walls have remained blank canvases. Blank canvases over time just feel blank, blah, boring. Not the way an inviting home should be.

With the party, the holidays, and a new baby on the way I have just the right incentive to get going. Hawk would prefer that we hang only our permanent pieces, but I just can't wait another day to find them! I've always admired salon walls, so to fill up our longer living room wall, I gathered a number of pieces and frames (mostly from Ikea). I am keeping with a silver, white, and brown theme. A few pieces, like a commissioned painting of my vocation, will rotate according to seasons.

I have the original Cottage Living magazine from which this GREAT article came. I would do her entire living room in our house if I could. I just love it.

Source: southernliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

A few things about salon walls: I am not a fan of anything goes. I think there should be some sort of consistency between pieces be it frame color, distance from each other, being level---you know, the basics. I think anything can be used for a salon wall, but I think it should be somewhat universally appealing.

For example, these salon walls interest me even though I would not do it as they have done:

Source: southernhospitalityblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Here's what I would not do:

Source: feltandwire.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The last two just lack something mature. Not the pieces themselves, but the way in which they are arranged.

In the next post, I'll review my method for hanging & placement, something I got, of course, from someone else:)

Happy Wednesday!

icj,
~j