Cherry Street Cottage

Update: Hudson's trip to the neurologist

2012-02-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day we have heavy hearts. Hudson visited the neurologist and we didn't really get the news we were hoping. Well we did but we got triple the news we were wanting which really turned out to be a bad thing.

Our hopes going into this visit was that we would find something wrong with him that was operable or treatable. I know that sounds counter-intuitive but he has been through so much and he has been getting so much worse we really wanted to hear that there was a clear problem - something real and tangible causing these symptoms. Something so clear and obvious that there was a clear cut solution. Remove a tumor, relieve swelling on his spine....whatever it would be.

Well we learned today that Hudson has several issues all affecting his spine. All in different locations and all with different symptoms. They were not able to do the MRI since the patient is in their care for 2 days and must be sedated (and in costs an arm and a leg) so we won't get these things confirmed until we decide if we will move forward but they are very sure he has Wobbler's Syndrome. There are two kinds and Hudson has Cervical Stenotic Myelopathy. It is common in young large breed dogs, specifically Berners, Great Danes and Mastiffs. It is where the vertebrae in the neck are compressed causing a wobbly gate. Now it is also believe that he has this in three locations on his spine, the neck, middle and lower end. This is what is causing him to drag his feet, trip, go weak in the back legs, and not shake. It is degenerative so if not treated it will get progressively worse until paralysis essentially. The typical treatment would be surgery but the vet did mention acupuncture as well - yes acupuncture for a dog. I have no idea who does that but apparently someone does.

Now this was the type of news we were hoping to receive. However, since they believe he has it in three locations instead of just one his prognosis is not as good. They are not sure they would even try and operate on him since that would be too much for one dog to handle. Three incisions and three surgeries on the spine.....yikes! Again, an MRI would confirm this and give us more details as to whether there really are 3 locations and how severe these compressions or lesions are.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing they think he has. They also have suspicions that he has meningitis. Personally I am less convinced on this one. First of all, they told us he was not in any pain and apparently menigitis is painful for the dog. Secondly, he doesn't seem to display many of the symptoms but since menigitis is a swelling of the spinal membrane and his spine does appear to be damaged it could be that. And of course, he could have swelling of the membrane due to the compression and lesions of the spine from Wobbler's. It's just so hard to know. The only way to confirm menigitis is with a spinal tap. They would only perform this if we went ahead with the MRI since they would have to sedate him for both.

Lastly, they believe he may also have tumors. Tumors are very common in Berners and these too could cause compression on the spine or other organs and could be interfering with his normal functions. Depending on the location, amount and size these may or may not be operable. If we went ahead with the MRI and found tumors and decided that they were operable they would test them for cancer. If cancer that would be a whole 'nother can of worms I don't want to think about.

However, with all of these scenarios they do not believe that Hudson will gain back his ability to hold it - if you know what I mean. We may need to invest in a lot of XXXL diapers. I can't imagine what I will find in those - he is a big dog!!

The best news we received was HE IS NOT IN PAIN!!!! It doesn't make it all better at all but it helps.

So there you go, a complete update on Hudson's visit. We have a lot of tough decisions to make and will be taking our time to prayerfully discuss together and determine what is best for Huds and our family. In the meantime I probably won't be giving any more updates. I know this isn't a puppy blog and as soon as we get through this little hurdle I will get back to my typical crafty, DIY projects and hopefully some much more uplifting content.

Thank you, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Your support and encouragement really means a lot!!

hudson is visiting the neurologist

2012-02-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a long time ago in a post that we have been experiencing some health issues with Hudson our three year old Bernese Mountain Dog. It all started as a funny waddle-limp when we first brought him home. Nothing cuter than this chubby ball of fur stumbling around the yard. Soon we stopped laughing though and realized that things were getting worse and not just the product of a clumsy puppy.

As he grew the waddle limp turned into just a limp and suddenly he was no longer potty trained. That was the biggest wake up call. When your fully potty trained one year old pup suddenly starts having accidents of all types all over the house you worry. You worry a lot. And if we weren't worrying enough then, the sudden depression and anxiety threw us over the edge.

Countless vet visits later and dwindling pocket books we were told that physically he is in perfect health and that it is all mental and we need to visit a dog behaviorist (aka a dog psychologist).

Not joking. We did it.

And we were told that Lola was abusing him.

I just don't see it.

But really they love each other and they love to play together.

We were skeptical about the abuse but the behaviorist did give us a few good tips to get Hudson's mood back up and that alone was worth all the money in the world. Hudson may still trash my house with his bodily fluids but at least he does it with his tail wagging and a big grin on his face.

Apology accepted.

The final straw though was when he stopped being able to shake. As in wet dog trying to shake but nothing happening.

BREAKS MY HEART!

Something is seriously wrong with this sweet guy.

Finally another vet confirmed our fears - it was probably something neurological. Either a tumor on or near his spine, or some type of nerve damage that gets worse as he grows or a tumor grows.

That is why Hudson is visiting a dog neurologist - in Madison. Several hours away.

But I can't complain because I am not even the one taking him. My wonderful mother and mother-in-law are taking a road trip with him and doing this for us because we can't get out of work for it and they love us but they may love Hudson more.

Are they not the BEST GRANDMAS EVER!?

I am so blessed and so appreciate all the things they do for Bran and I.

And in case you are still reading this and still care (Mom you don't count) then come back next week and I'll give you an update on the appointment.

Until then the curiosity will be killing me!!

Another Winner!

2012-01-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Well sadly Katie H never contacted me. I'm guessing you guys aren't so sad since that means one of you gets a second chance.

And that person is....

Comment #4 Sarah!

Congratulations. The pattern will be in your inbox! And congrats on the baby girl too. Please send me a photo if you make her the hat!

And now since there has been a lot of knitting and chevron going on here let's check out the pups. I have been lazy and have no been very good with my DIY projects.....but they're coming. I promise.

Winners of the Chevron Baby Hat Pattern!!

2012-01-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

And the two winners of the Chevron Baby Hat Pattern are........

Comments #10 and #3.

Congratulations Katie H and Cal + Claire!!

Claire - your pattern is in your inbox. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the pattern.

Katie - I don't have your email so please send it to me by Sunday night. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll pick another winner. I don't want to that though so hopefully I will hear from you soon.

If you didn't win and you still really want the pattern you can head to my Etsy shop to purchase it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chevron Baby Hat Pattern - LAST DAY

2012-01-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

C'mon people. You too could be sitting on your couch knitting a super cute and fun chevron baby hat. Just head to the original post and leave a comment to enter a chance to win one of two Chevron Baby Hat patterns. The giveaway ends Friday at 11:59 pm. So hurry up.

I just cannot stop knitting them. I love them. And while I am knitting, Lola is keeping me company.

Cupcake Baby Hat

2012-01-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

I just had to share these two little girls with you all. They are beyond adorable.

Can you believe they are not twins?!

Cause they're not - they're cousins.

I'm going to try explaining this without making your heads spin. Here it goes.....

My good friend, the beautiful Madelyn shown here holding them, bought two of my cupcake hats for her two cousins' (who are sisters) little girls. Thus making them cousins.

Wow, I am terrible at this. Either way, these girls are beyond cute. I just love their rosy cheeks. I wish I could hire them to be my baby models. This photo will have to do.

Thanks for sharing Madelyn!

__________________________________________________

And I have to remind you all to enter to win the Chevron Baby Hat pattern. Just comment on this post.

Chevron Baby Hat Pattern Giveaway (reminder)

2012-01-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

Okay people....you asked for it and here it is.

The Chevron Baby Hat Pattern

And I am giving it away to 2 people

just leave a comment on the original post

And let me tell you - at this point your odds of winning are pretty darn good

so leave a comment please

the chevron baby hat pattern is finally here!

2012-01-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

It has taken me F-O-R-E-V-E-R but it is finally here....the Chevron Baby Hat Pattern.

You know the one I promised here and here.

I created this pattern and have spilled my blood, sweat and tears into it.

So don't hate me but that is why I have decided to sell it on Etsy rather than give it away.

Before you hate me forever let me explain.

I really have to tell you that it was a tough decision. I love sharing my random DIY projects, crafts and especially my knitting with you. I also love all the inspiration that I have received from you all and your blogs. This really is an amazing community of really talented and creative people and I love the ease and accessibility of it all. I don't want to take away from that. I don't want to take that away from you. But Sweet Pea Knits is my business. I sell the Chevron Baby Hat as one of my products and if I just give away the pattern then I may be hurting my own business.

To make it up to you I would like to giveaway the pattern to 2 lucky readers!

To enter to win please leave me a comment on this post telling me your not horribly, awfully mad at me......or you can just share which of the Sweet Pea Knit hats is your favorite. (I may be considering sharing more of my patterns.) Also, be sure to leave your email so I can send you the PDF pattern if you win.

The giveaway will close next Friday, January 27th at 11:59 pm.

The winners will be announced Saturday, January 28th.

Thank you for being so understanding.

I know it has to be frustrating for those who have been waiting for it.

I did not make this decision lightly.

Laundry Time

2012-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

We recently took advantage of the post-Christmas sales and bought a new washer and dryer. They are a beautiful pair and have changed the way we do laundry - really. Now Brandon does the laundry and I watch. It is great! Really though, they were a smart purchase and for so many reasons but the number reason is the Quick Steam cycle on the dryer. A lot of our work clothes are dry clean only but often times they just need a refresh in between uses instead of a full dry cleaning. For those clothes we can throw them in the Quick Steam and they get sanitized and de-wrinkled and freshened. I LOVE IT!

What I don't love......the space around the washer and dryer.

This is what it looked like behind are washer and dryer. I had to wear a hazmat suit just to clean it.

And the wall.....scary. Not to mention the nasty old utility sink that I am afraid to use - so I don't.

I also hate all the piping and wiring and the location of the ridiculously large junction box.

Seriously, our switches take up a third of that box.

But somehow the washer and dryer make it slightly more bearable - just slightly.

Now once the finances bounce back a bit we are hoping to do an EXTREMELY budget friendly little space re-do. I am not going to call this a renovation because we are not in the market to finish the basement or laundry room which means no drywall or tile flooring. But what we are hoping to do is add some storage, hide some of the hideous piping and make this space more useful.

Since we can't add a wall the only thing I can think to do to cover up the nasty walls and piping is to add some tall cabinets and make a storage unit out of this corner. Now it won't look as refined and finished as these spaces but here are some inspirational images I found.

I think I could mimic one of these with the help of some budget friendly Ikea cabinets. We used Ikea cabinets for our kitchen remodel and really like them. No complaints yet.

I went to their website and did some searching and I think that if I stack the washer and dryer in the left corner (with enough space for the junction box) and then add another tall cabinet unit for storage we could do a base cabinet or two, add a sink and be done with it.

So that's one of the plans for now. In the meantime we are enjoying the new machines.

Fortunately these machines work well with or without cabinets and shiny new spaces.

It's Finally Here!!!

2012-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

THE SNOW IS FINALLY HERE!!!!
And it made quite an appearance. We had a lot of fun in it too!!

Actually it is still falling so we will continue to have lots and lots of fun it - well they will while I shovel and take photo breaks.

Best Frozen Yogurt Recipe (Red Mango knock-off)

2012-01-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Yes I realize it is January in Chicago and a winter storm is headed our way - who cares. Frozen yogurt ALWAYS tastes good. ALWAYS.

So read on - I promise you won't regret it. And if it is too cold for you then Pin It! for this summer.

You have probably figured out by now that I tend to have an obsessive personality perhaps addictive. When I fall in love, I fall hard. The latest victim - Red Mango frozen yogurt. I could eat it for every meal. My budget could not. So what does any desperate girl do? She creates her own cheap, homemade version. Now cheap is relative considering Greek yogurt is expensive but a small fro yo from Red Mango runs between $4-$5 and a 32oz container of Dannon greek yogurt is about $6. That same 32oz container creates a lot of yummy scoops.

Now I warn you. If you have never had Red Mango or Pinkberry then you must know that it is tart and tangy - just how I love it but if that is not your thing then I would not suggest this recipe. However, if this sounds yummy (and it is) then here you go.

Ingredients

32oz greek yogurt ( I use vanilla because I love the flavor and it mixes well with the fruit but others recommend plain)

1/2 c. sugar (I like mine less sweet so I use 1/2 c. but if you want it sweeter than you could add 3/4 c.)

Now I love it plain and simple but it is also yummy with some fruit. I used frozen fruit from good ol' Trader Joes - raspberries to be exact - but any fruit would work well. I tossed the whole bag in the food processor and added a little lemon juice. You won't need the whole bag but I will be using the leftovers for smoothies, yogurt (non frozen), or maybe even as some breakfast topping. Oh and it is important to note that you may want to strain the seeds out.....my sis taught me that.

So once you have your ingredients you'll need your ice cream maker. Don't have one? You could get an arm workout by freezing a metal bowl and stirring and stirring and stirring for about 20 minutes - I don't recommend it because I don't want you to blame me when your arm falls off and all you have is really cold yogurt. If you do have an ice cream maker then I recommend that you put the bowl in the freezer RIGHT NOW. There is nothing worse then a fro yo craving and no bowl to make it in.

Ok, now that your bowl is in the freezer we can proceed.

So mix all the ingredients together in a separate bowl (I used the actual frozen bowl and it was fine but things were freezing to the sides before they were completely mixed in.)

Then turn that baby on and watch the magic unfold. You will really start to smell that delicious sweet, tartness. It's like bacon only better.

Now the above is raspberry and it is very good but like I said my favorite is good ol' plain vanilla.

I didn't take any photos of it because my sis and I were too busy eating it. Oh and I was looking for super cute paper ice cream containers to put it in but then I realized the yogurt container is actually perfect for re-storing the fro yo. It may not look as cute but it is super convenient. So sorry it looks like I just took a picture of the yogurt. Oh and you can't tell but it is already more than half gone.

So I hope you try this recipe out and fall madly in love as I did. Love at first scoop. I'm done.

Oh and thanks to my lovely sis for helping me with these recipes. She is far better in the kitchen than I am - my baby sister is much better at many things. She teaches me a lot.

New Obsession - Top Golf

2012-01-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of it? I hadn't until recently when the hubs and brother-in-law received Top Golf gift cards for Christmas. There are only 6 locations around the globe - 3 in the U.S. and 3 in the U.K. It is one of those multi-level driving ranges but with a twist. It is a competitive game with targets spread out across the green that you must aim for. You get 20 balls that have RFID tags in them to track your points. It is like a mix of golf, skee ball and bowling - it is so darn fun!

We gathered most of the crew and headed over there on Sunday to enjoy drinks, appetizers and a crazy competitive game of Top Golf. Spoiler alert - Bran and I won the first round.

And the my camera died - silly me.

I guess phone pictures will have to do.

Lots of victory fist pumps.

And the winners - You could only have 5 people per computer so we broke up into 3 teams and Bran and I won the first round!

Madelyn and Josh creamed everyone in the second and last round. I didn't take a pic of that screen - so shameful.

Well if you happen to be near a Top Golf I highly recommend a visit. It is great for birthday parties, group outings and even just a date. We will definitely be going back may more times.

Yarn Feature - Muskat Egyptian Cotton

2012-01-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have a new favorite yarn so I would like to start a new series where I can share with you what's in my yarn basket. Personally I feel that the yarn is the most important component of a knit item. It is also my favorite thing about knitting. I love all the colors, textures, styles......everything. It is always the yarn that inspires my next project and the yarn that has been inspiring me the most lately is Muskat Egyptian Cotton. It is soft, silky and has such a rich color. It even has a nice sheen to it that almost shimmers.

The price is in the mid-range around $6.50 a skein. I buy my Muskat at my local yarn store. It actually has been kind of hard to track down an internet provider to share with you so hopefully your own searches will go better than mine.

Here are a few items I have made with this yarn in the past.

But I am most excited for the hat I am currently working on with this yarn.

A chevron earflap hat. I'll post as soon as I finish.

A strange, strange weekend

2012-01-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

This has been a strange weekend. Straight out of the twilight zone. That may be a slight exaggeration but there have been enough unexplained things happening around this house that it has set me quite on edge. It started out small enough and was easy to dismiss.

Saturday morning we awoke to a strange and excessive amount of what appeared to be dirt in the shape of many paw prints all over our kitchen floor. Now ordinarily this isn't a strange thing to find at all, in fact it is quite common. We have two large dogs who have the horrible habit of digging - with this Chicago weather it is near impossible to keep our kitchen floor clean. What makes it strange is they had not recently been outside. In fact they were inside most of the evening and when we locked them up for bedtime they had not been outside in many hours. Our kitchen floor was clean and they did not have dirt on their paws. If so, the evidence would have been all over my carpet. So it was bizarre when in the morning we awoke to find such a thick and dark layer (darker and thicker than the above picture) of dirt on the floor. It was as if our dogs had escaped in the night, had a joy ride in the mud and sneaked back into the house just in time for morning. Which of course they could not have done. It was creepy! Oh and in case you are wondering it is not smeared poop - we stuck our noses in it many times. Not proud of that but you do what you have to do.

Then later in the day as Bran went downstairs to do some laundry he discovered a brand new bottle (jug really) of detergent had fallen and spilled all over the floor - under both the washer and dryer. It was a disaster and quite messy for something intended to clean. Again, my camera wasn't readily on hand but I quickly snapped the above photos towards the end of our cleaning rampage.

By far the strangest and most unexplainable event took place once again when we awoke Sunday morning. I'm still baffled by what we found.

The drawer full of heavy Le Creuset dishware and other miscellaneous items was found in the middle of the kitchen, right next to Hudson's bed. First of all, this drawer is heavy. Second, it locks in. You can't just pull it out easily. And thirdly, we did not hear a thing through out the evening and this had to be loud. Metal strainers and ceramic pots were strewn across the floor and the mere noise of dragging the drawer on the hard floor had to be loud. Lastly, Hudson was still laying on his bed when we came down. Right next to the drawer. If you have read my blog you may know that Hudson has some issues - a little anxiety and a lot of fear. And he pees - a lot. There was not a drop of pee on that kitchen floor. The dogs acted as if nothing happened and nothing disturbed their sleep. It was strange. Very, very strange. Oh and I forgot to mention that once again there was the mysterious, excessive amount of dirt on the floor.

So as of tonight, the mystery still stands. What are our dogs up to when we turn out the lights and lay our heads down. I am becoming very tempted to purchase one of those video baby monitors........very tempted.

House Goals for 2012

2012-01-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Now that we are a few days into this new year Bran and I can't waste any more time because we created an extremely full list of house projects we wish to complete in 2012. Of course we realize that we won't get to them all due to time, resources and most importantly finances but hopefully we can complete a good portion of them.

We have been putting a lot of money into this tiny little house and while it was necessary and we don't regret any of it, we both feel it is time to slow down and work on building our savings. All the major purchases and remodels have now been completed on the house. I made a list of everything we have done in 2011 (not including 2008-2010) and it is really exciting to see how extensive it is.

Projects Completed in 2011

- Kitchen remodel
- New doors on lower level
- Opening the gas line to the house
- New gas furnace and air conditioner
- New front and back door
- New front porch
- New gas water heater
- Painting and refinishing the deck
- New washing machine and gas dryer
- Painting the living room

As you can see the above list was pretty financially draining so the following list for 2012 fortunately is mostly cosmetic and hopefully cheaper(and in my opinion - more fun!).

House Goals for 2012

- Upstairs bathroom remodel
- Carpet runner on stairs
- Add functionality to laundry room (or create a laundry space in the basement)
- Paint guest room and re-decorate a bit
- Paint hallway - below trim
- Repair holes and re-paint
- Make curtains/shades for guest room, master bedroom and office
- Find artwork/photos to hang in living room
- Paint dining room chairs
- New light fixture in dining room
- Shelves in kitchen above butcher block
- Landscaping
- Freshen trim with new paint
- New doors upstairs and in office
- Mantle and entertainment shelves around fireplace

After these items are completed Bran and I both feel the house will be in pretty good order and hopefully will just be in a state of upkeep. Of course we both have the pipe dream of someday finishing the basement and maybe adding a sunroom but we highly doubt we will do either in this house given the duration we wish to live here. But hey if HGTV wants to show up or we win the lottery then thats the first thing we'll do.

Now back to work.......

Recycled Baby Hats

2012-01-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

I do not think I express my love for Pinterest enough. I adore Pinterest. It has changed my life. Little much? I agree. Needless to say I do care for Pinterest quite a lot and really find it useful in my life. It has helped with keeping track of new recipes to try, party ideas, home decor inspiration and of course great projects and new blogs to follow.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention that it really has helped attract so many fabulous readers to this little blog - thanks to my fabric flower tutorial. So if you are here from Pinterest - welcome and thanks for stopping by and checking out what else Cherry Street Cottage is blabbering about. (That may or may not be a word.)

I have Pinterest and Make It and Love It to thank for my next project. I pinned these adorable hats a few weeks ago hoping to get to them someday. As you know I've made a little business from knitting baby hats but these were so cute!

As I was cleaning out my closet in prep for the new year I reluctantly decided to get rid of some of my favorite pieces of clothing. I was having such a hard time putting them in the goodwill pile. I don't wear them anymore but I just can't let go. Silly. But then I thought of this project and decided to try and recycle these outfits and turn them into baby hats. The tutorial was so easy to follow and I think the hats turned out great. Now I just need a baby to wear them.

Top 11 of 2011: Projects Edition

2011-12-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

I know I just did this post but this one is different. Here are the top 11 projects of 2011.

Fabric Flower Tutorial

Bow Tutorial

My favorite - Bow Tie Onesies

Deck Refresh

Stripping my PB Dining Table

Football Hat

Chevron Hat

Corbel Shelf

Oversized Frame

TV Cabinet Transformation

Front Porch Remodel

I think that sums up the year pretty well. But it is making me worry. Now I have to think of projects to do this year..........

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm joining the trend and sharing the highlights of the previous year.

So welcome to the Top 11 of 2011.

The great adventure that was Snowpocalypse 2011

Our wonderful trip to Boston, MA and the north coast with my family for my brother's graduation.

This is Motif no. 1 in Rockport, MA. (As seen in The Proposal)

4th of July at the lake. Nothing better.

Lola. The pups love our trips to the lake too.

A trip to Colorado with the Keith family for some cattle herding - and hiking of course.

The boys.

Oh and then there was the TRIATHLON......

Enough said.

Our front porch transformation.

The End of Summer Bash 2011.

Another quick trip to Colorado - just the two of us.

(Just realized that I forgot to post about this trip....coming soon.)

And my favorite holiday - Christmas.

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year - actually we had such a wonderful year. I'm sad it is all over but the great thing is we get to do it all over next year. Plus we have a lot of great things to look forward to in 2012 like my best friend's wedding in California and hopefully a trip to Scotland for the Keith family reunion. And the best part of the new year is there will be so many fun, unexpected adventures.

Happy New Year!!

Where is the snow Chicago?

2011-12-28T22:27:00.001-08:00

Seriously, what is going on? Even Colorado seems to be in short supply of the powdery white stuff that keeps their winter tourism alive and well. I'm glad I at least snapped a few pics of the pups playing in the snow on the one ~~day~~ morning we've been lucky enough to have a minimal accumulation. I think this melted a few hours later and turned into a mud bath for the dogs to roll in.

I swear they love the snow. They love to run, wrestle, play and eat it. I think the skeptical faces are more a result of the giant black camera in their faces instead of the snow.

This will keep me going until Snowpocalypse 2012.

Guest Room Re-Do

2011-12-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I received the West Elm duvet I've been eyeing.

Yay!

And since my guest room/craft room currently looks like this.....

It is time for a total re-do.

This room was just a collection of random items from college and it was screaming nursery. And since it is definitely NOT a nursery, it is time to get off my couch, shut down pinterest and get to work transforming it into a modern and fresh retreat for myself and the occasional guest.

But before I officially get off the couch and shut down pinterest I decided to come up with a vision and scheme for this space. I usually jump into project with no plan or vision and I just creates a mess with no style, no statement and no fun. It's just blahhhh.

I am done with blah and I have come up with a fun scheme that will inspire my creativity and be a great starting point for the rest of the house.

What do you think?

This week I am hoping to the paint the walls Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter.

And then sew some roman shades (tutorial found here) in the kelly green color.

The main color scheme will be grey and white with splashes of green in the pillows, lamps and wherever else I decide to splash it.

I've been trying to find a room with this color scheme already in place so I can get a sneak peek at how these colors mesh since this could be a disaster.

But I am ready to take the risk.

Christmas #1

2011-12-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated our first Christmas of the season with my extended family. Everyone (almost) made the trek down from WI to my parent's house for the Hock family Christmas.

The house was full and busy - just how we like it.

We played games.

Watched football.

And had a really fun gift card and family photo exchange.

Everyone knows the gift card exchange but this year my cousins suggested we try a family photo exchange. Everyone picked a family photo (old or new), put it in a frame and wrapped it up to exchange. I wasn't sure how this would work and if the photos people picked would be interesting enough for all but it really was SO MUCH FUN! A new family tradition.

I forgot to take a picture of it but I received a photo of my grandpa on his navy ship from WWII. It was a photo that I had never seen and it was really meaningful to catch a glimpse of his life then. The best part was passing around the photos and sharing the memories. Both my grandparents have passed away and this was a special way of remembering them during the holidays.

I highly recommend introducing this tradition to your family this Christmas.

But the best part of the holidays is cousin time!

Santa even came to visit the girls!

And brought Elf on a Shelf!

And because these girls are so darn cute and I am slowly getting the hang of my camera can I share some adorable shots of these girls from the day? I love having little youngins at the house. So much fun!

Aren't they so cute?!

Merry Merry Christmas

2011-12-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Keiths!

Wishing you peace, joy & hope in Christ this Christmas.

This year's Christmas card was quite the event. I thought it would be super easy to take some quick photos of us with the dogs using a self-timer and a tri-pod. COULD. NOT. BE. MORE. WRONG.

As you can see Hudson didn't even make it into our card. You can catch a glimpse of his head on my lap and Lola looks a little deranged - which she kind of is half the time but I like it this way. This is just us and our life. Definitely not perfect (although I have to say Bran and I look more pulled together than we usually do) but definitely happy and full of lots of laughs - thank you Hudson and Lola for that.

Here is a sampling of the ones we decided not to use.....

photo shoot #1

unison crotch sniffing (bad treat placement)

photo shoot #2

photo shoot #3

Here's to hoping we can do better next year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-04T10:59:00.001-08:00

Well I am sorry that I have been a terrible blogger lately. I've been so busy enjoying the holidays and all my friends and family that I really haven't been doing much crafting, knitting or house projects. There just really has been nothing interesting enough to share with you all. And to be honest, I have really enjoyed just enjoying life. Don't get me wrong though....I still love my DIY and crafting projects and especially sharing it here but I'm not going to kill myself to get posts out if there isn't really anything worth sharing.

This however, is totally worth sharing....maybe. Christmas is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. First, it is the advent season where we spend time preparing our hearts for the birth of Jesus (or the celebration of the birth of Jesus), we celebrate his life and give praise to God for the gift of his Son, our Savior. It is easy for me to lose sight of this amongst all the magic of the season - the twinkling lights, bedazzled trees, fresh snow, warm fires, pretty packages and even quality time with family and friends. Oh and the holiday music and movies. All of these are great, fun things and they are all reasons why I love Christmas but I am challenging myself to enjoy these things second to the joy of focusing my heart and mind on my Savior and what his birth truly means for me in my life. If you can resonate with me too then I challenge you to do the same and if you have any great traditions, devotions or any other things you do to re-focus yourself amongst all the good cheer then please share with me!

With all that being said, we did have a wonderful weekend picking out tree and decking the halls all by a warm, crackling fire with the holiday tunes blasting. It was such a relaxing, cozy and fun weekend with the hubs and pups!

Hope you all have a joyful and fun and meaningful Christmas season!

my first craft fair ever

2011-11-14T18:49:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day! My first craft fair. It is just a small fair at the local college where I work but I am still super excited. I have no idea what to expect - I'm not even sure people will show up but either way it will be fun. I am sharing a table with THE faux martha and her great knit cowls. (You should also check out her awesome recipes and baking/cooking tutrorials.) So local friends, if you find yourself on campus tomorrow between 10:00 am - 2:00 pm come check out the fair on the second floor of the BGC. Here's a peek at what will be on my table (along with kettle corn from the french market).

luxurious towel blankets for infants and children

Heated Neck Wraps

Headbands for all ages

and of course baby hats and bow tie onesies.......

DIY Oversized Framed Photos

2011-11-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am in love with this project. I first fell in love with the inspiration when I saw it Pinterest and now I am in love with my version of it. I still really adore the original - it really can't be beat.

my frame Pinterest

(Disclaimer: Don't mind the lack of - well - things in this picture. This corner of the room is a work in progress. Especially since Lola tore down the curtain and rod on the left. Next project - turning those curtains into roman shades.)

But since it would cost A LOT of money to frame that many photos I had to come up with my own smaller scale version - that is CHEAP.

And you can make your own too.

First I had my husband use left over wood to create the frame. With a little glue and a staple gun I assembled the cut pieces.

Then I purchased a piece of SMOOTH MDF or plywood. I know this isn't helpful but I really don't know what it is actually called. Ehhhh......I bought at our local big box hardware store.....this tutorial is failing.......

Let's get this back on track. Next I stained the frame using my new best friend, Minwax's Polyshade, a stain and poly in one. Time and money saver. Yes. It is the same stuff I used for the corbel shelf.

I also painted the back board above white for a nice backdrop to the photos. Based on your photos and room it could be fun to pick black or a fun color to spice it up a bit. I am a plain jane so due to my fear of color I stick with the basics.

My next step was to choose my photos. I knew I needed 27 photos to fill in the frame so I selected 50. Once I had my potential photos I tested out whether I liked color, sepia, or black and white photos for my frame. I decided that I needed some color but do to my fear of it that it needed to be bleached.

Next I measured out the dimensions and how much space would be needed between each photo so I could measure and secure the photos with a glue stick before going to town with the Mod Podge.

The last and final step was just SEVERAL coats of Mod Podge. I chose Matte because I love it but glossy is great too. The one challenge was getting some mod podge behind the photos since they were partially secured with glue. I only put a dab of glue in the center of each photo so I was able to pull the corners and edges back to give the backs a thin coating. It definitely was all they needed. The photos are not falling off anytime soon.

If you look closely you can see the ridges and lines from the mod podge but that doesn't really bother me plus you have to look very closely to see it. But it is something to consider - especially as you are layering it on.

So there you have it - your very own oversized framed photo display.

Now what to do with this corner?!

What should I put on the other wall? I am thinking 3 horizontal pieces of artwork or perhaps a verse or wording of some type spread out across three frames....Any ideas?