Home by Heidi

{Spagetti and a Plate Full of Projects!}

2013-03-23T00:11:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone!

Yes, I've been struggling with blogging lately:( I am right in the middle of trying to fine-tune small spaces in my home, plus I am designing a new pediatric dental office
(which by the way ALL you Utah people have to go check it out)!

It's going to be AMAZING, your kids will LOVE it!:)

The theme of the NEW building in Clearfield is a "Kids Town." It's going to look like a REAL miniature town, the perfect size for kids. You will see things like REAL lamp posts with street signs, a fire station, post office and even City Hall. And of course we couldn't leave out their little white dog mascot.
The office will be done by the end of April. We are right in the middle of a construction zone.

I will do a BIG long post on it once it's up and running :)

Here is the logo and website that my husband's company designed
for them!

www.kidstowndental.com

In the meantime..If you want to see my day to day design questions and posts,
I am a VERY good Instagramer! So check me out there.

One more thing...I PROMISED I would post my most FAVORITE homemade spaghetti recipe. I am a BIG homemade... "made from scratch" kind of cook. I have a hard time with processed ANYTHING. I think we really should eat more stuff with single or few ingredients vs. food full of stuff that I can't pronounce. How can I expect my body to know what the heck to do with it if I don't even know what it is??? Anyway, I could talk for HOURS on that subject...I will spare you:)
I do also know that we all have CRAZY busy lives. So I try to find recipes that are FAST and simple.

So...here you go, the next time you want something tasty that fills the kids' bellies, while maintaining a hectic schedule

"Spagetti Sauce"... Heidi's version

Start with these 4 ingredients...

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, minced

( I just buy my garlic already chopped in those plastic/glass jars...makes life easy!)

In a pan on medium heat....throw in chopped onion, minced garlic and 1-2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (let everything caramelize) takes a few minutes!

Then dump in the tomato paste and stir everything together for another minute or two.

Then take this paste mixture, and throw it in a crock pot...

Add the remaining ingredients...

3 cans of tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2-3 tablespoons brown sugar (depends on how sweet you like your sauce)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Cook on low for an hour or two or whenever you are ready to eat!

The sauce is especially good the next day! Perfect for freezing or using in another Italian dish!

Notice there isn't any meat in the sauce! I'm not a huge red meat fan, but you can totally add a pound to the recipe. Just cook it first and add it to the tomato paste mixture in step #1

Voilà, your family will love it!!!
Bon appétit!

{Grout Dilemma!}

2013-02-24T19:44:00.003-07:00

Hey Everyone...

I have been SUPER busy around the house! I am excited to post the before and after pictures.

But just so you didn't think I TOTALLY disappeared, I wanted to share a QUICK tip I found out about during this CRAZY remodeling/changing things up a bit journey.

When we built this house 7 years ago, let's just say I didn't know much about "grout color" as much as I do now.

So when the kitchen backsplash went up, I had the tile guy pick whatever he thought looked good with the tile. BIG MISTAKE!!! What I ended up with was a grout that looked PINK, Ahhhhh!

So for the past 7 years, I have HATED my tile in the kitchen. I have been telling Brett that I wanted to rip it out, but the tile itself wasn't bad and I REALLY like the 3x6 shape so......

I thought that if we were to re-grout it, I might like it a lot better.

I headed to my local tile store and asked what the BEST way to take out old grout knowing we were headed for a time-consuming, NOT VERY FUN project! and guess what I was told?!....

I didn't have to re-grout it!!

All I had to do was PAINT THE EXISTING GROUT!

WHAT???

You mean there is such a thing as Grout Paint?? Can I just tell you how that made my day!

The shop owner had me look at the grout deck of colors and I picked the perfect shade that coordinated with my existing tile!

Here are the Before and After pictures!

The Special Grout Paint

"Antique Linen"

BEFORE

AFTER

Yep...Looks like a TOTALLY different tile! I am pretty thrilled with the end result :)

Notice the wallpaper!!!

....This is me jumping up and down with excitement...

thats for a future post (wink)

{Inspiration!!!}

2013-01-21T13:54:00.001-07:00

Inspiration can be found in so many places.
From stores, blogs, and magazines to fabric and furniture.
It's all around us!

I am one who LOVES to create and my living space seems to be what I focus on most. I tell my husband that my house is like an artist's canvas...always CHANGING!

I know it drives him CRAZY... I think I would go CRAZY if I didn't have a change of scenery ever so often!

Brett has said in past conversations that he believes there are very few NEW ideas, but a lot of old ideas people reinvent in a new and EXCITING way!
By adding your own twist on things you make an existing idea or design your very own.

And isn't that why we follow blogs in the first place?
To be inspired and to gather GREAT ideas from each other.

I personally feel copying is the BIGGEST form of flattery! :)

Here are some pictures I have gathered over the years that I have personally been inspired by!

I have LOVED this picture display for some time now and I thought it would go PERFECTLY in my baby's nursery!

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

{Theirs}

Source

{Mine}

Thank's to all the wonderfully talented people out there
that inspire me daily!!!

{ Nursery Accents }

2013-01-15T15:25:00.001-07:00

Here are a few updated pictures of the nursery.

I still haven't found the right items for on top of the armoire,

but...I was able to get her pictures up on the wall, just in time for our little bundle's blessing day!

I just LOVE this space!!

The Robins egg blue walls are so soothing and inviting!!!

Me and Miss Maddie spent a lot of time together in this room :)

{ Birthdays, Baptism, & Blessings! }

2013-01-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how intense life has been for me over the past 2 1/2 months?!

Since Maddie's birth (end of October) until this past weekend, life has been Wonderfully CRAZY!!!

Amongst all the NORMAL busy-ness of life,

we fit a lot into a small amout of time!

Here are a few bullet points of just some of our events:

* Maddie's Birth

* Halloween

* Thanksgiving

* Megan's Dance Festival

* Big B's Birthday

* Brett's Birthday
* Remodel of our living room
*Remodel of our Office

* Maddie's Blessing and Lunch-in

* Christmas

* New Years

* Little B's Birthday

* A Baptism and Lunch-in
. . . just to name a few:)

Just ONE of those events is a killer let alone doing it all at once. This girl is one tired Momma!

I don't know how I got through it?

Did I mention I had a NEWBORN through all of it! LOL :)

I thought that after it all, life might calm down a bit, but then I remember the wood floor guy is coming next week and that means life will be a bit upside down once again!

(but at least ONLY for a few days :)

Here are some pictures from Brock's Special Day! These pictures are from the night before, preparing for the Brunch the next morning.

His theme was....

It's GREAT to be 8!

I do have some pictures from Madeline's blessing day as well, but on CRAZY(special)days, sometimes we forget to take as many pictures as we'd like.

Thank goodness for my father-in-law who always has his

camera in hand.

I'll share those pictures once I get them from him!

In the meantime, here is a picture of "THE DRESS"!!!

(Source)

We had these pictures taken a few days after she was blessed.
Her Grandma (Brett's Mom) made the dress!

Isn't it AMAZING?!?
I just gave her an inspiration picture of what I wanted and she was able to take my vision and make it a reality!
So SUPER talented!!!

I feel like one blessed Daughter!

THANKS a Million KATHY!

{The Office... Take 2}

2013-01-05T20:00:00.002-07:00

Remember This Room?

Its been the yellow and green for sometime now!

In truth the room looked fine, but I was REALLY ready for a CHANGE!!

So.... our NEXT project became the office.

I wanted to design a room that was different then anything I had ever done before.

I thought I would try this NEW look in a smaller space to see if I liked it!

Well...Brett and I both are IN LOVE with how it turned out. We now want to do the rest of the house with the same kind of feel!

I now just need to add a rug, curtains, an office chair, pillows furniture, lamps..you know all the fun stuff :)(wink)

Brett works from Home so I wanted to update the space

to make him feel cozy and a little bit not so girly!

Here are some before and after pictures!

...BEFORE...

And,

this is what it looks like now...

We added an extra trim piece to the crown to REALLY add some DRAMA!

I'll post more pics once we start adding the Fun Decor items! :)

{I'm BACK!}

2012-12-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!!!

Life has been a bit CRAZY with a new baby and all the holidays in the last few months! PLUS in my little family we have 2 birthdays in December and another the first week of January, plus we blessed our sweet little addition a week before Christmas,

so you can imagine it's been an eventful month.

Life for me has slowed down a bit. I'm trying to ignore all the many distractions in life and take some time to smell the roses.

Our little Madeline is such a joy in our lives and I don't want to miss a moment of her sweet babyness! I really take to heart the inspirational words I was told by my sister, to take time to breath in the perfect moments in life. Perfection happens rarely in life, so always be aware of the golden moments!

With the birth of Maddie, Brett and I find ourselves staying up late at night just looking and whispering to this sweet baby girl. Hours seem like minutes when you're holding a perfect little bundle.

Other than Miss Maddie keeping us busy, we've been keeping up with projects on the home front. Brett's been up to more trim work (shocking I know)!

We added a planked-wall on both sides of our staircase from floor to ceiling, and also on the biggest wall in our home.

Here are some before and after pictures

I have BIG plans for this wall. I need to find the perfect sconces and I'm in the works of getting a custom frame made and adding a big family picture between the lights!

Next came adding MORE trim to the squared off, bumped out wall.

It's always a smart idea to sketch out your vision for the space before just jumping in. It really helps to see it on paper and can lead to even MORE inspiration.

Here was ours!

Here is the BEFORE picture!

In the Middle...

Sorry about the BAD pictures! I've gotten lazy with my camera

since getting an iPhone ;)

And the BIG reveal!!!

I am SUPER happy we did this wall.

I now feel like my pony wall and banister finally blend and look like one piece of trim, where as before it felt choppy.

Didn't Brett do a GREAT job! I tell you what, I wouldn't know what I would do without my Hunk of a DIY husband! Muah!!!

I have a lot more pictures to share on the latest projects we have been up to so stay posted! :)

Until then ... I am excited for the New Year!!!

I am a HUGE goal-setter and just love to make vision boards,

I'm a true believer in them!

Good Bye 2012 it's been a good one...and HELLO 2013

can't wait to see what this year brings!!!

{Our New Arrival!}

2012-11-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

I'd like you to meet our newest addition

Madeline Grace

7 pounds 6 ounces 21 inches

We were thrilled when we saw Madeline's pictures for the first time!!!

Aren't these pictures breathtaking!

All thanks to the amazingly talented photographer

Caralee Case

You have to go and check out her work!

We are over the moon and VERY smitten with this little lady!

I have been loving her to pieces and taking lots of extra time just holding her and enjoying every minute of being a mother of a newborn. This stage is so sweet!

I will pick-up blogging again in a few weeks, but for now I'll be in Baby Bliss :)

{The Nursery}

2012-10-21T18:35:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking it might take MONTHS to finish the nursery! I still need to get pictures taken of this baby, print the pictures and hang them.
I Also want to order her name in vinyl to hang over the crib.
But I can't very well do that until this little bundle is born and I see her face to decide on her name . . . which brings me to the BIG QUESTION in my life right now,

“When is she going to be born???”

Presently, I’m 6 days from my due date!
CRAZINESS if you ask me.

All my babies have come about 2 weeks early. So this is NEW territory for me. I feel hard little body parts all squeezed inside of me. I am having a hard time figuring out if I am having an contraction or if I am feeling a little foot, back or leg?!

I can't complain, I have had a great pregnancy, but I am READY to meet this baby girl and see who she looks like!

I am getting soooo excited!!!!!!

I’ve received a few emails about when I was going to post pictures of the nursery.
So here are a few pictures I shot today.

The walls are totally blank, as well as on top of the armoire, but I hope you can see my vision for the nursery!
I REALLY wanted a super clean palette, so I used A LOT of white (which I LOVE),I am SUPER excited about how it's turning out.
I never thought I was a PURPLE person, but I am really enjoying the calming affect it has on me!

Anyways...I think I have done all shades of pink over the past 10 years and I wanted something new.

I suppose I wanted a decorating challenge in a sense :)

The Quit, Bumper, rug and Sheet came from Pottery Barn Kids

The crib skirt came from a VERY talented lady on Etsy

The end table is an old piece I already had, I painted it to match the room.

The lamp, pillows, and curtains I found at DownEast Home also (PBK)

I had a slipcover sewn for my existing rocking chair!

I also had a window cushion sewn to match the room. I found the fabric for that at Home Fabric for only $2.00 a yard!

The Light comes from Pottery Barn Kids

{ Rug Advice?!}

2012-10-08T15:22:00.002-06:00

Hey Ya All,

With the way I have been feeling the last few days, I feel like this baby is going to come any second now!

(Maybe that is wishful thinking?)

But...to keep myself BUSY I am attempting to finsh the office design.

I have found these two rugs that I LOVE and I wanted to get your feed back and which one you like better?!

This rug will be paired up with Cream and Khaki/Grey horizonal striped walls.

Mixed with houndstooth fabric and something geometric
(still looking for that one)

and other fun stuff elements like that.

Already in the room is this Black Crystal chandelier

and these sconces

Pardon my dust..Oops, to many DIY projects going on :)

Oh, And also my white and black desk!

OK...Vote away!! :)

{Nesting}

2012-09-12T11:57:00.000-06:00

There have been a lot of things going on around here in prep for this baby!

I checked in with the doctor on Monday.

I have gained 20.5 pounds and approaching my 35 week mark this Sunday.

Here is a picture of the bump from a week or so ago!

As much as it has been OH SO FUN being prego...I am really ready to get my body back and also my energy :)

I feel like I am dragging these days, with bits of energy here and there that really don't last long!

UGH :(

I am trying to get as much done as POSSIBLE before our little bundle arrives, but it's been a little challenging as the doctor just put me on partial bed rest. What does "partial bed rest” mean anyway??? You only have to be GOOD half the time?
I have been trying to take it easy, but my mind is going a million miles per hour so it's a bit hard!

For those of you that don't follow Instagram, here are a few snap shots to catch you up on what we have been up to!

I have already jumped the gun and decorated for Halloween! My mantle is also DONE! I'll post that soon!

We are also in the middle of another trim project(shocking)

Here is the before...

And here we are mid project!

and I am also SUPER close to getting the nursery and master bedroom done!

Here are some elements from both rooms!

All so EXCITING!!!

{Master Bedroom Makeover!}

2012-08-29T16:06:00.005-06:00

Every project starts with a PLAN, right? I like to see all the elements on paper before going forward with buying the REAL items. I feel like I make less mistakes that way :)

You might think I am CRAZY for changing my Master,But I like change and after 6 years I wanted something different.
Less Green MORE blue! I realize I can't live with blue in my front room, But in my bedrooms that is a WHOLE different story!!

I just recently painted over my green walls in my master and re-painted them a YUMMY color of Comfort Grey from Sherwin Williams.

Here are a few snap shots from my phone. I am LOVING IT!!!

I moved my white armoire into the master bedroom so we FINALLY can have a TV in our room. I figure this is perfect timing with our baby girl coming!

Do you remember this armoire piece from my last post??? Yep...same piece. It was the first piece of furniture that Brett and I bought as a married couple and though it has been through MANY color changes and has certainly taken a beating after 12 years, I just can't seem to part with it!

I also took over Megan’s old bed...remember the green bed?

Yes...it is NOW white to match the armoire and I couldn't be MORE excited about it!

OK....here is my plan for the rest of the room. I will be ready to post once the other items arrive.

Stay tuned for the big reveal in a few weeks!

I bought this bedding from Pottery Barn

I had a 20% off coupon. HAPPY DAY!!!

I also picked up this blanket in white.

This is seriously the most comfy blanket and is very seasonally-friendly. I also LOVE how blankets give more character to beds.

I had this PB pillow hanging around the house, FUNNY that I have this kind of stuff just hanging around, but when things go on clearance for $9.99, I figure I can always use it down the road; I’m so glad I did :)

It’s going to be PERFECT with the bedding ensemble!

I have 2 of these Chevron pillows coming from Lacey Place on etsy, I had them custom made to fit a euro size insert

I bought this rug on Ebay. I wheeled and dealed with the seller and gave him my best offer.

I came away saving $80 off the listing price! SCORE!!! Especially that rugs are SUPER pricey and I needed an 8x10 for the bedroom.

I’m super excited, I have ALWAYS loved the look of rugs under beds!

My future plan is to also get this rug from PB for my master bath. I think it would be fun to coordinate with the

Chevron Euro pillows in the other room!

I am needing to work in my side tables into the design,

I just LOVE them! I own the green one in the pic!

I think they will be perfect with everything I'm doing!

Well, there it is...so far everything is coming together nicely.

I am going to go to the fabric store today and see if I can score some white fabric for a great price for the bed skirt! I’m just going to gather it versus sewing it. After 6 years of doing that trick, I figure it works great, and that is time and energy saved on my part:)

I have also been working hard on trying to get the nursery done. I am super close.

But here is a sneak peek of the rug That is already in the room!

Hopefully I can share the finished project with you all VERY soon!

{ Good Memories! }

2012-08-28T00:49:00.002-06:00

The month of August is always a very full month for me.

We get to celebrate 2 birthdays, one of which is mine. This year, I hit the big 3-5! I can't believe I am really that old. When my parents were that age, I thought they were ancient! Funny how we perceive things so differently when we’re kids

In the month of August, Brett and I celebrated our
12-year mark of marriage.

Life has had its good times and heartaches. But I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. Brett has had my back our entire marriage. He has stood by me with 100% through all the hair brain ideas that I’ve had over the years. He has helped me fulfill my dreams in so many ways!

Here we are on our wedding day!

We were YOUNG!

The funny thing about this was we were 24 and 23-years-old and at the time I felt soooo old... LOL!

I still LOVE my wedding dress to this day!

I wanted something more classic so it didn't date itself. So far so good! :)

(at least in my opinion…he he)

Here we are 12 years later, looking older (hopefully wiser)

with 3 kids and one on the way!:)

Since we are talking about the good old days,

I thought it would be fun to post old pictures from our first home...

A BLAST from the Past!

Our First Home was in Logan, Utah.I LOVED it there!

This home was built in the 1900 so it had LOADS of charm

Entry Way

KITCHEN

I have ALWAYS loved white cabinets!

As you can see, I have always surrounded myself with

trim work, arches, wood floors and yummy colors!

MASTER

Over the years, I have gotten better at picking paint and hopefully decorating! It looks like I was going through my BRITE STAGE :) LOL

*sigh*

these pictures bring back so many great memories.

At the time these were taken, I was around 20 some weeks pregnant with my second.

It seems like Brett has always been busy at trim work (somethings never change)I am such a slave driver!(jk)

He has definitely gotten better at trim over the years.

To the point that he AMAZES me what he can do!

So cute…he looks so YOUNG!!

That was SUPER fun for me to share!

Can't wait to see what the future brings for us!

{Random Thoughts }

2012-08-23T17:42:00.004-06:00

This summer is really flying by! My kids start school in a week. I think I am just as excited as they are :) Being pregnant and trying to maintain a house while entertaining older kids has been a bit physically challenging! At the end of the day I am warn out. We did try to cram in what we could.
But I can't lie, It was almost to my physical breaking point.

I am REALLY looking forward to next summer; I'll have my energy back plus this little bundle will be a bit older so it will be perfect to REALLY get out there and enjoy the summer!

I have around 8 weeks to get my house and all the baby things ready before this baby arrives. Eck!...Not a lot of time if you ask me.

Blogging has not been on the top of my list this summer
(as I am sure you have noticed)

But I do post a lot on my Instagram. I have some of the Nursery updates, baby finds and also some random house stuff !

My profile name is- homebyheidi

http://web.stagram.com/n/homebyheidi/

Or just follow me on your phone :)

Something a bit fun and personal in my life. Today marks the 2 year anniversary since I competed in the Mrs. America pageant. BOY, have things changed since then.

Ugh...It’s better that I DON'T look at old pageant pictures while prego! :)

All of my pageant friends and past Mrs. Idaho's are all in Tucson Arizona cheering on the NEW Mrs. Idaho.

I would have LOVED to have been there, but life is CRAZY right now in all honesty, I am perfectly content at home preparing for this baby and carrying around these extra 20 pounds I have gained during this pregnancy.

This baby girl is VERY much a dream come true for Brett and I. It took so major work getting her here. So I am ok with putting my body, life and fun on hold for just a moment!

And let’s be honest, seriously...what in the heck would I have even worn???

This tummy is NOT fitting into a formal dress anytime soon! haha :)

Go check out what’s going on at

www.mrsamerica.com

Hope you all have a GREAT rest of your summer! I'm jealous of you that have already started school.
I am CRAVING routine right now! :)

{ A Precious Mess}

2012-08-11T12:52:00.000-06:00

Today I am proud to introduce you to my Darling Sister Emily and her very FUN, very real Blog all about motherhood.

I just love her blog; it talks about the adventures of what we call motherhood. All the ups, downs, precious moments and CRAZY incidents that honestly, you just have to laugh about at times!

I am guest posting on her blog today to share one of many motherhood moments that I will cherish for a lifetime! I can say that NOW, but at the time, it wasn't so blissful..LOL:)

Head over, Enjoy, And Share with your friends :)

www.apreciousmess.blogspot.com

Poppy Seed Projects!!

2012-08-03T11:53:00.001-06:00

Hello, my name is Heidi of Home by Heidi.

I am EXCITED to be able to share this latest craft from

Poppy Seed Projects

I have been working on my little girl’s room for some time now, I was at the end of the project searching for the finishing touches. In my search, I came across an adorable craft
offered by Poppy Seed Projects

I knew I had to MAKE it!

What I LOVE about Poppy Seed is their crafts are simple and easy to do, and the BEST part,

Poppy Seed offers the glue and texture cream (sold separate) to make the project as easy as a one stop shop!

All I had to provide was the paper :)

First, I decided to add some depth to the edge of the letter so, I sprayed a little chocolate spray paint on the sides to give it that professional look (wink)

Then I found the PERFECT scrapbook paper to match her room and got to work tracing around the letter!

Next came some cutting, then the glue/ If you have any unwanted scrapbook paper left on the edges one of my favorite tricks is to take a high grade sand paper and lightly sand off the excess paper until you are left with an exact match to the letter. Last of all add some texturizing cream to the top!

And Wala...Simple, Fast and

DARLING!!!!!!

I haven't had a chance to hang my daughter’s letters on her wall just yet, but check out the Poppy Seed Projects finished product! ADORABLE :) (paired with their darling Personalized Bird Decal)

Be sure and check out their website for other great projects for your home!

POPPYSEED PROJECTS is doing a special promotion just for Home by Heidi readers...

Use the code HOMEBYHEIDI for $10.00 off of an order of $50.00

Better yet...Register here for your chance to WIN a $20.00 Gift Card towards anything from Poppy Seed Projects.

Here is what you have to do...

(giveaways are for Home by Heidi followers, so click away :)

*Follow Poppy Seed Projects on Facebook ( one entry)

* Follow Home by Heidi on Pinterest(one entry)

*Follow Poppy Seed Projects on Pinterest ( one entry)

Ends August 10th

{The Baby Bump}

2012-07-31T10:36:00.003-06:00

I thought I would share a picture from my Baby Bump Session

My sister’s dear friend Jeanna Hayes traveled all the way from Vegas to take pictures of my brother’s wedding.

The night before the wedding, we had a HUGE family photo session. All 34 of us on my side of the family were there, and surprisingly there wasn’t a lot of chaos :) After the big group shot, each family got a mini photo shoot.

I opted for my time to be spent taking pictures of the baby bump instead of a family picture, knowing that VERY soon a family picture would be outdated.

Jeanna did an AMAZING job, a VERY talented photographer!

This picture was just a sneak peek.
I am dying to see the others!

As you can see Megan is EXCITED to meet her baby sister :)

{Nursery..Take 2}

2012-07-26T14:14:00.003-06:00

I hope you aren't getting tired of my nursery posts just yet! :) I swear I have a MAJOR case of Pregnancy Brain because I can't seem to make a FINAL decision about anything!

UGH... That’s why my walls in my front room are still half painted :)

I THOUGHT I was FOR SURE going to paint my nursery pink and gray but now I’m not so sure?

I have been LOVING the new trend with fun colorful turquoise hues and wanted to add it somewhere in my home without having to be married to it for the next 10 years (just in case it decides to go out of style anytime soon).

And so I thought WHY NOT A NURSERY???

I was having a hard time figuring out how to incorporate it UNTIL I saw the NEW Brooklyn bedding from Pottery Barn kids!

I'm not a purple person at all, But for some reason this is drawing me in.

I love this turquoise desk and I have a small round end table that is pretty darn close to that color, which would work perfectly by the side of my rocker chair, add a darling lamp and I would be set.

If I do go this direction, this is the paint color I'll be using on the walls!

Pretty hu?

PHEW...I honestly feel like MAYBE things are falling into place, whereas before I felt like I was forcing the design.

I am excited to also be able to still accent with gray. I suppose it is the BEST of both worlds!

I ordered the bedding

I am HOPING it all works out when it’s in the room! Crossing my fingers! :)

Who knows...You might see a "Nursery Take 3" (wink)

What nursery do you like better??

{ GREY or GRAY! :) }

2012-07-20T14:08:00.002-06:00

OK, For those of you that voted grey! What is your FAVORITE grey color?? I am looking for something soft and doesn't look like concrete!! :)

{ I Need Your HELP!!! }

2012-07-19T21:15:00.001-06:00

I need your HELP!!!

I think I’ve FINALLY got this Nursery’s color scheme down to the fun colors of

"Gray and Pink"

I am SUPER excited to MOVE forward with the design, But the problem is...I don't know WHICH color I should paint my walls???

I have to make up my mind QUICKLY because the painter is coming next week. So below I am going to attach random pictures of elements I am THINKING about putting in my nursery.

After viewing the pictures, I HOPE you will let me know what direction you think I should go!

GRAY VS. PINK

Ugh...I hate making decsions :) (wink!)

If it helps, this was the nursery before. Lots of white trim!

Remember this chair?... My old rocker got a Makeover! :)
So far this is the ONLY thing in the room

So the question is....

Pink??

OR Gray??

The BIG Revel!!!

2012-07-06T19:38:00.000-06:00

3 active kids, summertime activities, 24 weeks pregnant, and ALL my energy spent on maintaining the bare essentials of life has taken every ounce of strength from me. Nonetheless, I've been working slowly on each room in my house, hoping to complete them before this "little bundle" arrives.

So I am HAPPY to finally reveal...drummer roll please...

Megan's Room!

YAY....so happy it's done and SO excited to show you all!

Her bedding, curtain and rug come from Pottery Barn Kids; I found everything either online or on eBay.

Her darling 3-tiered bed skirt I bought on etsy from
the shop named Amber Rose Garden TRULY Amazing quality!!!

Her armoire is a piece I bought for her when she was still in my tummy. We made this armoire into a make shift closet in our tiny, little college apartment. With Megan being our firstborn, there are so many memories attached to this armoire. It makes me a little sad to think that the armoire that once held her little newborn clothes, now slightly altered holds a TV and DVD player. Oh how life passes us by so quickly!

The flowers, bunny and green bucket have been in my decor collection for years.

The flower print above,and vinyl tree below is also from PB Kids.

Her bed is from DownEast Home, but again a Pottery Barn piece. Can you tell that I like Pottery Barn just a little?

That accruing store credit has REALLY come in handy:)

The Paint is a Benjamin Moore color called "Heaven on Earth." It's by far my FAVORITE blue paint I have ever used!

I thought you might also like to see a brief history of the making of this room.

Here is where the room started...

Brett did such a great job on the trim, Love my handy man..MUAH!!!

Here was my first decorating attempt...

Pretty, but didn't reflect our little Megan's personality.

There were a few mini-attempts to finish the room, like this one. Closer, but still not perfect:)

I ended up LOVING this green now white bed so much that I moved it into my room~ LOL :)

Ya...looking back, I think I'll keep the NEW room ;)

Of course, I would still LOVE to add a few more things to finish it off right, like a bench at the end of the bed and her name above the headboard, but that will all evolve with time :)

Now onto the next big project, a Baby Girl nursery!

Who knows...it might take me another 2 years to figure that one out, too :)

{ DownEast Victorian era}

2012-06-12T12:56:00.002-06:00

Hey all... I just wanted to share with you all the latest happenings at DownEast

(one of my FAVORITE stores!!)... I myself have been sofa shopping and this DARLING Victorian era Sofa at DownEast definitely caught my eye! :)

If you are in the market for a room makeover, you may want to stop in your local DownEast Home & Clothing store and see what’s “in” from the Victorian era at DownEast!

http://www.downeastoutfitters.com/locations.html

Here's another View...

Isn't it PRETTY!!!

The DownEast Victoria Button-Tufted Sofa in herringbone pattern fabric is now ‘back’ by popular demand! Retailing for $799.99, it is also available in a loveseat, chair and ottoman. Solid hardwood frame with plywood for strength and great shaping.

8 gauge sinuous spring coil base provides comfort and long-lasting use.

An Amazing Price for an AMAZING look!!!

Thanks DownEast!

{ FAVORITE Disney Tips!}

2012-06-08T21:03:00.001-06:00

I have a blogging friend that is planning a surprise trip for her kiddos to Disneyland. I promised her I would write down a few of my FAVORITE tips. Well, a few tips ended up being a novel. Hehe.

So I thought I would share them on my blog just in case any of you are on your way to the

“Happiest place on the earth.”

My family LOVES Disneyland . . . I think it’s borderline addiction :)

We used to make it an annual trip, but as the kids got older, it became more expensive so we don't go as often as we would like to. SNIFF!!!

We’ve been there enough times that I think it’s safe to say we’re Masters at it . . . or at least, that’s how we’d refer to ourselves :)

Here are just a few tips we believe make the experience all that more wonderful!!!

STROLLER: For sure bring a stroller for the youngest ones in the group. I would suggest getting something like this kind of stroller because, with a NORMAL umbrella stroller, your poor back is shot by the end of the day and this one is GREAT for taller people and it also has a sun visor, cup holder and a basket underneath. It’s a MUST!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-First-Years-Ignite-Stroller-Black-Stripe/15602463

BUY SNACKS:

It’s pretty easy to spend all your loot on food and drinks in the park. You can save a bunch of money if you go to a grocery store before entering the park. We always grab things like fruit snacks, granola bars, WATER, fruit drinks, travel-sized cheese and crackers, etc. If you do this, you’ll find you only have to eat 3 times a day and only buy the REALLY fun treats that are worth spending the extra cash :) Then you can save your money for REALLY good meals. And MAYBE even a character meal.

FAST PASSES & STROLLER PASSES:

Well worth the time to get them!!! And with the fast passes sometimes if the Disney worker are REALLY nice they will still let you use them even if your time has passed.

CHARACTER MEAL:

If you choose to go to one, I would suggest going to Minnie’s Breakfast. We have been to several character meals, but I think this is the BEST for many reasons.

First: it’s inside the park! Which makes it SUPER magical to be the first in the park when no one else is around. PLUS, on the VERY far left side of the main gates, you would have a PRIVATE entrance so you don’t have to fight the crowds. The others meals you can pick from are pretty far away at the Disneyland hotel.

Second: If you do breakfast, it’s around $15 dollars cheaper. Plus if you go around 10:00 or 11:00 you could count it as breakfast and lunch and save some bucks!

Third: You get to see the classic characters like Donald, Minnie, Mickey, Pooh etc..

Fourth: the food is AWESOME! I had a custom made omelet, YUM!!

I’ve also heard Ariel’s grotto is awesome to meet the princesses, but the food is kind of gross?!

HOTEL:

The hotels inside the park are hundreds more per night. So that’s why we seem to always end up at the Fairfield Marriott across the street. It has a mini fridge, so we just have breakfast in the room. Fruit, yogurt, and cereal. It makes it easier to get ready in the morning and off to the park.

EARLY ENTRANCE:

for the main attraction like Fantasyland, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain etc., go to the park early and go straight to those and then fill the rest of your day with the slower rides. My favorite thing to do is get to the park as early as you can and go straight to Frontier Land because it’s usually really slow during general admittance :)

Also Toon Town opens at 10:00 and it gets CRAZY, so I would go there around 9:45 and wait for the gates to open. Then you can get it DONE before it gets out of control!

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:

I would also pick a morning to go into California Adventure early.

Especially with the NEW Cars Land open.

The Aladdin show is REALLY cool. I like to go after being in the sun all day. It’s nice to sit awhile and feel some AC. Try and get on the main floor upper seating. WAY better view!

You HAVE to see Crush! SUPER cute! That is located on Hollywood Blvd.

THE WORLD OF COLOR:

is an AWESOME show if you’re front and center, but NOT worth it if you’re far away or behind people, ESPECIALLY for kids. You also have to wait an hour before the show starts. Ugh!

THE PARADE:

I think the BEST place to watch the parade is right in front of the train station on main street. If you get there early enough you might even snag a bench! YAY!!

FOOD:

Our favorite spots to eat is at the Cantina in Frontier Land. The TACO salad is HUGE and really yummy! The meals are big enough you can share and save money. Brett and I share a meal, but every couple is different when it comes to that.

We also REALLY like the Pier in California Adventure. They have the BEST bread bowl soups and salads! My favorite is the oriental salad. They also offer a kids meal, which is called the “SUPER PACK” that has HEATHLY stuff in it for the kids.

Another YUMMY place to eat is the restaurant by the Pooh Ride. I think it’s called grizzly something or hungry bear??? Anyway, they have really FUN burgers and sandwiches. They are different than the norm. A bit gourmet if you ask me. YUM!

Another great place to eat is the French Quarters. They have a few different shops. I would look around there and see what floats your boat. Yummy Healthy food!

If the kids want Pizza, the BEST place to go for that is by Space Mountain. They have HUGE pies for a decent price.

We budgeted $300 for the week for food for our family. That included a every meal, character meal, snacks and a VERY pricey meal at the Blue Bayou for the adults!

It was sooo expensive but the fish was to DIE for!

If you don’t want to eat in the park, Down Town Disney has a few places like the Rain Forest Café and some pizza places. But they do close early so be sure you find out the times.

WHEN TO GO?:

We have pretty much been there every month of the year except for mid-summer. (I don't even want to attempt that). Our favorite times to go are right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas (VERY MAGICAL), and also in the month of October. They do some really FUN Halloween stuff! Also, early September is fun if you are at all interested in taking time out to go swimming. January-March is super slow and not very many people are in the park during those months. Unfortunately, if they have any repairs to do to rides is scheduled during these months, so it’s a hit and miss situation. They also don’t have as many parades, and NO firework showL

Well there you go...hope this helps!

~Heidi

{Potty Training!!!}

2012-06-04T16:21:00.001-06:00

The past 3 days I have been in the trenches of potty training!!!

It’s always hectic potty training, but this time around I started a bit worn out being prego and all to take on the tuff challenge. So I recruited help from Brett. What a man, he took the first day, and let me tell you it was not fun. Blake has definitely been my most stubborn baby yet.

I hate to admit this...but I would rather go through labor than potty train UGH!

I think it’s harder on the parents than it is on the kids. It takes patience to the extreme. But so far ... GOOD NEWS!!!

I am diaper free...well at least until October hehe :)

I owe a lot of Blake’s potty training journey to my good friend Krysta. Years ago she shared her potty training secrets with me. And I was soooo excited when she blogged about her routine!

I have now potty-trained 3 children with this system in a matter of days. Yes, there has been some mishaps. Mostly on the way to the toilet, BUT....Blake has gone to bed for the past 2 nights in a row in just his underwear and of course towels under his bum just in case. And The angel woke up 100% dry. This has been the case with all my kids.

I do have to say, I don't even attempt to potty train until I know 100% that the child is ready.

Megan was 2 and 4 months. Brock was closer to 3 and Blake has been the HARD one at 3 1/2. I made a small attempt 6 months ago with Blake and quickly I discovered he wasn't ready at the time. I decided to give it a few more months. So glad I did! I personally feel you will have fewer accidents if the child really understand the concept you are trying to teach :)

Here is the link to Krysta's Potty Training system.

Follow her directions very closely and you will also have success.

You will seriously spend the first day in the bathroom every 15-30 minutes. Makes for a VERY long day, You WILL get bored and YES, NOTHING will get done. And you just might have less hair by the end of the day due to stress...But so it goes!!! :)

GOOD LUCK!!!

{Baby Girl Nursery Ideas!}

2012-05-30T21:50:00.002-06:00

I have been going CRAZY pinning on Pintrest since we found out we’re having a BABY GIRL!!!

It’s still so surreal at this point. It’s been a decade since I have thought about a pink nursery or pink little baby clothes!

Megan and I started going through her old baby clothes to find out if there is ANYTHING worth using. I was sad to find a lot of them were stained, but there are a few dresses I think I can salvage.

GOOD NEWS... my living room chairs come on FRIDAY!!!

I will have to take a picture and post it. Financially everything is hitting us all at once. Now that the new furniture is here, that opens Pandora’s Box, so to speak, because we’ll now need to buy more paint, rugs, curtains, etc, etc. PLUS, in the next few months, getting 3 kids ready for school, a new nursery and all the expenses of getting ready for a baby. PHEW!!!

Clothing is also a HUGE issue for me right now. NOTHING on the lower part fits me anymore and I REALLY need to buy somethings to get me by, BUT...I can't stomach the thought of buying maternity clothes or BIGGER clothes for that matter when I only have 4.5 to 5 months left. UGH... If you see around town in clothes that are WAY to tight for me, just know I am saving my

monthly clothing budget for MORE important things :) hehe

Here are some darling nursery ideas I have been thinking about.

I will give you my starting point and then you can tell me what color scheme you like best.

These pictures are just GENERAL ideas.

I have this changing table I bought YEARS ago for my 1st baby. I am having my cabinet guy build side towers and the bridge on top. So EXCITED!

Here is the crib I'll be using, I will have used this same crib for all 4 of my babies!
How will I ever part with it once all my babies have grown? I might just have to keep it in the family :)

And here is my rocker/glider and the chandelier. I am planning on having a slip cover made for the rocker. I’m not sure about the light?

It’s super cute, but should I keep it and change the shade color OR sell it and go CRYSTAL???

OK... now that you see the basic stuff. What theme do you like BEST?

Soft and Sweet

Cute and Bold

OR...something In-between

I have each of these pictures on my Pintrest

account for reference.

I LOVE all these room! Not sure what direction I should go?