Home by Heidi

And The BABY is....Take Two!!

2012-05-27T14:05:00.001-06:00

I couldn't take it ANYMORE....I had to find out what this baby was, waiting 2 more weeks seemed like FOREVER!

So, I convinced my husband to make a super quick trip to Salt Lake with me and pay to find out this baby's gender, from one of those fetal photo places. I am soooo glad that I did. So worth the trip! Do you all want to know what were having???

The majority of you by 83% were RIGHT!!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!

My oldest, Megan (10), was so full of emotion! She cried with joy throughout the day every time she thought of TRULY having a little sister. My 7-year-old son said he wanted a girl, but honestly I don't think he cared either way:) He was just excited to see the baby and its tiny feet and hands on the ultrasound.
My 3-year-old spent the day with family!

Well there you go! We are SUPER excited!!!

I guess from this point on, you will be seeing LOTS of pink posts :)

Boy Nursery Ideas...

2012-05-25T12:41:00.003-06:00

I thought I would share my nursery ideas one gender at a time...so let’s start with boy,

since from what I hear my odds for a boy goes way up since I did an IUI! Soooo, here are my ideas:

I am LOVING Khaki-Grey and Blue, Navy or Grey and Yellow....

Here are a few inspiration pictures I found on Google and off of Pottery Barn Kids

YELLOW and GREY

Khaki-Grey and Blue

Remeber this Chair from Pier-one!?!

NAVY (nautical theme)

As you can see I have a lot of ideas rolling around in my head.

Sooo, what is your favorite color scheme of the three???

WISHING I knew what direction to go!I have GOT to find out what this baby is one way or another :)

Watch for the girl nursery post VERY soon!

Basement!!

2012-05-24T16:44:00.000-06:00

My upstairs is currently at a standstill until the new chairs and sofa arrive. So I thought I would start researching a NEW style for my basement. Currently, I am NOT in love with our sectional. And it helps that it's very warn and ripped in places sooo, I am excited to look for something NEW.
I want a FRESH feel for the space.
So when I ran into this inspirational picture on Pintrest...
I FELL IN LOVE!!!

(Does anyone know where I can get darling pillows like these?)

What I LOVE about this picture is that I can still use red in the space (which I LOVE) and the fact I have a MASSIVE wet bar hood in the basement that is here to stay.

I also LOVE how the white trim pops (which I have a lot of) and I still get to use grey-blue which is so popular these days! YAY!! seriously this picture was sent from heaven!

Not sure about the antlers on the coffee table? (not really me)

But I do LOVE the paint color!

Here is the sofa I am going to save my pennies for....

IKEA of course!

Im either going with a sectional again or

maybe a Love-seat,sofa combo??

With the way my kids beat up the TV furniture it’s not worth it for me to buy an expensive sofa at this point in our lives.

I am SUPER excited that this design with go with my cherry picture that I LOVE so much!

The basement is it's NEW home!

I am excited to go forward with this design.

It might take a while to complete. But I am happy to have some direction :)

AND THE BABY IS???

2012-05-21T11:17:00.002-06:00

Ok... so I know you are all waiting to hear the news if this baby is a boy or a girl?!

Well...SO AM I!!!!

This has NEVER happened to me before but this little cupcake would NOT give up the big show. The cord was stuck right between its legs and there was no way for the Doctor to see.

I am OFFICIALLY going CRAZY!! he wants me to come back in 2 weeks. Can I survive until June 4th??

Has this ever happened to anyone out there?

Oh well, at least it gives you all more time to vote, and for me to keep day dreaming about the possibilities for the babies room.

I might just have to post my boy and girl design ideas!

Boy vs Girl??

2012-05-18T17:21:00.001-06:00

I'm back from a week at Disneyland and once again I took a bit of an extended vacation from my blog. I don't know about you, but I swear the month of MAY is busier than December. It's always one thing after another while preparing the kids to end the school year. I do have to say I am LOOKING forward to having this school year over. The early mornings have about killed me being prego. I am excited to be able to sleep in a little :)

Just to back track a bit, we had a BLAST at Disneyland! My youngest (3) was transformed by Disneyland. It's like something awoke inside of him and he hasn't stopped talking since. I have learned that traveling is TRULY the best schooling out there. It introduces kids to new and different things

I think we wore this kid out!!!

That's a rock wall he fell asleep on.. OUCH!

My 7-year-old couldn't get enough of the beach. He spent hours catching sand crabs and discovering all the different elements of beach life, such as moss, sea plants, feathers and shells and of course the excitement of the ocean waves.
The water was a bit cold (at least for me) but the kids didn't seem to mind. I spent most of my time soaking in the sun!

As far as projects on the home front...I am working on completing Megan’s room this next week. I will post pictures SOON!!! I haven't been doing many projects around here lately.
(thus the lack of posts) The thought of being a mother of 4 is setting in and I have had to put family first. I for sure will try and keep up my blog. But please be patient with me as I embark on a new adventure! Speaking of #4

I can't believe I am approaching my 18 week mark! YAY...I swear I am too old to be pregnant!

To all you in your twenties: HAVE YOUR BABIES NOW!

For me, being 35 and pregnant are not meshing very well. BUT I do have some VERY, VERY good news. I had some tests done. You know the blood work, ultrasound, looking at the baby kind of tests and the Dr. was pleasantly surprised by the results.

He said that my risk factor for this baby is that of a 20-year-old. I have to say, that made my day! If I can't look 20 (darn wrinkles!!) at least I'm 20 inside, RIGHT??? LOL :)

This Monday, I have an ultrasound so I am crossing my fingers that the Dr. will take a peek at the gender. In all honesty, I am ok with whatever fate has in store for me, be it a girl or a boy. But I do worry about Miss Megan. I think her heart will be crushed if she hears that she will be the ONLY girl surrounded by 3 brothers.

I on the other hand, just hope and pray for a healthy little cupcake!!

Especially after my last pregnancy, there were problems from the get go. It started out with placenta privia, delivering 5 weeks early, then being life flighted with my 10-day-old newborn who had to undergo major surgery due to twisted intestines, then spending 2 months in the NICU at Primary Children’s Hospital, and shortly after all that, finding out our dear little Blake carries a genetic disorder.
I have had some anxiety over even having another baby.

But, I have felt this little spirit for some time now, and without a doubt I know it's right.

Now back to the question at hand....WHAT WILL THIS BABY BE?

I need you all to vote on the right side and tell me what you think this baby is!

( I wish I had a feeling one way or another)

Here’s a state-of-the-union report for you . . .

· I am carrying this baby HIGH which I am happy about, I can still wear my normal jeans with the occasional elastic trick :)

· I had a dream the other night I had a boy.

· I have taken all the wives tales tests and here are the results.

o ~Cabbage test...Girl

o ~The ring test...Boy

o ~ At home gender test...Girl

o ~ Chinese Calendar... One says Boy and the others girl?

Not sure which one is the accurate one? VERY CONFUSING!

o ~ I had a Doula ask me all sorts of questions about my past pregnancies and this was her predication...

(I predict you will have a baby girl born Oct 15 with brown eyes and brown hair weighing 6lbs 2 oz)

Not sure how true this is, but it was FUN! :)

· Craving Lemonade and Limeade... I seriously drink a gallon of this stuff on a daily bases. I can't get ENOUGH of it!!!

· Chicken Salad Sandwich...I don't care where I'm eating. This meal is on the top of my list

· Fruit...All fruit, but especially grilled pineapple with brown sugar, yum!

· Veggies....Not really salad but if you can grill it...I CRAVE it!

· Meat...I have been craving a good steak here and there and a GOOD hot dog every once in a while. But pretty much the ONLY meat I REALLY want is FISH. But not any kind of fish, mostly salmon and halibut. Which is soooo weird because before, and I mean MY ENTIRE LIFE, I have hated Fish! Weird pregnancy hormones I tell ya :)

· CANDY...CANDY…CANDY!!!! Especially sour stuff. Not a big chocolate person this time around!

· The one thing I stopped eating, which before I ate EVERY SINGLE DAY is popcorn??? Weird but I just don't care for the stuff right now.

· Misc...I can't stop craving my FAVORITE snack; sliced tomatoes, mozzarella with basil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, which I’m not kidding when I say I drink this stuff!!!

OK...NOW it's your time to guess!
I’ll let you all know on MONDAY!!! ECK :)

New Happenings!

2012-04-30T18:21:00.000-06:00

Things are moving very SLOW around here including me! I run out of energy before the day has even begun. And waiting patiently to the day when we can the find out what this little peanut is sure is taking WAY too long! UGH!!

The remodel of the house is ALSO going very slow, BUT... I am excited to say I made a BIG step in the process. I have been saving my pennies (and I mean literally)! I've had a wod of cash hidden under my mattress, for the last year, and have added to it whenever I could. Just waiting for the day when I was ready to use it for something GREAT! Well, that day finally came and I spent my savings at one of my FAVORITE stores, the Black Goose in Salt Lake.

Here is what I ended up getting for the front room.

~2 wing back chairs in the DARLING yellow quatrefoil fabric in this picture

AND

~A sofa that looks just like the picture as well, but it's a solid cream color

I can't wait for the furniture to come so I can FINALLY decide what color I am going to paint my house for REAL . . . this time:) My family jokes with me that my walls are going to start peeling off because of all the layers of different colored paint!

I can't wait for the "fun part" of decorating to begin and that is... rugs, lamps, drapes and accent furniture.

This has been a LONG process, but I am HAPPY to say that things are FINALLY starting to come together :)

The trim is done in the front room, the furniture is on its way, the laundry room is done and is AMAZINGLY functional. I wonder if I will ever REALLY be able to LIVE without a project always looming over my head. Hummm? Probably not as I am SURE I will always be in the middle of SOME hair-brained project I have come up with. Oh the CURSE of a creative mind!!!

I hope you all have a VERY happy week!

This week I am preparing for a SURPRISE trip to Disneyland for the kids. We have been keeping it a secret for the last 3 months and me and my hubby are about to BURST at the seams!

Watch out MICKEY here we come!!!

{EXCITING NEWS}

2012-04-12T16:14:00.002-06:00

YES!!! It’s FINALLY happened and the news is out....

We are EXPECTING a BABY!!!

After a year of trying with months full of fertility drugs and two failed IUI's...the 3rd IUI worked! (3rd times a charm I guess)

We are beyond excited!

NOW you all know why I have been MIA for the past 3 months.

I have been SUPER sick with bouts of nausea; I can’t keep anything down, no matter what I eat. With NO ENERGY...like seriously NONE...I have found myself sleeping most of the days, while I watch my house fall apart little by little! UGH...on top of all that I had bronchitis and went through 2 rounds of antibodies. As you can imagine it’s been a hard 3 months. My only salvation is the time Brett can help me with the house and watching the kids while also working.
Brett has been a big help through it all.

My symptoms did let up a bit around week 9 but came back with a vengeance around week 10 1/2.

You can imagine WHY my blog has suffered!

I'M NO SUPER Woman ...well then again, I am making a baby from scratch so maybe I Am (wink, wink)

I’m 12 weeks along working on 13.

Because of how long it took to even become pregnant, when I first found out, I was in a bit of denial. It didn't feel “REAL” at that point. But the longer I've been pregnant the more secure I feel.

We go in for an Ultrasound in 5 weeks I am crossing my fingers that we can take a peek at the gender. Eek!!!

Here are some FUN facts I will keep you all updated on throughout my pregnancy! And as soon as I find out the gender, I'll post about my nursery ideas that have been spinning in my head :)

How far along? 12 weeks!

Total weight gain: 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? None to show yet, but my jeans are getting a bit tight in the behind area. So I think I’ll be making a shopping trip to buy a size up. Most of my shirts still fit except for the really small ones that are tight across the chest!

Stretch marks? none to report! Though I haven't gotten any with my last 3 babies. I think the whole stretch mark thing is genetic? My mom had 6 babies without one. BUT just in case (knock on wood) I am using Palmer's Cocoa Butter!

Sleep: I have been going to bed around 9 every night, if I could ... I would go to bed at 8. This is HUGE for me as I am a BIG TIME night owl and my average bed time was midnight. I am grateful that I am sleeping through the night and not getting up to pee. But when 5 AM comes around watch out! :)

Best moment this week: First off...I am starting to feel better! YAY! Brett also found a masters program he’s considering starting that works PERFECTLY with his work schedule and our family!!

Miss anything? I heard that you should avoid different cheeses when you’re prego. So I have laid off of feta, but I crave it every day, WEIRD!

ALSO...before the baby I would go and get an occasional spray tan to help with the winter blues. I haven't gone since Dec. and I feel like a chubby SNOW BALL!!!

Movement: No, I'm not far enough to know for SURE! But I SWEAR I felt something the other day???

Food cravings: sandwiches, limeade, cottage cheese, French bread, ALL FRUIT and ANYTHING SWEET! Donuts, cookies, cake etc. I also have a thing for hard candy these days like Sprees and Sweet Tarts.

Anything making you queasy or sick: MEAT!!! and sometimes just the very thought of food! I am hoping this consistent lump in my throat goes away soon.

Gender: NOT YET...Its DRIVING ME CRAZY! Though I have taken ALL of the wives tale tests. I will have to post about the results of each one! :)

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Hormonal acne -- face is breaking out around cheeks & jaw especially. My chest has grown a FULL cup size and they HURT!!! Some lower back pain mostly at night.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody this week! And for the past 12 weeksJ

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender and feeling like myself again!

{ Playroom Update}

2012-04-03T11:30:00.001-06:00

Do you remember this space???

Yep . . . it’s been about a year now that I’ve been ignoring this sad space. I had so many other things happening around this CRAZY house that it ended up on the bottom of the list!

I FINALLY got the motivation to GET IT DONE!!!

And I am sooo Happy I did; my kids LOVE the fun new playroom.

Here is the NEW Playroom/Closet :)

Love this view from the outside looking in..

My most FAVORITE element in the room has to be the bead board ceiling! I LOVE how it turned out, and once again Brett did a GREAT job! In all honesty, I was surprised that I found yet another room to add trim too. Will this obsession ever end?? hehe

I've been on the hunt for a perfect rug to finish off the room. And I think I might have found it at IKEA.
Now, If I could just find the time to make the LONG drive to Utah...Ugh!

Along the way I picked up a few Large Sabrina Baskets from
Pottery Barn Kids a month or so ago when they were 15% off and Free shipping. SCORE :)

I was a bit worried when I first saw the basket size, but soon after was pleasantly surprised by how much stuff they really do hold!

I found the tree decal on Etsy! I was able to design the color of the tree and also the pattern of each leaf.
I really LOVE how it turned out.

The blue paint color I ended up using is called
"Heaven on Earth" from Benjamin Moore.

I first saw the color painted in the Salt Lake Pottery Barn Kids store and fell in LOVE!!!

There are a few more things I want to add to the space before I feel like it's 100% complete. Like, adding a few more baskets, the rug and also labeling each basket.Hopefully labels will come in handy when the kids are in charge of clean up! HAPPY DAY :)

I also would LOVE to find a Big Trunk to replace my green tote bags in the back of the closet, for all the MANY dress-ups we have!

I'll be keeping my eye out for that!

"Around the House"

2012-03-23T07:21:00.001-06:00

I have sooo many things I want to do around here, my head is in a constant state of ideas and BIG plans for what I want to accomplish with the space I'm in. BUT...honestly, as of late, I haven't seemed to get the energy to dive in and GET 'EM DONE!!!

I seem to always find inspiration from pictures and stores I visit. A few weeks ago, I popped into the shop

The Black Goose

in Salt Lake City

Oh My...I fell in LOVE with the entire store!

Here are a few things I came home knowing

I HAD to have in our home!!

STRIPES....

As soon as I can figure out the PERFECT 2 color combination, these stripes will adorn the office!!!

Khaki and Cream is CALLING me!

Wallpaper....

I am so wallpapering the Master Bedroom! LOVE this pattern

Can't wait!!!!

Darling Chairs...

Found these darling chairs at Pier One. One way or another I am going to use one of these chairs in my house!!!!

{SWOON}

I will keep you posted if I EVER get one of this projects DONE! hehe ;)

Winner!

2012-03-22T18:06:00.004-06:00

Find out the DownEast winner on my Facebook Page!!!

{ The NEW...Landuary Room }

2012-03-19T10:30:00.002-06:00

Other than a few accessories and a rug (which I can't seem to find...YET :)

The laundry room is DONE!!! I honestly can't believe I am dealing with the same square footage as I did before. I feel like I have added tons of space to the room without even taking out a wall.

Here are a few before pictures...

Here is what it looks like TODAY!

Here is my 7 foot custom magnetic board!! LOVE! :)

Sorry about the pictures, they’re not great I know.

It's such a small space with no natural light, so it was a bit of a challenge.

I had a long list of MUSTS for the space, and I do believe I accomplished everything on my list.

Here are just a few things on my list

~A place to hold dirty clothes waiting to be washed

~ A designated spot for kids socks.

I figure having a drawer in the laundry area would be a perfect spot to find socks...it's on your way out the door:)

~Room for my mop, broom, vacuum, iron and the BIG one...The ironing board!

~ I wanted a place I could store seasonal dishes

~ I needed a place to store random things like the shoe shine basket, and extra rags, sewing kit etc

~ A hanging rod for wet clothes

~I also needed a reference place that I could put all my kids papers and reminders of upcoming activities

and the yearly calendar.

~ A place that I could store my laundry soap, fabric softener, bleach etc... that was conveniently close to the washer.

I NOW have MORE than enough storage, whereas before, I really didn't have any. I even have a sock drawer for my boys . . . we were always chasing around for socks to get them on the bus on time. I can't even start to tell you how great this new feature is :)

And Here is my FAVORITE part of the entire room...

I now have a" REAL" space for all my brooms, mops and ironing board!

HAPPY DAY!!!!!

{ Is it Summer Yet?}

2012-03-15T10:53:00.003-06:00

I don't know about you?

but for me,SUMMER can't come FAST enough!?!

Every season I eagerly wait to see the ADORABLE swimsuits from DownEast

Every year they DO NOT disappoint!!!

I am especially EXCITED that this year DownEast hooked me up and let me pick a top and bottom for their new spring line!

check out what I picked! :)

Here is a sneak peek of some of DownEasts Darling Swimwear line for 2012....

How would YOU like to win a Swimsuit of your very OWN?!!!

is giving away a swim top and bottom to one of my readers...YAY!!!

#1 Entry Grab my button and add it to your blog for the world to see :) Come back and tell me what you did

#2 Check out DOWNEAST and come back to tell me your favorite mix and match combo!!

{remember to check out both DownEast AND Modbe}

#3 "LIKE" DownEast Basics on their FACEBOOK PAGE

#4 Blog, Facebook and/or Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a link for it here. {up to 3 entries}

To participate in the giveaway it is MINORITY you are a follower of Home By Heidi

Winner will be announced March 22th

{ I'm Still Here }

2012-03-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

YES...I am still alive!
And guess what?...I am STILL painting, can you believe it!!?! I know I have so much to share about the ongoing changes around here. But life has been CRAZY the last few weeks and unfortunately my blog got the bad end of the deal! :( It didn't help things that I've been sick with a terrible head-cold that turned into bronchitis to deal with. That wiped me out for a full 2 weeks!
So just bear with me til I'm back 100%

Today is the first day I feel a little better, ( at least I'm out of bed)
but I am still battling a nasty cough, NOT FUN!!!

In the meantime here is a picture of the kitchen..We are getting somewhere...JUST REALLY SLOW :)

P.S. I've received many emails about my light fixture.
The light is from the company Troy lighting. I bought it around 6 years ago.
I am not sure if they still carry it? But it's worth looking. :)

{ Small Improvement, BIG difference! }

2012-02-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

Just a really quick update...

After 6 years kids banging up the wood underneath the island.

I had to either...

#1 Refinish the entire thing
or

#2 cover the parts that the wood was the MOST beat up.

I opted for #2 as the bid for a new paint job was $500 OUCH!!

So here is what we did.

added a small piece of a v-groove board in the inner squares of the island, and then added an outer layer of decorative trim.

Look how it transformed the island!

WOW..Big change for little money!

LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT!!

...BEFORE...

...AFTER...

{ SUPER CUTE VIDEO }

2012-02-21T15:56:00.003-07:00

I just had to share this darling video!
How's this for an engagement video? Love it!!!

This was a Family Affair! Brett's Uncle produced it, and the girl in the video is his daughter (our cousin)
and the boy is her fiancé
WHAT TALENT!!! I am seriously BLOWN AWAY!
Glad I'm related!!!
hehe :)

Myra and Kenneth from Romantic Wedding Videos on Vimeo.

{ Paint and Self discovery... PART 1 }

2012-02-17T15:34:00.006-07:00

My journey started back in July, when at the Evo Conference.
At dinner, I sat down with Shelley from House of Smiths and picked her brain about her AMAZING home transformation.
At the time, I knew I wanted to change something in my house but was afraid I was going to ruin the good things I had going in the space.

But... after 6 years of living with the same paint color, and seeing my personal style changing.
I was ready for a change.

Shelley convinced me to JUST DO IT!
So when I got home I put a plan into action.

At first, I thought I knew the direction I wanted to go, but soon discovered that the idea of the space I wanted versus the and reality of living in that space were 2 very different things!

But first things first... Let's Start from the VERY Beginning!

My first project was the kitchen, I covered the red paint with primer, and then set off to find a New color.

Here was the kitchen before...

I went through too many samples of paint to count in all shades of blues and greens.

My original plan was to get rid of ALL the red and exchange it out for blue.

The first color I attempted was a blue-grey paint called

Samovar Silver-Sherwin Williams
I painted most of my kitchen with this color, but stopped half way through. I wasn't 100% sure how I felt about it, and had to think about it for a week or so.
I finally decided that this blue was NOT the right blue so I moved on to a Warmer hue of blue "Comfort Grey-Shermin Williams."

Here is the kitchen with blue attempt #2

I have to say this room is VERY pretty, In all honesty...
I had nothing to complain about.
BUT... (there is always a "But" isn't there? :)

I REALLY liked the color, BUT deep down it just wasn't sitting right with me. The more I moved forward, the More things started getting kind of CRAZY.

By painting my kitchen blue, it opened up Pandora's box so to speak.
When I changed the kitchen, I then had to change the front room, laundry room, hall and entry. I knew I would have to change things, but never realized to what degree.

Night after night, I lost sleep over trying to come up with ideas for a NEW plan of how I was going to make the blue work. But nothing seemed to easily fall into place. I am a firm believer that if things don't fall into place and it feels like you are pulling teeth to make it happen, it's your gut telling you "STOP" and regroup/rethink. THANK GOODNESS that I listened!!!

Then winter set in and the snow started to fall . . . for some reason, the idea of blue in my kitchen now became gloomy for me. (remember I was coming from a warm red kitchen)

DON'T get me wrong. I am a HUGE lover of blue. The walls of my nursery, play room and Megan's room are blue. But for me, loving blue and trying to incorporate it in my main living space are two very different things.
Idaho is pretty much cold 9 months of the year, and for me I wanted to garnish the main living areas of our home with warmth because of the constant blizzards outside.

So...AFTER much pain and agony over paint and Fabric,
I have FINALLY come to a decision.

I AM BRINGING BACK THE
RED,GOLD and GREEN
and lets not forget Black and
Lots and Lots of WHITE!!! AKA...Trim work :)

I know, I know...it might not be EXCITING and NEW compared to the soft greys and blues that are so popular these days.
But..this is who I am, and these colors screams "HOME" for me!
I have ALWAYS loved these colors!

So I am going forward with the old colors and attempting a NEW look while still being TRUE to myself!

I am in the process of painting my house (including my kitchen)
a warm yellowy gold color called

"Gold 3" -Laura Ashely (found at Lowe's)

My cute friend who's home I have adored for years has this color on her walls, during the middle of my paint search I had forgotten about this warm inviting color.
Until one night when it hit me!
I KNEW it was the RIGHT color! Since that decision, EVERYTHING has fallen into place and I have never looked back!

Here is how I knew my decision was the right one.

#1 After removing all the red from my house, I REALLY started to miss it. For me red brings comfort, but this time around I am using red as an accent ONLY instead of painting the entire room red. I am also using a LESS bright red, and going with red with lots of black in it.
I have learned that red is GOOD in small doses:)

#2 It was great feeling bringing out all my red decor that I love so much and have collected over the years.
Here are just a few things in my collection that I am happy, once again, to have as part of my home!

#3 I didn't have the budget to completely change EVERYTHING in my home. And in truth I would have had to change A LOT if I had stayed with the blue!

#4 I am a warm girl through and through. I just got to a point that I had to do what I LOVED and not base my decision off of what everyone else was doing. I had to be true to ME!

#5 I NEEDED to start LIVING life again instead of being in chaos of decision making.

Phew...I have more thoughts on the matter, but I will save that for another day.

{Sending Our Love}

2012-02-10T09:00:00.002-07:00

Here is a Valentine from us to YOU!!

Wishing you a Valentines Day full

Lots and Lots of

LOVE!

My talented friend and photograper Chantri Keele Not only took the picture but also designed the card!!

Hands down, She the best in the business :)

{ Laundry Room Update! }

2012-02-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

It has been CRAZY around here. I had workmen (and Brett) working for an Entire day to assemble the laundry room cabinets. Things are looking good and I can't wait to show you all the grand reveil. BUT...I have a few things I still have to do, like get new lights and paint the room. But for now I will just give you a sneak peek of what's been going on around here!

Ok here is my laundry room

...BEFORE...

Really cute, but not very functional and felt very crowded in such a small space.

See HERE for more info on the Subject!

Here is the next picture of the cabinets removed...

Ready for the NEXT HOPEFULLY more functional laundry space.

The next step was stacking the Washer and Dryer and removing the lower pedestals.

I now have 2 Practically new pedestals for sale if anyone is interested :)

PHEW...Stacking those appliances was NOT as easy as it looks :)

The laundry room is only a 7x6' space, so I had to get VERY creative on space planning. I had at list a mile long of all the things I needed to cram into this small space.

Here are just a few things on my list.

~A place to hold dirty clothes waiting to be washed

~ A designated spot for kids socks.

(I go crazy running around the house on school mornings trying to find socks for everyone to wear. I figure having a drawer in the laundry area would be a perfect spot to find socks...it's on your way out the door:)

~Room for my mop, broom, vacuum, iron and the BIG one...The ironing board!

~ I wanted a place I could store seasonal dishes

~ I needed a place to store random things like the shoe shine basket, and extra rags, sewing kit etc

~ A hanging rod for wet clothes

~I also needed a reference place that I could put all my kids papers and reminders of upcoming activities

and the yearly calendar.

~ A place that I could store my laundry soap, fabric softener, bleach etc... that was conveniently close to the washer.

I Have a long laundry list (hehe..no pun intended) of things that were a MUST for the space,

I also wanted a clean, put together, functional, and well let's be honest, .... a CUTE space:)

I am EXCITED to say, that I feel like I accomplished everything on my list!

The ONLY thing I WISHED I could have done was pick a fun color cabinets over then white in the room.
But I had a few things that were working against me for that:

#1 I have a red washer and dryer and honestly, nothing really looked good other than white

#2 I know I was going to have TALL massive cabinets and I thought a colored cabinet of any sort would make the small space a bit overwhelming

#3 I want to go with a fun paint color or wallpaper for the space and again I felt a painted cabinet would limit my choices.

So other than the fact that the color scheme isn't much different than my original laundry room...I LOVE it!!!

#4 I really wasn't looking for a change for the room. More function, I figure...why change a good thing, right? :)

I'll be working on this room for the next week,
just finishing things off.

But here is a sneak peek of how the room is coming along.

Sorry about the pics, the lighting was bad, the workmen was there, and The room is so tiny!
it's hard to get the right angle for pictures!

Remember..this is JUST a sneak Peek!
Can't wait to show you the room when it's all done!

{ Darling Valentines Download }

2012-01-30T12:34:00.001-07:00

I LOVE these darling TREAT boxes from Poppy Seed Projects! Fill them up with a treat (like carameled popcorn) and you are good to go.

As a bonus Add the Free Darling download to the front of the box to REALLY make it festive!

Quick and easy for this upcoming Valentines Day :)

Stop over to their shop HERE and pick some up today,

There shop is located at 477 W. 9160 S. Sandy, UT

PERFECT for the LOVE of your life :)

Enjoy!!

DOWNLOAD HERE

{ Bangs, Fabreze and Valentines Day}

2012-01-27T13:19:00.002-07:00

There are a few things I am SUPER excited about.

First and foremost...do you remember this POST about THE INSANE Decision I made by cutting bangs. I mean, why did I expect I would like them? The last time I had bangs was in 4th grade!!!

It's really not a matter of the bangs not looking good as they are super annoying and a bit high maintain for me! Ugh....BUT, I do have some good news.

After hours of complaining to my sister about the problem, she suggested talking to our hair dresser. And GUESS WHAT....I'm getting extensions. Well, at least until I grow out my bangs. PHEW!!! I can now look myself in the mirror once again :)

The BEST part, I'm getting the problem fixed for under $100 dollars. I tell ya, beauty is expensive :)

Since I am spending all my money on others things (clearly) I Thought I might SAVE some money in other areas.

I was thrilled when I found this recipe on PINTEREST!!

or as I call it Pin(BLISS)!!!

LINK

I seriously go through Febreze like it's going out of style.

I don't like the aerosol, just the pump kind

(better for the earth, Right?)

I use the stuff when I make my bed in the morning to freshen up the sheets and the room. But it's PRICEY!!! I could go through a bottle a week (No Joke) In a month's time, that is around $12.00. In a year that's close to $100 dollars.

YIKES...so I thought for .15 cents a bottle I would give this recipe a go!

Guess what....I LOVE it!!! I am sooo excited!

So now my house will always be Febreze FRESH (wink)

OK now on to the BIG Valentines Day!

My little girl is SUPER excited for this day. She discovered a cute boy in her class, and then the other day I discovered a picture of him taped on her ceiling. Hummm, I think she might be trying to hide it from her mom. She knows what I would say,

No Boyfriends! Ahhhhh, am I REALLY at this point?

My baby girl liking boys. She's only 9. What happened???

Any-who, Valentines Day is one of my Favorite holidays. It seems to break up the long winter and is a GREAT excuse to go out to dinner and eat yummy CANDY!!

I love Valentines Candy Way more than Halloween Candy!

In the past I've made my kids these cute iPods for the kids at school

But this year I might do something a little different.

Here is the download for all you wanting to give the iPods a go, kids LOVE them :)

Here are some FUN Valentines ideas I thought were fun and wanted to share. I have them all pinned under my Valentines folder on Pinterest

Hope you all have a Fantastic weekend!!!

{ Megan's Room Take 2 or was that 3}

2012-01-20T17:37:00.006-07:00

OK...so I hope you're not tired of me sharing all the changes I am making in Megan's room?

At this point I think I have had at least 5 plans I've tried, but either the plan had to stop for some reason, or I decided half way through I didn't like the direction I was going.

Trust me when I say that this LAST DESIGN was suppose to be the ONE! I already bought the paint and everything. I was planning on moving forward and I REALLY didn't like the fact that my excitment for her new room was crushed when Pottery Barn Kids

told me that everything I ordered was no longer available!

AHHHHHH, :(

Oh WELL, it's my nature to change things anyway soooo, here is my NEW design plan. I REALLY hope it all comes together the way I am anticipating!

I went ahead and took advantage of Pottery Barn's White Sale

and bought this blue floral Duvet and Sham and Decorative pillow with an "M" on it :)

I also found these sheets on eBay!

I LOVE a great deal :)

This is her NEW bed we picked up around Christmas time.

It's like a princess bed. As much as Megan loves it, I think I love it even more:)

And here is the existing chandelier hanging above the bed!

Here's the best part: Megan has this very long wall that's bare, and it's only 3 feet away from her bed so can't put any furniture there. But, I found this tree that is SUPER tall and wide and will fill the BIGGEST wall in the room.

I used a 15% off coupon that I snatched off of eBay to help buy the tree mural!

Here's a paint color I'm LOVING lately

Benjamin Moore- Morning Glory

I would LOVE to paint this pattern on her celling... BUT I think this idea might be a little too ambitious :)

Well, as you can see...I am a Pottery Barn LOVER! or maybe it's because I have tons of gift cards I have to use because of their darn 30 day return policy. Why oh Why do I live 3 hours away from civilization, hehe! Oh well, you have to get more creative out here in the sticks :)

{ Moving and Shaken Things Up }

2012-01-16T18:50:00.001-07:00

Things are REALLY starting to happen around here.

I decided to take the NEW YEAR to heart and while I've been gettin' things DONE!!

Here are some pics of somethings I have been up to!

Remember this Room?

Don't get me wrong, my laundry room is a fun, bright room.

But having 2 HUGE appliances in such a small space has REALLY been getting on my nerves. Especially that when anyone comes in the back door while I'm doing landry, SLAM...the door smacks into the dryer!

Sooo, I just HAD to do something to make my 8x6' laundry room more efficient.

So I called up My AWESOME Cabinet guy from KVO cabinets and they hooked me up!!!

BTW if you ever need cabinets,

let me know, I can put a good word in for you :)

KVO cabinets will be installing the NEW laundry room cabinets this Friday!

Can't wait to share those pics with you, But in the meantime I want to show you where we moved the old cabinets and put them to good use!

Here is the BEFORE picture of my storage room!

Ahhhhh, I can't believe I am showing you this.

YES, you all know my deep dark secret. hehe NO JUDGING... OK :)!!

Especially after you see how I transformed the space!

AFTER

Now you can see WHY I have been MIA!

Watch for the More laundry room pics to COME!!! :)

{ The Boys Room }

2012-01-06T15:51:00.001-07:00

I have had a few emails about the boys room and their bedding. I was asked if I make their beds the same way I make my bed? Here is my answer...I prefere my kids taking care of their own spaces and cleaning up after themselves. I'm a bit military about clean rooms:)

But...I couldn't expect my kids to have a daunting task of making their beds if the process was too difficult.

So their beds are a bit more simplified, though they still have a GREAT store window look to them!

Here is how I make the Boys beds...

(Or better yet, How THEY make their beds! :)

1st Step....Hide the top sheet

fold it, knot it in a ball... I don't care what my kids do with this sheet as long as I can't see it!

2nd Step... The Duvet

Just throw the entire duvet at the top of the Bed! Simple as that!

3rd Step... The Quilt

Throw the quilt over the duvet and then fold 1/4 of it down

(just like in pic)

Last Step...Fold the duvet over on top!

Add your pillows!

It's as easy as that! What I like about this bed ensemble is that my boys, for some odd reason, like to cuddle right there at the top the bedding.

So in the morning it's just a matter of smoothing out the duvet.

You might think this bed is a little technical for little ones, but Brock at age 6 has mastered it.

I think kids can do more than we even realize.

I am still wanting to add one more decorative pillow to these beds, I just haven't found the PERFECT one yet!

Happy Bed making :)

{ Ring In The New Year GIVEAWAY... JO Totes! }

2012-01-04T11:32:00.003-07:00

I am sure you have seen these AMAZING BAGS around the shoulders of oh so stylish ladies!!! If not, I want to introduce you to

Jo Totes,Camera Bags

by April Johansen!

Stay ladylike while carrying your camera!

Jo Totes provide pretty day bags for carrying your camera and an extra lens with your purse items,

while out and about.

The padded interior can be custom fitted not only to protect a camera and lenses, but also to accommodate and organize items like a wallet, music, phone, keys, cosmetics and more. Padding is sewn directly into the interior lining on all four sides and the bottom of the bags. The bottom is also equipped with four metal feet to guard your bag from rough, dirty, or damp surfaces. Inside of each Jo Tote are removable pads which are completely customizable—you can use as many or as few pads as you wish, arranged in the way that best suits your camera, lenses, and other items. Each bag also includes pockets, strong and comfortable shoulder straps, a top-zippered closure, and a removable cross-body strap.

Check out the inside of this bag...you can hold a lot more than just your camera!
How great would this be while running around town or on vacation. Stuff your wallet inside with a few snacks and your camera and you are good to go...and Picture READY whenever that perfect moment might just happen :)

I just LOVE Everything about these bags!

They come in all sorts of colors and styles. Definitely something for everyone!

...Check out...

Jo Totes

OR BETTER YET...

WIN ONE TODAY!!!!

(remember to leave 4 separate comments)

Since this bag is a Hot ticket item, I am going to make this a little tricky.

You have 4 chances....Here is what you have to do

1st Entry....

"Like" Jo Totes on Facebook by clicking HERE

Don't forget to say Hi! and that Heidi sent you.

Come back and Leave a comment.

2nd Entry...
Go to Jo Totes website and tell me what bag you LOVE!

come back and leave a comment

3rd Entry...
Post about this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.

Come back and leave the link

4th Entry...
Introduce Home by Heidi to someone that might not know about it!
Come back and tell me who you told :)

Be sure and click to follow or subscribe to "HOME BY HEIDI" so we are able to continue such GREAT giveaways!! :)

Winner will be chosen on January 12th, 2012

Winner will be selected using random.org and posted on my

FACEBOOK page(HERE)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-02T14:54:00.004-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Were you wondering where I've been??

I have to admit sometimes I get in a blogging slump, or even wonder if anyone's even out there!

But, then I get inspired once again by all the super nice comments and emails I receive, and I feel once again that I am not alone in the world :)

The start of the NEW Year is a SUPER fun time for me. I love how all the stores start displaying all their sneak peeks for Spring.
Have I ever told you how much I LOVE SPRING?!?!

I love the Home Decor, Clothing and especially the SHOES!!! Spring makes me feel ALIVE again!

Winter sometimes can get me down, especially living in IDAHO! SPRING gives me something to look forward to...OR I WILL GO CRAZY!!!!

But, this winter (so far) in Idaho has been pretty good to me.
I can't complain about the lack of snow and a bit warmer temps.

But I also know once the end of January hits, we are in for the Long Haul 'til Spring! ugh :(

While spending a lot of time all cozy inside my house, I have been spenindg a lot of time window..or should I say online shopping (hehe)

Here are a few things I picked up with my Christmas money!

I am Looking forward to Summer to wear these beauties found HERE!

I hope by summer to have a baby bump to go along with these cute wedges.

Thus far, No luck in baby land... but we will keep trying :)

We have been doing everything that the doctor has suggested. He just upped my Clomid dose this month, SO WE WILL SEE???

We are coming up to our one year mark of trying for a little bundle :(
I just need to remember to keep positive!

In the meantime, shoes ALWAYS make a girl HAPPY, Right!!?!

Next on the list...BEDDING!!!

Here is the bedding I have been drooling over on

Pottery Barn Kids

I was SUPER excited about the Design plan...HERE...

I had all set for Megan's Room!

I had everything ordered and I was READY to go forward, and then all of a sudden I got an email from PBK telling me all my items I had ordered (ALL of which were on backorder)

were no longer available. Aughhhhhh! ;(

So it looks like I am back to the drawing board!

I really love the picture below bed ensemble,

What are your thoughts?

The blue floral and hot pink scream "MEGAN"

I might just have to look into this a bit more.

The Best part is, the bedding is on sale right now!

Some other fun things I found online over the christmas break!

Hollister is having a 50% off sale.
The ENTIRE store is ON SALE!

Thank goodness we have a store in our LITTLE ole Mall,
I picked up a few essential cardigans on SUPER Great Deals!

Check out these DARLING things at The Gap
Ohhhh, I just LOVE bright colored Spring clothes :)

Since we are on the subject of clothes, what better topic to discuss next would be... HAIR!

So...I don't know WHAT THE HECK I was thinking... but for some CRAZY reason I decided to cut bangs!!! YEP...CRAZY!!! The even CRAZIER part is my hair was almost grown out to all one length. Hummm, I might have been going through a mini mid-life crises at the time!
ANYWAY....

A cute girl in my neighborhood was talking about her hair crises a few months back on her Blog...HERE... and introduced me to the CRAZIEST hair growing solution EVER!

YES....it's a Horse Shampoo and it comes in a horse size bottle! I actually started using this even before I cut bangs and I have to say, I really LOVE it!!!

It really has made a difference in my hair, even Brett's curly locks are looking more sexy... if that's EVEN possible ;)hehe

I'm PRAYING for a miracle that Maine and Tail will help grow out the bangs and FAST!!!

I am officially in a hair slump and will be for the next 8 months or so! Oh brother :(

If you have any advice for me on the subject, I would LOVE to hear it!!

I am looking forward to this coming year, I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT one :)

I hope you all have a

FANTASTIC 2012!