News

I'm not quite sure where to begin. I guess I can begin with a cute picture or two.

"I have something to tell you"

"I'm going to be a Big Brother"

The shirt was fun. I just used iron on transfers to create it. It fits Cole's personality amazingly. He still plays as a 'baby bird' on the regular so it was naturally what should have a little secret and announce a pregnancy.

Our tentative due date is April 28th, 2012 which can cause some complications with my Spring semester so I'm working on a back up plan as it is. I was hoping to enroll in online courses but my field only has one course online at this time that I haven't taken. My general ed course isn't available this semester.

I don't want to have a baby early when I have on-campus classes and lab work. I don't want to have a baby in finals weeks either. I don't want to do only one course for my "big" semester. I don't want to take a break this early (I planned to take the whole summer off with the newborn and go back to school in the Fall). I don't want to take an "in progress" and be delayed until the following large semester. I'm just stuck a little bit.

I'll plan to talk with a counselor, get some answers and make my decision. Enrollment starts next month so I have a little bit of time to decide what I'm going to do.

In other news: My little sister is moving home in February and just in time to be around for her new little niece/nephew! She is visiting for Christmas this year and it will be the first time in four years I've seen her at the holidays. I'm quite excited.

I'm planning our twice annual family photos for the Winter and I'm thinking to incorporate my whole family as a surprise for Mom/Dad. They haven't had professional photos of their four daughters since we were children. Now they'll have pictures with their grandchildren as well. More on planning for photos later!

I promise I'll try to be less neglectful and pick up the blogging world again.

I'm still alive!

Just wanted to drop in and say that I'm still alive. Life has gotten busy. I'm in school full-time again, plus I've taken on watching another 3 year old for a friend on two days of the week. The hours are harsh -- we're watching him for almost 12 hours and he gets picked up as late as midnight the night before our morning classes kick off on Thursdays. Ouch!

I wish I could say that I'm being productive with crafts, but I'm having to put those on pause as well! I should be announcing a big deal within the next three weeks, as well as picking up the crafting and posting a little bit as well.

Current Bathroom & To-Do

Have a mini tour of our bathroom. The bathroom is probably the most complete room I have, which makes me a little sad. I do enjoy the challenge of adding more. I never really feel a room is complete.

Upon walking in, you're in front of the long sink.

To your right on the wall is this jewel.

Past the long sink is the bath toy bin. We're in the process of changing this to match. The stool is from IKEA and quite conveniently matches.

Above the toilet rests these wall cubes. In them are two salt and pepper sets. When my Grandmother passed this January, I took them from her estate because they reminded me of her. I remembered seeing them from the time I was a small child.

Across from the toilet is our new mirror! I took this picture standing in the shower.

And speaking of the shower.

Here is the To-Do list I never posted before. I made this list within the last month. There is very little left to do in the bathroom.

Bathroom To Do

- Add interest piece above towel rack (Seen here)
- Add some decorative element to counter (Seen here)
- Paint Bath Toy Bin
- Create Fabric insert for Bath Toy Bin

With regards to painting the bath toy bin, I've currently dismantled the silly thing. It requires some sanding before painting so I've put the brakes on that for a day or two. Too much painting is never a good thing and we've had quite the time with paint lately.

I also haven't picked a fabric for the toy bin. It needs to be water resistant or water protected since the nature of the bin is for water related toys.

More Painting Projects

Since we picked up Martha Stewart's "Sisal" which was a perfectly light tan, I decided to repaint my "Welcome" sign.

When I began it years ago, I never finished it. It desperately needed an extra coat and I never even painted the ends!

Here it is in all its' glory now. I love it. I gave it two coats of "Sisal."

I also had this light blue "Family." In our Utah home, I had it sitting in my blue kitchen, so the color worked well. That light blue didn't shine so pretty in my living room -- which has navy tones. Since we had that gorgeous "Rich Navy" by Glidden on hand for the umbrella tin, I decided to repaint it with the navy paint.

I had to do three coats of this for it to show even. Photographing in the light, it looks "brighter" than the color is in person.

If you look at my umbrella tin navy, it is more true to the color.

An updated list of my Living Room To-Do

Living Room Still To Do:

- Hem the bottom of the curtains so they're at floor, but not piled up  (Seen here)

- Finish tie-back for the blinds  (Seen here)

- Repair the water damage on the wall under the AC unit (go bad landlord!)
- Move the boxes to the left of the media cabinet to storage
- Put new slipcovers on the sofas (when they get here agh!) (Seen here)
- Stain the furniture a nearly black color
- Add pillowcases to the throw pillows (Seen here)
- Acquire four more throw pillows
- Organize the media bookcase (buy some of these and store all of our dvd cases in storage -- cutting down on so much shelf space!) Update: We've bought two  four seven of them and want three one more to finish compiling our storage.
- Make cloth "curtain" for the media bookcase
- Acquire some sort of decorative element for the lamp shelving (Seen here and here)

- Build onto entertainment center (as seen here)
- Build entry storage case (as seen here) (Improvised here and a better shot here)
- Use extra paper from clock project to categorize the DVD storage cases.
- Finish pillowcases for new throw pillows
- Cut down dogwood branches in umbrella tin (Seen here)
- Get another basket for the shoe shelves (Seen here)
- Finish "word art" to hang above the shoe shelves
- Paint TV trays fun color like "Navy"
- Paint umbrella bucket with stripes (Navy?) (Seen here, here, and here)
- Finish "H" art to fill in hole of shoe cabinet

Goodwill Refinish -- Part Two

Our Before

The Honky Wire

Here's the after picture.


And you can see it in all of its' glory in a new home: the bathroom.

I love this mirror now! It was worth every penny of the $3.48 at Goodwill. Every time I walk into our bathroom, it makes me smile. It looks so good in person.

Paint Color: Martha Stewart's Sisal (in Glidden Eggshell base).

You can view the progress here.