All Work and No Play

So I've been having this internal (and occasionally external) debate lately on whether it is better/easier/more rewarding to do all the work on our house by ourselves or to hire someone and have the time we would have spent on the project to just play.  For the last 2 years, it has been all work and no play.  Literally.  We love doing DIY projects, working side-by-side and learning things along the way, but I can't remember a weekend where we weren't doing that.  We have spent so much time fixing it up that we haven't taken the time to enjoy it.  

Before our son came along, it was easy to spend an entire weekend painting every room in the house or installing a new walkway, because we were doing it together.  But now we want to spend the time together as a family.  If we want to complete a project (like the basement, for instance), one of us has to watch him while the other does work....and vice versa.  Not only do we miss out on that time with each other or as a family, but it also takes 10 times longer.  I know it should probably just be twice as long (I tend to exaggerate for effect), but I feel like we motivated one another to get stuff done when we were side-by-side.  Things just seemed to get done so much faster. 

It's just not as much fun as it used to be either.  Pace is #1 (of course) and I have found myself doing the unimaginable (well...at least unimaginable as of 2 years ago).....calling to get quotes for our upcoming projects (lawn care, trim painting, etc.).  Now I'm not saying that we are going to give up on DIY completely, I think we are just going to tone it down a little.  Whereas we used to jump at a new project possibility, we might stop and think about our options before doing that in the future.  Just the big projects....I think. 

Does anyone else feel this way about DIY??  I have to say I am a bit disappointed in myself for even thinking any of this, let alone writing it, but its the truth.  I am just as surprised as you are.  And maybe its just a temporary thing.  B has been traveling a lot lately (and I mean a lot.....like the last 5 weeks!!!) and being home alone has really got me thinking about all of our outstanding projects.  I really thought I could make a dent in them while he was away (ha!), but its so much harder than I thought to be productive with a crawling/teething/active/wonderful/curious/nosy 8-month old.  Maybe I'll get the hang of it soon though.....right as he starts to learn how to walk.

Surprisingly I have actually managed to do some spring-cleaning/organizing throughout the house in the last few weeks, so I'm slowing whittling (sp?) away at our long to-do list for 2012 (which I'm not sure I even talked about yet).  

Well, in case I didn't, here is a quick run-down:

1. Tile the basement bathroom shower
2. Install the vanity and light fixture in the bathroom
3. Caulk and fill nail holes in molding
4. Paint trim and doors in basement
5. Touch-up some molding and trim in the kitchen (it contracted in the winter and there are a few cracks here and there.....which probably are unnoticeable to anyone other than me)
6. Paint/touch-up railings on the deck (note to self: never let B paint anything)
7. Plant some shrubs and perennials around the base of the deck and the basement door
8. Add some life to the deck (rug, lanterns, potted plants, etc....hopefully very inexpensively!)
9. Replace trim on the house that is rotting/slit/broken.  
10. Paint the trim on the house white (this might be a hire-able job since I'm nervous to have me or B or ANYONE I know up on a ladder 3 stories high painting the trim in the back of the house...EEEK!!!!)
11. Paint the garage doors black - I have wanted to do this since we moved in!
12. Decorate the basement with some DIY artwork projects (I saw this whale blueprint at an adorable store in St. John a few weeks ago and I can't get it out of my head.  It was $600 and shipping would have been $500 on top of that, so there was no way we could ever buy it.  Hopefully I can re-create it though!!)
13. DIY a curtain for the kitchen sink window.....it looks so bare.  Maybe just a little tailored box-pleat one.  Seems easy enough.
14. DIY a new bench seat cushion for the entryway - found someone on etsy that will do it for $175 but I think I can make it for a LOT cheaper!
15. Find a used project-height table and make it into a desk for the basement office.  Could be regular desk height, but I like the higher ones for doing any hand-made things (calligraphy, drawing, sketching, etc.).  
16. Refinish some side tables that I found on the side of the road (pictures to come soon).
17. Re-paint an adirondack chair for the deck......it needs a little love!!

Hmm...I could go on and on, but seeing/writing it all makes my heart rate soar, so I'll leave it at that for now.  So as you can see from my list, I definitely don't want to give up the DIY in our lives, I just want to tone it down a little.   Call in some reinforcements when necessary.   Have any of you guys done that?  Did you regret it?  Wish you had soldiered on and finished it yourself?  Was it worth the money to have the free time???  I doubt I'm the only that has felt this way, but for some reason, I feel like that right now.  Any thoughts are more than welcome.

Until next time...

Thank You

Although Thanksgiving has come and gone (in the blink of an eye it seems), I still want to take some time to reflect on the things that I am thankful for this year:

(1) My little peanut.....of course:

Over the years I have heard the phrase, "I could just eat you up" countless times.  Normally its coming from someone of an older generation, so I assumed it was an old school thing.  But now, I can honestly say that I understand exactly what they meant.  No wonder some animals eat their children......they are just TOO damn cute!!  :) 

(2) My amazing husband.  He hasn't taken 1 day off since Pace arrived......just totally swamped.....but you would never know it.  He is so helpful and thoughtful and supportive.  Despite his long hours, he still manages to be around and available whenever we need him.  He must feel like he is being pulled in a million different directions (picture stretch armstrong....or inspector gadget, if you will), but he does it with such a calm, cool demeanor that it looks almost easy.  I'm not saying that motherhood isn't daunting, but I guess I just appreciate that he is trying his best to be everything for us.  He never ceases to amaze me.  Never.

(3) My wonderful family:  Without them, I really don't think I would have made it through the last three months.  Pace is an amazing child (like sleeping through the night at 2 months, amazing), but it's still a tough job and everyone has been unbelievably supportive.  It is wonderful to have them around for my own sanity, but I also love that Pace is becoming so close to his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins at such an early age.  I am truly blessed.

My family

My In-Laws

 

My Mom

My mom, especially, has been my rock.  Any time I needed anything, she was there by my side....whether it was a last minute drive to be with me while Brian traveled or a phone call in the middle of the night to ask advice or just vent.  Pace looks unhappy in this photo, but I assure you that you can't wipe the smile off his face when grandma is around.  Just pure joy.  He almost always gets the hiccups when he is with her because he giggles so much.  It is adorable.  I just love watching them bond. 

(4) Friends: It amazes me every day how lucky we are to have so many wonderful friends in our lives.  They have all been so thoughtful and generous and supportive since Pace arrived.  He came into a world with so much love and affection around him.  I could not be more grateful for all of the well wishes and visits and phone calls from everyone since he has arrived.  On the days when I felt like I was the worst parent in the world (for no particular reason, usually), I could turn to my friends and they would tell me how they did the same thing or they felt the same way at some point too.  I knew that I was never the only one in the world that was feeling that way or dealing with that emotion, but sometimes it felt like that and I didn't know what to do.  But just 2 minutes into a conversation with one of my friends and I would be laughing and smiling about it.  What would I have done and what will I do without you all.  Not only am I thankful for the wonderful people that have been in our lives (both individually and as a couple) for years and years, but I am also so grateful to God or the real-estate fairy or WHOEVER it was that brought us to this town and this street.  There are 4 other babies under the age of 1 on my street (who will all go to school with Pace) and even more babies his age right around the corner.  We are truly blessed to be in this neighborhood and in this house (which I am also thankful for). 

(5) The ability to stay home:  I don't think I've updated you all on my situation, but B and I decided that it would be alright financially if I stayed home a little longer with Pace before returning to work/school (whatever I decide to do).  I did ask my company for a part-time schedule, but they really needed someone full-time for my position.  I was a little disappointed at first, but now that I have officially been a stay-at-home-mom for a few weeks, I feel so much better about the decision.  I couldn't imagine missing all of his smiles and laughs and cries.....any of it.  It is all so precious.  I was never really in love with my job, anyway, so this is the perfect chance for me to start over.  Maybe go back to school or take some classes.  I will decide on that in the next few months, but for now I am enjoying my one-on-one time with Pace.  He has changed my world and I am so excited to see what the future brings for the both of us.....

 

And of course, (6) I am thankful for all of you that have continued to read despite my long hiatus.  I apologize for dropping off the map for a while, but I really appreciate that you stuck by my side and continue to read.  It means the world to me.  And I really do have a lot of fun stuff happening in our casa that I can't wait to share with you.  From the slow-moving basement renovation to the little art/photo projects I've been working on.....I have a lot to fill you in on!!  And now that Pace is starting to get into a nap schedule during the day, I can allot some time each day to sit down and write.  I'm sure you haven't been waiting with bated breath for my next post (haha), but I hope that you will tune in over the next few months for some exciting changes!!  I have also been bad about visiting all of your sites lately, so I promise to get back into that as well.  I am truly lacking in the inspiration department these days, so I'm eager to see what you have all been up to!!!  

So thanks again for reading and following along with my crazy life.  And even if no one is reading this anymore, it feels so so so good to be writing and thinking again....haha!!  And not the kind of thinking that is required to fill a 6 oz. bottle or do the laundry.  I almost feel a sigh of relief now that I've written....like a weight is lifted off my shoulders and I can relax now that some of those thoughts have been released from my mind.  Does anyone else feel like that when they write?

And I'm sure there are a million and one things that I am forgetting on my thank you list, but those are the real important ones.  Other than that, there are just some other general ones, like financial stability, health, etc.  But those aren't as fun to talk about......

What are you thankful for this year??

Labor Day

So I lied a little bit about being "back in action" in my last post.  Just when I thought I had this mommy-hood thing down pat, everything changed.  Not necessarily for the bad, but I haven't had as much time to sit and write as I thought I would.  I have just been trying to nap whenever he is napping or get some laundry/dishes/housework done whenever I have a minute.  And on top of it all, B has been travelling for work on and off for the last two weeks, so I have been manning all of the feeding shifts both day and night.  It's been hectic, but so wonderful at the same time.  It is nice to have him all to myself for days at a time...tiring, but so so nice.  I find myself staring at him for hours at a time.  I am probably enabling bad habits by letting him sleep in my arms, but sometimes I just can't fathom putting him down and being away from him (although I do have to say that B and I have been able to go out to dinner twice in the last month thanks to our awesome parents).   We told ourselves that we would not lose "us" when Pace arrived, and we are trying really hard to keep that promise.  I'll keep you posted on how well we keep it up over the next few months though.....)

I'm not going to lie and say that it has been all sunshine and bunnies around here, but I honestly can't complain too much.  He is a wonderful baby.  He doesn't cry unless he's hungry or needs a diaper change and he has been sleeping between 3-6 hours every time we put him down.  His schedule changes every day (which really means that he has no schedule at all), but I find that he is becoming rather predictable nonetheless.  I can read all of his cues by now and am able to soothe him or find ways to help him soothe himself 90% of the time.  The more comfortable I feel in motherhood, the easier it has gotten.  In the first few weeks, it was nerve-racking when he would cry and I didn't know what he wanted, but now that we've gotten to know each other a little better, I feel like I can handle just about anything.

I struggled a bit the first few weeks with the "baby blues" though.  I was crying every time he cried and feeling sorry for myself because breastfeeding wasn't going as planned (which is another whole post in itself).  After a rocky start, I finally feel like myself again (and more importantly, like a mom) and I'm loving it.  I have heard other women say this before and I didn't believe it, but I honestly don't think I could love anything in the world more than him (well....besides my husband, of course).  I am amazed and mesmerized by everything he does and I honestly wasn't sure I would feel that way.  I wasn't one of those women that always wanted to be a mother.  I knew that I wanted it someday, but I certainly didn't dream about it like some of my childhood friends.  I suppose I just thought it was part of life and I would just experience it someday.  Boy, was I wrong.  I underestimated how rewarding it feels to watch him grow and know that I am responsible for him and his well-being.  It is more responsibility than I have ever had, and I am loving every minute of it.  Who knew?  He had me at hello.....

So now for the story of his birth.  I will spare you the ugly details, but here is the basic timeline.....

Monday, August 8th
8:00 AM - Dr. Appt.....3 cm, 90% effaced, 0 station...still a long way to go.  I was having irregular contractions the whole weekend, but nothing worth talking about.  The Dr. "stirred the pot" to get contractions going and we left the office to head to work.
8:30 AM - Walking out to the parking lot and my water breaks (although I have to admit I wasn't sure if I was just peeing my pants or not).  We walked/waddled back into the office and the doc took us right back in.  She confirmed that my water had broken and that we needed to head to the hospital in the next few hours to avoid infection.  We headed home...
1:00 PM - After hanging out at home and gathering our things, we jumped in the car and drove to the hospital (not without picking up some italian subs at our favorite deli)!!
2:00 PM - Check into the hospital and get settled in our room
3:00 PM - IV goes in and they start me on fluids and a small dose of pitocin (2 ml I believe)......we hang out, walk around, sit on the ball and slowly deal with the contractions (about 5 min apart at this point).
7:00 PM - Doc comes in to check on me (finally) and suggests that I stay on the same drip of pitocin through the night and "see what happens".  He was a very laid back doc and wanted to go the natural way.  I was fine with that....but only because I thought that I would "naturally" progress through the night.......no such luck.  Oh, and I was given permission to eat something light, so I had a greek salad with chicken.....little did I know it would be my last meal for a while.....
10:00 PM - We decide to get some sleep while we still could (although I was having regular contractions through the night)

Tuesday, August 9th
8:00 AM - New doc came in to check on my progress.  No change since yesterday morning (he said I might be 4 cm rather than 3, but I think that is subjective anyway).  He was a little more bold than the previous doc, so he thought that we should ramp things up.  He suggested that we go from 2 ml - 24 ml of pitocin.  The nurse gradually upped the dosage each half hour until he came back to check on me again.  Oh, and they started me on some antibiotics since it had been 24 hours since my water broke....
12:00 PM - No progress, but still upping the dosage on the pitocin, so the doc agreed to give me a little more time.  If things didn't progress by the next check up, then he would move for a c-section (which I was hoping to avoid).  We decided to help the process along and used this bone-like ball to rock me from side to side and help me dilate.   I was feeling a little discouraged at this point (since I really hadn't made any progress at all) but I tried to stay positive and work through it until the next check up
2:30 PM - Since I hadn't really progressed much, and the pitocin was making the contractions come extremely strong and fast, my body wasn't able to produce the hormones that it normally would to tolerate the pain of each contraction.  Long story short, I asked for the epidural.  I went into this whole process hoping to avoid it, but at this point I knew that I would have at least another 12 hours or labor left, so I should get comfortable.  Best decision EVER!!!!
4:00 PM - I had progressed to 6 cm by this time, but still not where the doc wanted me to be.  I begged him to give me more time, so he agreed to give me another few hours.  I continue with the "rocking" thing in hopes of dilating more by the next check up.  (Keep in mind that our parents have been in the waiting room since 7 AM (even though we suggested they wait at our house until things started to REALLY happen))
8:00 PM - I was 7-8 cm at this check up, so the doc agreed to let me labor a little more instead of taking me in for the c-section.  I was happy to oblige (especially since I could barely feel the contractions now that I had the epidural).

Wednesday, August 10th
12:00 AM - I am 10 cm FINALLY and the doc tells me it's time to push.  I start off really strong.  The nurse keeps telling me that she can see the head (sorry for the graphic detail) and that I was so close (which was obviously a lie).  B even looked and said that I just needed to push a little more......so I kept pushing as hard as I could.
2:00 AM - Still pushing, but starting to fade a little (especially since they turned off the epidural so that I could feel the contractions and push through them).  My energy was really low since I hadn't eaten since Monday evening (and at this point, I was totally regretting the healthy choice for dinner....I should have gone with a cheeseburger if I knew it would be that long without food).  I decided to give it another half hour and see if I could make any progress.
2:30 AM - The doc finally came in to check on me and assess the situation.  He thought that I was doing everything I could to push, but that the babies' head just wasn't going to get past my pubic bone.  He gave me the option to keep trying (with the chance that it would not progress at all), have a c-section, or use forceps.  I thought about continuing pushing, but with the chance that it would not do any good, I decided to forego that.  And when given the option of c-section and forceps I was just devastated.  I hadn't heard of anyone using forceps in YEARS (apparently the vacuum wouldn't have been as successful because of the way he was positioned....or something like that), and I wasn't really sure how it would affect the baby (scars or bruises).  A c-section was definitely not off my list of considerations, but it was pretty far down.  After laboring for almost 40 hours, I just felt like it was depressing to have them just cut me open.  I could have done that in the first place and saved us all a whole lot of time (and pain)!
So, ultimately, I decided on the forceps.  I talked to the doc about the risks and he seemed confident that it would be just fine.  As soon as I made the decision, B was in scrubs and we were headed to the OR.  Less than 5 minutes later Pace was out and crying and it was over (except for some last minute care for me...which I couldn't feel anyway).  It was so surreal.  He was here and he was beautiful.  I just looked up at B and cried.  He was amazing through this all and I was just so happy that we finally had our baby.  He took a long time to come out, but he was so worth it!!!  Am I going to get pregnant again tomorrow....probably not, but I wouldn't change my experience for the world.  He was worth every minute of it!

And then there were three...

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts this month.  I promise I have a good excuse though.  Things have been a little crazy around this casa ever since this little guy arrived.....

Pace William

Born 08.10.11

2:54 AM

6 lbs 15 oz

20 3/4 in. long

I promise to fill you in on the labor and delivery details (well, to a certain extent) in a later post, but for now I am going to keep enjoying every sleepless moment with him.  I promise to be back in action in another week or so (with updates on some house projects too.....yes, we have still been doing projects with the little guy around....CRAZY).  I also have to show you more nursery photos!!  It is about 90% done at this point, but since he's still sleeping in his room (and doesn't even have full use of his eyes just yet), I don't feel too much pressure to finish the room for another month or so.  Hopefully we will get into a routine soon and I can start to work on the last few projects in his room (mostly touch up painting and a DIY art project).

So that's what we have been up to lately.  More updates, photos and posts to come!!  Hope you haven't given up on me yet!!

1 Year Later: Lessons Learned and Plans for the Future

As I mentioned on Friday, we are currently celebrating the 1 year anniversary of blogging here at Simple.Beautiful.Home!  Time flies when you're having fun, right?  It has been a great year and I am so happy that I took a risk and started this little blog.  My initial intent was to utilize it as a web journal of our house transformation, but it has turned into so much more than that.  I have been exposed to so many other great blogs through this process and I feel connected to a whole new world of people.  I feel like I have friends out there that I have never even met!!  It's wonderful!  I wouldn't give it up for the world.

In fact, I am hoping to expand this blog even more in the coming year. 

Here are just a few of my goals for year # 2:

* Blog more often - right now, I am having a hard time squeezing it in with a busy work schedule, but I'm hoping to make more time for this in the future.  I have so much more to share with you guys, so I just need to keep up with all of my thoughts (or write them down before I forget them).  I currently do at least a post a week, but I would love to start doing 3-5 each week.  Wish me luck....

* Visit and reach out to more blogs - I try to look at everyone else's blog each day (at least the ones that I am connected to on the blog feed), but often times I only get through a handful before I have to switch to something else.  I really just need to make a more concerted effort to take the time to reach out.  I am always happy that I did.  Not only am I able to offer some encouragement to my fellow blogging friends (which I love to do), but I gain so much inspiration from everyone that it is overwhelming at times (and adds more projects and ideas to my never-ending to-do list).  It's a total win-win!!

* Document my projects better - I often find that I forget to take a before picture when I start to dive into a DIY project.  My intentions are there to write about the transformation, but a before (and during) picture are absolutely crucial to get the full before and after effect!!  And who doesn't love before and afters?  It is so inspiring to see what other people are capable of.

* Update the after photos on the house tour page - we have done so much more to the house since I first updated the house tour page, so I really need to give it a refresher!! 

* Add a baby page - I know this is a home/design/renovation/DIY type blog, but the new baby is going to be a big part of simple.beautiful.home, so I am thinking that I will designate a separate page for anyone that wants to oogle pictures of our little one (*ahem*...that's you, Mom)!!  I will keep you updated on any DIY-related projects for him and his nursery, but all of the random glamour shot photos will be designated to their own separate space!! 

* Ramp up my link party activity - I love participating in linky parties, but I always seem to forget to do it before they are closed.  My goal for the next year is to spend some time spreading the word about projects, and maybe even host a linky or two on here.  In fact, maybe I'll add a separate page for all of the link parties so that I remember which ones happen on which days.  I have seen this done on a few blogs before and I think its a great idea.  It's an awesome way to spread the word about your own projects, but its also a lot of fun to see what other people are working on too!!  Again, so much inspiration out there!!  I can't stand it!!! 

Other than that, I think I'm just going to keep plugging away!   I'm excited to see what the next year holds!  Oh, and the most important thing that I wanted to say today was a big ol' thank you to each of you followers out there for all your support and suggestions and encouragement over the last year.  Reading your comments and hearing from you via email honestly makes my day, so I'm very grateful to each and every one of you!  Thanks for coming along for the ride.  I hope you stick around to see what else is in store!

And speaking of what's in store, we have a lot to share with you in the next few weeks.....guest bedroom update, new DIY walkway installation and landscaping, hallway gallery of frames, new windows installed, nursery rug choice, and so much more!!!  I am slowly checking things off my to-do list and it feels great.  Can't wait to share it all with you guys in the next few days!!  Stay tuned...

Happy Blogiversary!

YAY!!  Happy 1-Year Anniversary Simple.Beautiful.Home!!  I can't believe I have been doing this for a year already.  Time has flown by since we bought the new house, and I imagine it will only speed up more once the little one comes along!  I haven't really taken time to think about resolutions or goals for the new year (since this kind of snuck up on me), but I will brainstorm this weekend and do a little recap post next week! 

Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!  Enjoy the BBQs, beer (have one for me, please), pool parties and fireworks!!  I have lots of updates for you in the next few weeks.  This nesting thing is really starting to kick in so I am flying through projects faster than I can write about them.  So stay tuned!!  Have a safe and fun holiday everyone!!!

IKEA finds

As I mentioned in my last post, I was planning on taking a little trip to IKEA last week.  Well, I finally made it there and found some really great things.  Mostly stuff for the nursery, but also a little something for the recently painted guest bedroom (which I can't wait to show you)!!  In the course of setting up the nursery, we have used the guest bedroom as our landing pad for everything that doesn't have a "place" yet in the nursery.  The car seat, high chair, pack & play, etc., etc. are all just hanging out on the floor in there, so it doesn't look all pretty and blog-worthy just yet.  Maybe once we weed through the piles and piles of presents from the shower this past weekend (which was FABULOUS by the way - thanks Mom, Chris and Mom-in-law and the rest of my friends and family for their generosity.....you guys are TOO MUCH!), we will get more organized with all the baby stuff.  My goal is to have the guest bedroom all set up and ready to go by next week so that we can just focus on the nursery from here on out.  So I will keep you updated on that progress as soon as I get to it!!

But back to IKEA.

After years of shopping here, I have obtained a few rules that keep me sane and relatively focused while I'm in there; (1) do NOT walk through the showroom unless I am looking for furniture (if I even start going through it, I get sucked in by all of the cute room set-ups and get distracted from my ultimate shopping goal), (2) only go there on weeknights, otherwise you will be forever lost in a sea of people and carriages trying to navigate their way through the two-story warehouse maze, and (3) have a list (if I go in there un-armed, I always end up getting things that I don't really need (which is fun sometimes, but costly as well)). 

So, based on my rules, I went in last Thursday night with my list:

(1) silver towel rods for the nursery book slings
(2) two frames for DIY nursery artwork
(3) curtains for the guest bedroom

I stuck to my list pretty well, but I also found these as I was heading towards the checkout line:

Aren't they the cutest little trash bins?  Or even toy bins?  I picked up 1 white, 1 yellow and 1 navy one (since those are the nursery colors).  I will probably only keep 1 or 2 in the nursery, but I couldn't decide which color looked best at the time.  After bringing them home, I'm leaning towards the white and the navy.  The yellow is just a little too bright for me....and if we ever decide to change the accent color in the room, I would like this little trash can to be versatile.  They were $14.99 each (check them out here - Knodd Bin w/ Lid), so I also don't want to spend $45 on little bins until I know that I will use them for something in the room.  I can definitely see myself using one of them next to the changing table/dresser as a diaper pail (since we didn't register for the diaper genie or anything like that), but I'm not sure what I would use the 2nd one for...or where we would put it.  The room is a decent size, but there definitely isn't a lot of unused space left over.  I will have to see them in the room (and maybe post some pictures for your opinion) so that I can decide what to keep and what to return.  And if you can think of a use for the second one, I'm all ears!!

As far as the rest of the shopping trip goes, these guys ended up in my car as well:

Grundtal Towel Rail - $14.99 (I bought two of them,

but I might only do one book sling considering the space issue in the room....TBD)

Ribba Frames - $9.99 (I bought two of these as well for some

fun DIY artwork in the nursery....more on that later) 

Ritva Curtains - $29.99 (I bought two of these too - man, it's like Noah's Ark around here....

for the guest  bedroom).  I have the white ones in most of my other rooms,

but I went with beige this time around since it goes better with the

color scheme in the room (can't wait to show you)!!

So that's it for my shopping adventure.  I managed to make it out of there unharmed and unscathed, but since I have a few returns to make (and potentially more purchases....*ahem* meatballs), I will definitely be back there soon, so I'll update you with that trip as well.  Have any of you guys been to IKEA lately?  Did you find WAAAY to many cute things to walk away from?  Any fun DIY ideas in store for your purchases?  I would love to hear all about it.  And of course, I will be back with updates for you on the guest bedroom, the nursery progress (including my own DIY projects), and some shower details. 

Pregnancy: 32 weeks

I am about half-way through my 32nd week of pregnancy and I'm feeling pretty good.  Definitely more tired than usual, but otherwise no complaints.  The only big change since my last update at 30 weeks is that I have started to experience the "nesting" instinct.  BADLY!  I've heard a few friends mention it in the past, but I never fully understood it until I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floors on Sunday night because nothing was "clean enough".  It was a completely irrational feeling.  I literally felt that if I didn't organize and clean and move just about everything in my house that I was not fulfilling my duties prior to his birth.  Crazy, right?  But from what I've read in the baby books, this is totally normal behavior.  Regardless, I still felt a little crazy while it was happening (and even more so now that I'm confessing it to all of you).  Have any of you ever done this before?  I would love to hear about it if you have.  Maybe I will feel a little less strange knowing that other people out there were rearranging their tupperware collection to "prepare" for the baby's arrival (since he or she cares AT ALL about how organized your cupboards are). 

At least I know that one person out there is going through the same thing.  Jen over at Home In the Country (which is a fabulous blog by the way) is a few weeks ahead of me and just posted the other day about her crazy tendencies in the final weeks of her pregnancy.  If you haven't checked out her blog before, I highly suggest it.  She is always doing or creating something fun and interesting.  My most recent fave on her blog was this post about how to make book slings for the nursery.  I am definitely going to follow this tutorial in the coming weeks for our own nursery.  In fact, I might even be making an IKEA trip tonight to check out the metal towel rods that she used.  It just so happens that IKEA is right next to Costco and Michaels (dangerous, I know), so I can't help but take a quick peek whenever I'm stocking up on paper towels and toilet paper right next door.  Although, let's be honest, IKEA is not a quick-browse kind of place.  It is like the bermuda triangle for shoppers.  I wouldn't be surprised if some people use their GPS INSIDE the store!!  If you watch people exiting the building at the end of their shopping journey, they are totally discheveled and their eyes are glassed over.  It is like people get sucked into this time warp and they're not sure how long they've been in there, or in some cases, how to even get out!  I'll update you on my finds tomorrow though (if I end up doing more than window shopping tonight and make it out of there unscathed)!  Wish me luck!

But enough rambling.  I really just wanted to give you a quick update on how the pregnancy is going so far.  Less than 8 weeks left until d-day!!  YAY!  We have my shower coming up this weekend (YAY to that too!!!  Can't wait to see everyone!!) and then a 3D/4D ultrasound scheduled for July 8th (with a few random doc appointments scattered around in there too).  Has anyone done the 3D one before?  My brother and sister-in-law did for their twins and the pictures are AMAZING!  It's a little bit weird to see that kind of detail of your unborn child, but since we don't have another ultrasound scheduled (and may not get another one unless there is a complication in the next few weeks), I wanted to make sure we had a few more glamour shots of the little guy before he arrives.  Unfortunately its not covered by insurance, but I attended a baby expo a few weeks back that offered a 10% discount on the package....so, it's not terribly expensive.  And, to have some cute pics (and even a DVD) of him hanging out in the womb is pretty priceless to me at this point. 

In the meantime, and if you need me, I'll be color-coding my spice rack.....

Ten on Tuesday

I've linked up to It's a Crafty Life's Ten on Tuesday event.  I am a new follower of hers, so I thought it would be fun to join the party!

                                                             

The requirements of the party are that you link up a blog post talking about ten random things, pictures or events in your life.  Like I said, I've never done this before, so please bear with me........

1.  Confession: I have been a bad blogger lately and failed to update you all on some recent project completions (window installation, black frame gallery in the hallway, guest bedroom makeover and our washer and dryer purchase).  This pregnancy has made me terribly forgetful, so I always think I posted about something when I really didn't....oops!!  So stay tuned for those upcoming posts!!

2.  I am currently reading the Happiness Project by Gretchen Craft Rubin for my book club and it is wonderful so far.  We have been reading a lot of deep and dark novels of late and it's a nice refreshing change of pace.  My best description of the book is that it is insightful, inspiring, witty and fresh.  I am only about 30 pages in and that is my take on it, but I will let you know if my opinion changes as I move further into the book.  So far, so good though.....

3.  We have been eating out almost every night lately.  We went through all the trouble of creating this beautiful kitchen and we haven't really used it in weeks (maybe even longer than that).  I have had NO motivation to grocery shop (aside from picking up milk and eggs and things like that once a week).  I just can't wrap my head around planning meals and thinking far ahead.  I barely know what I want at any given moment, nevermind what I will want in 4 days.  So.....needless to say, we have been take-out fans lately.  My normal go-to has been a veggie or california roll with some edamame from whole foods (since I can't have the good stuff), but I'm not sure what we will end up tonight.  Exciting, isn't it?  Haha...

4.  We just got back from vacation a month ago and I am already scouring websites for the next getaway deals.  Even though I can't go anywhere for a while, nor will we want to leave our little bundle of joy right away, but it is just nice to think about fun places to travel in the future.  And who knows, little B might be a really great traveler and we will take him with us all over the place.  Only time will tell.

5.  Our maternity photographer just sent us a few more sneak-peek photos yesterday and this one is my favorite.  I like that is is not about me or my husband, it is really just all about the belly.  Maybe it's a little too abstract and artsy, but I think that's why I love it.  It's not screaming maternity photo shoot to me, it almost seems like its natural.  I am actually thinking about printing this one and hanging it in our hallway (since we just put up a wall gallery of frames in the upstairs hallway this weekend....more on that tomorrow). 

Here it is:

6.  It has almost been a year since I started this blog....my how time flies!  My goal for the next year is to update more frequently and participate more in the blogging world.  I honestly try to visit all of the blogs on my dashboard once a week, but sometimes I don't get around to it and I feel terrible.  And the thing is that I don't even feel obligated to do it, I really just love to be inspired and see what other people are doing in the world.  It is so great to be a part of each of your lives, even though we have never met.  I have been more inspired by strangers in the last year than I ever thought possible.  The amount of ideas out there is incredible and I'm just really grateful to be a part of it all!!  So this is the year for me....I vow to be a more dedicated blogger....

7.  My mom, sister-in-law and mother-in-law are planning a baby shower for me next weekend and I CANNOT wait!!!   Hm....does that sound spoiled or conceited?  Maybe it came out wrong.  I guess I am just really excited to share this experience with all of my friends and family.  I honestly could care less about the presents (although B and I will be SUPER SUPER thankful for everything that we receive and I'm sure we will need it all for the little one), I just really want to spend time with everyone and soak it all in before the sleepless nights and the crazy schedules set in.  There are very few times in our lives when everyone you love is with you in one room (bridal showers, weddings, graduations and sometimes birthdays), but for the most part, it is pretty rare.  So this will be one of those times for me and I'm so very excited!!  Sadly, my grandma from Florida won't be able to make it up here in time for the shower because of a surgery, but she is planning to be here when he arrives, so that will be even more exciting.  Other than that though, it will be wonderful to celebrate and spend time with all of these wonderful people in my life.  And my family (mom, SIL and MOL) are absolutely wonderful for doing this for me.  I promise to report back with some pictures of the shower in two weeks!!  YAY!

8.  Lately, I have started to feel SUPER hungry all the time.  For most of the pregnancy, I have been eating what I normally eat and just adding a healthly snack here and there throughout the day.....but in the last few weeks I have felt like I need to add even more to my plate.  I know this is probably normal, but since I hadn't really experienced it for most of the 7.5 months, I thought that I might not face it at all.  No dice.  For example, I went out to dinner with my parents on Sunday night and had a full meal (steak tips in a salad, lots of bread w/ AMAZING dipping sauce, and even some bites of a peanut butter ice cream thing for dessert), but less than two hours later my stomach was growling and I NEEDED a snack.  Really, kiddo?  You are hungry already?  Haha.  I am trying to be good about choosing healthy snacks when the hunger pains hit, but it's not always easy when you are out and about for the day.  I have always been good about bringing a granola bar with me or something similar (thank you, Girl Scouts of America), but I guess I need to pack two now instead of one.  My how times have changed......

It's definitely a good thing though, it just means that he is growing a lot and I'm happy about that.  Whatever keeps him healthy and strong is fine by me.  We actually have a doc appointment tonight, so I'm curious to see how much weight i've put on over the last three weeks....EEEK!!!  I'll keep you posted...

9.  Hopefully my boss isn't reading this post, but I have a little secret to share with you all.  I still have two months left (give or take) and I have already started to check out at work.  All I want to do during the day is dream about the nursery or look at cute onesies and hats to buy him.  Don't get me wrong, I am getting my work done, but instead of planning ahead and getting things ready for when I leave, I've been using my downtime for internet surfing.  Bad, I know.  I almost feel like I have senioritis....

10.  We have no summer vacation plans because of the baby and I'm starting to get itchy to take a long weekend.  We were thinking about going up to Bar Harbor (where we got married and where B's parents have a house) for 4th of July weekend, but I'm just not sure how I feel about being 5.5 hours away from my hospital within 6 weeks of my due date.  Is that irrational?

Back In Action

So sorry for the long hiatus.....we went on our "babymoon" last week and I have been scrambling around the last few days trying to get back into the swing of things.  It will probably take a few more days for me to adjust to doing more than sitting on a float and reading a book all day, but I'll manage eventually. 

Honestly, though, whoever thought up the concept of a "babymoon" is a genius....which means it was probably a woman!  It was so great to spend time together without worrying about work or the house or chores; just us.  I'm sure we will travel after he is born, but I have a feeling it won't be the same (even if we leave him with our reliable parents).  We are really excited about the future, don't get me wrong, but it has just been the two of us for over 5 years now and it's going to be hard to shift the focus away from the "two of us" to the "three of us".  It's sort of sad but exciting at the same time.  It is like a new chapter in our lives.  And to be completely honest, we spent most of the week talking about him to each other or talking to my belly and feeling his kicks together.....so at the end of the day, the adjustment will probably be easier than we think. 

I could go on forever about that though, but let's get down to the details.  For our little getaway, we decided to go to Grand Cayman for a 7-night stay.  It was ah-mazing!  Every moment was fantastic.  We probably could have been anywhere warm together and it would have been wonderful, but I was especially impressed with the beaches.  We have been to a few different islands in the Caribbean over the years and this has by far the best beach we've seen.  It was not too crowded, clean, walkable and the water was just breathtaking.  I can't think of a better way to have spent our last "hoorah" together.  If anyone wants more specific information or has questions about the island, please feel free to shoot me an email at simplebeautifulhome@gmail.com.  I could go on and on about the trip for hours, but I will spare you my diatribe. 

In house-related news though, we came back to a bit of a mess.  Our dryer broke the day before we left.....wa waaaa.  I'm pretty sure it was manufactured around 1975, so after a 36-year run we can't blame him for going into retirement.  Let's face it, that is a lot longer than I plan to work...haha (only kidding, honey!).  But despite the fact that we knew this day would come, we weren't exactly prepared to buy a new dryer right away.  I was hoping to shop around and get a really good deal before we actually NEEDED it, but obviously that didn't work out.  Best laid plans.....  So, needless to say, we are on the hunt for a new matching washer and dryer set at the moment and it is a bit overwhelming.  We were originally going to just buy the dryer, but since the washer is a bit older as well, we thought it would make sense to switch to a more energy efficient model at this point and sell the older one on craigslist to make up some of the cost.  We have been looking at consumer reports and online reviews for the last few days and I can't say that we are much further along in the process than we were before we left for vacation, but I feel like I'm pretty well-versed in the differences between a top loader and a front loader, as well as the cost-savings we could benefit from by using a high-efficiency washer.  So....I'm going to keep at it and I will be back with some details on what I find.  If anyone out there has purchased a set recently and would like to share their opinions or reviews, I would REALLY appreciate it. 

And on top of that, the ice maker in our fridge stopped working.  At first, we thought that it was smart enough to go into "vacation mode" while we were away and not waste the ice cubes, but it has been a few days now and we can't seem to get it going again.  Luckily we purchased the extended warranty though, so they are coming out to check it out next week!  Phew!  This really isn't too much trouble for us, but its just another thing that we have to deal with when we would rather be working on nursery-related projects and taking care of some landscaping needs (our lawn is finally looking normal....but I think it will take another year and maybe some seeding in August to get it to where we want).....ahhhh the joys of homeownership!

So that's it for my little update.  I have a lot of projects up my sleeve...and even some that I've already completed and haven't had a chance to blog about, so stay tuned!! 

Oh, and I will update this post with some photos tonight when I get home.  I have been meaning to upload them from my camera for the last few days, but lately I have been so tired when I get home from work that I just plop on the couch and fall asleep at 8:00....oops!  I guess that's pretty common for the third trimester though......EEEK I can't believe there are only 13 weeks left!! 

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

Baby News: Announcement

I am in my 19th week now, just three more days until the halfway point.  If you had asked me a few weeks back, I would have told you that this was taking forever, but I can honestly say right now that I feel like it has flown by!!!  I turned a corner on the morning sickness this week as well, so I am feeling great and really starting to show now.  I know this is a DIY/decor/home-related blog, but I might start posting some weekly bump photos to keep my family in the loop on my progress.  Sorry for those of you that strictly read this for the trials and tribulations of homeownership.  I promise that we will get back into action with some projects very soon (in fact, we are planning on working on the yard this upcoming weekend, so I'll be blogging about that early next week).  In the meantime though, I have some important news to share.  Yesterday at our ultrasound appointment we found out that some exciting news about the pregnancy.............



photo credit: Pottery Barn Kids



And if you haven't already guessed by the inspiration photo above.......well........

It's a BOY!!!!

We would have been completely overjoyed either way, but we are really thrilled to be expecting a boy in August.  I have two older brothers and my husband is an older brother, so I suppose we both like the idea of our future kids having an older brother as well.  I must admit that I'm a little sad not to be able to buy beautiful dresses and hair accessories and such, but hopefully we will be blessed with a baby girl at some point in the future and I will get it out of my system them.  Until that time though, I am all fired up to start working on the nursery!!!

We are still going to try and keep it relatively gender neutral, but I have changed my mind a little on the wall color.  Instead of going with the silver sage color and adding in soft, calming accent colors, I am leaning more towards a light beige/grey color on the walls with navy, yellow, lime or teal green and some punches of orange.  I love the bedding in the photo above, but I'm not sure its exactly what I'm looking for.  I would really like to have one piece of fabric with a few bold colors in it and then work around that with beiges and whites to tone it down.  I think it will complement the cherry wood furniture nicely! 

But then again, who knows.  I could change my mind tomorrow and go a different route.  I think I will have a better handle on my plan once I can get some swatches and start piecing together a mood board for the room.  That always helps me put things into perspective.  For the moment, I am just going to continue walking on air and dreaming about what our baby boy is going to be like......

Can't wait to meet him!!

And of course, if any of you have had boys or are expecting boys in the near future, I would love to hear about your nursery designs or ideas (and about your experiences with them).  I am all ears people!!  I will take a photo of the room tomorrow morning if the light is good and show you what type of space we are dealing with.  Thanks guys!  Can't wait to hear about all of your ideas.

Oh Happy Day!

Top o' the mornin' to ya! 

Happy St. Patty's Day to everyone and a special shout out to my wonderful brother Michael Patrick Koutrobis (oh ya, I invoked the middle name....since it is kind of significant today) who is celebrating his 40th year of life today!!  YAY!  Happy Birthday big brother!  We are having a party for him on Saturday and I can't wait to celebrate with him (and the rest of the world since the last time I checked the evite was up to 120.....that's more than I had at my wedding!!!!)  Celebrating these days, though, involves drooling while watching everyone else drink beer (Blue Moon is especially hard for me....I liked it before but I am desperately craving it lately).  I guess I will just have to focus on the cake for this party!  Make way folks, I'll be in charge of the cutting this time!!  One for me, one for you......one for me, one for you!  Haha.  That is kind of the way that I go christmas shopping too!  I came home with a ton of bags one day and Brian thought I had finished buying all of the christmas gifts.  Oh no, honey, half of these are for me!!  Don't worry though, I got something for you too!!  Haha.  I am definitely exaggerating, but it is kind of hard not to buy things for yourself when you are finding such great deals for everyone else.  Tempting!!!

But back to the important message of the day......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!

You have always been more than a brother to me, you've been a friend....a role model, a psychiatrist and, most recently, a minister (at my wedding).  But the most important thing to me is that you have been there....always.  Like you said to me years ago when you moved out on your own, "I will always be just a phone call away."  And you kept that promise.  I can't tell you how comforting that has been in my life.  We have both changed so much as individuals over the years, but never once have we lost that special connection.  I am really lucky to have you in my life and I hope that you always remember that (today and every day)!  You are an amazing person. I have never met anyone else that can bring an entire room to tears with his poetry and then roaring with laughter minutes later.  You have a special gift for entertaining and I feel blessed to be in the audience......

I love you, bro!

Announcement

So...I may not have been telling the whole truth the other day when I said that I have been MIA because of my job.  That is part of it, but I also have something else going on that is taking up all of my time and energy......







Photo Credit






I'M PREGNANT!!

B and I are expecting our first baby and we are SO excited!  I am 16 weeks along now and starting to show a little.  It just started to feel real to me the other day when I couldn't button my "fat" pants.  Uh oh.  And even though we have talked about this for a while, read a million books and mentally prepared for what is going to happen, it is still amazing to me what a woman's body is capable of.....I can't believe there is another life inside me!!  It is CRAZY, but so unbelievably exciting at the same time!  We can't wait to meet him/her. 

So along with the laundry list of projects that I have planned for the house, we will also be focusing a lot of our attention on nesting over the next few months.  I have so many ideas for the nursery and can't wait to share them with you.  I actually may have a few too many ideas floating around in my head though; enough to decorate 10 nurseries......but I still have a few months to work that out.  A little over 5 months to be exact.  Little B (which is just one of the names that we have been calling him/her) is going to be here on August 13th (or so the doctor tells me).  All I know is that if its any later than that I'm going to be waddling around cursing everyone in my path.  "Damn you, husband, for convincing me that A/C was not a "must-have" on the house-hunting list"....

But I digress....

So that's the news on this front.  What's new with all of you?  Any advice to share?  Maybe some great design inspiration for nurseries that you've seen lately?  I can't wait to share my ideas with you and even throw in a few nursery-room DIY projects!!  There are so many things I want to accomplish!  Oh my! 

So once I get the energy to lift my head up off the pillow I will get started on that.....

Apologies

I'm so sorry that I have been MIA this week.  It has been insanely busy at work, which means that I can't stomach another moment in front of the computer once I finally get home.  And worst of all, I have no energy to execute any of the projects from my LOOOONG to-do list that I discussed a few weeks back (in this post).  I have so many ideas and plans for the house, but my day job just keeps getting in the way.  Does anyone else feel like that?  Maybe I can find a way to get paid for doing projects at my house all day?  It would save me the commute!!

I only kid though....sort of.  I do like going to work every day and getting out of the house a little, but I just feel so behind at home.  Hopefully things slow down a bit in the next few weeks though and I can focus on the important things in life....like re-painting the office and putting up curtains in my bedroom.  What more is there to life than that?? 

So for now, I wish you all a happy friday and a wonderful long weekend!  I will be back next week with a review of some Overstock items (and a discount code for all of you!!!) and hopefully an update on some projects that are getting underway in our little casa.  Fingers crossed.

Adios!!

Stylish Blogger Award: Round II

Big thanks to Courtney over at David, Courtney & Cameron for awarding me with my second Stylish Blogger Award this year!!  YAY!   If you missed out on the last one, you can check it out here.  And if you haven't already clicked over to Courtney's blog, I strongly encourage you to do so.  She has great DIY home and craft ideas and an eye for home decor (since she's a retail buyer by day...how amazing is that?).  Oh, and it certainly doesn't hurt that her daughter is absolutely adorable!!  I promise you will not regret it! 

Thanks again Courtney for the shout-out!  I really appreciate it!

Project List 2011

Oh it's that time again.  A few weeks back, I mentioned some of my "intended" projects for the year (read more about that here), but I haven't done very much with the list since then.  So....here I am to discuss a plan of attack:

And to refresh your memory:

2011 House Projects

Re-paint office and guest bedroom
Remodel full bath upstairs
Finish basement (w/ half bath??)
Install new windows (DIY or hire?)
Paint garage doors black
Repair cracks in exterior trim pieces (re-paint)
Re-seed lawn, plant, mulch, landscape front & backyard
Finish molding and painting trim around side storm door
Clean and organize remaining boxes/items in garage/basement
Create built-in bookshelves/bench for living room
New roof for garage (DIY) - might be able to last another year though.....
Clean and repair gutters
Stain or paint deck
Find cheap patio furniture and refinish


2011 Craft/Art/Design Projects
Print maps of places lived/visited to create frame wall
Print photos for black frames in hallway
Refinish (2) craigslist side tables
Refinish (2) thrift store/hand-me-down dressers
Create vintage-looking signs for guest bedroom or future nursery
Make another coffee filter wreath for sister-in-law
Create or repurpose letters for kitchen (maybe "EAT")
Sew curtains for guest bedroom and office
Find/buy/make/distress coffee table (This is starting to inch up the priority list....I HATE our current one)


It's a little overwhelming thinking about all of this at once, so I'm going to narrow it down to priorities and non-priorities for each season (although they are probably obvious when you look at the original list).

Spring 2011
The most important things to tackle once the snow melts away and the temperature creeps up a bit are:

Install new windows (DIY or hire?)
Re-paint office and guest bedroom
Re-seed lawn, plant, mulch, landscape front & backyard
New roof for garage (DIY)
Clean and repair gutters (only if they are damaged from this winter....otherwise put off till next year)
Finish molding and painting trim around side storm door
Stain or paint deck
Find cheap patio furniture and refinish
Sew curtains for guest bedroom and office - AND MASTER BEDROOM....since I keep putting it off!!!


Summer 2011
Although these aren't priorities, I would like to tackle them once the big projects are done:

Repair cracks in exterior trim pieces (re-paint)
Clean and organize remaining boxes/items in garage/basement
Paint garage doors black
Refinish (2) craigslist side tables
Refinish (2) thrift store/hand-me-down dressers
Find/buy/make/distress coffee table

Fall 2011If all goes well and we complete the tasks above, I am hoping to finish these projects in the Fall:

Create vintage-looking signs for guest bedroom or future nursery
Make another coffee filter wreath for sister-in-law
Create or repurpose letters for kitchen (maybe "EAT")
Print maps of places lived/visited to create frame wall
Print photos for black frames in hallway


So you might have noticed that the following items are not listed in any of the categories above, and there are a few reasons for that:

Remodel full bath upstairs
Finish basement (w/ half bath??)
Create built-in bookshelves/bench for living room


First of all, we would love to tackle the full bath upstairs but it's just not in the budget this year.  Plus, its totally live-able at the moment, so there is REALLY no rush to do it (other than I basically close my eyes while I'm in there so I don't scream because I hate it so much).  But since there are other priorities this year (i.e., possible roof replacement and new windows) we decided to put this one on the backburner for now.  As far as the basement goes, and B doesn't know this yet, but I think I'm vetoing his choice to refinish the basement this year.  He is really eager to start it soon (which I think is a combination of desire for a man-room (who can blame him) and withdrawls from his power tools (I mean it has been two months since he's used them) but I'm not sure that is enough reason to throw more money into the house just yet.  We barely use the space that we have now with just the two of us, so I think its a little impractical to add more square footage if we don't need to.  But at the end of the day, we are a team, so we will have to discuss it more so I can convince him that he is wrong.  :)  Er....or I can maybe compromise a little.  I'll keep you posted on that!
And finally, the built-ins were put on the list as a whim.  It is a pipe dream really and we don't need them, nor do we really have the time to do it.  If it happens this year, then great, but I'm not going to put it on my final list and feel accountable for it.  And that's exactly why I'm telling you my list on a season-by-season basis.  I need to be accountable to someone for these resolutions of mine, so who better than you??  You keep me honest!

So instead of wasting more time talking about it, I think I'm going to start making some lists for my next Home Depot run.  Oh yes, I said it, I make lists for HD runs.  Otherwise I forget half of the things that I need and have to run back, which makes for one cranky DIY-er.  I actually do this more often than I write food shopping lists.  I figure that I can always find make something to eat with what we already have in the house, but if we are missing a special screw or piece of wood, then the whole project comes to a halt.  It's no good!  So if I can impart a little wisdom to you other DIY-ers out there, always make a list when heading to HD.  It's as simple as that.  

See ya!

After some thinking....

We're going to stay put for a while.  No more house-hunting or running numbers on mortgage rates.  Well, before I go any further....if you're a bit lost at the moment, check out this post a few weeks back where I shared my CRAZY idea to sell our house and move a few streets over to a bigger house.  I suppose it's not exactly CRAZY to think that we will eventually need more space to grow our family (and potentially house my parents for a few months a year during their retirement), but it is not exactly something that we NEED to worry about for quite some time. 

My new revelation came about this past weekend when I was home alone while B was travelling for work.  I had a few errands to run and places to go both days, but for the most part I was vegging around the house.  And it all just felt right.  I felt cozy and comfortable, and most importantly, safe.  I knew that if I needed anything, I could just swing by one of my neighbors houses and they would gladly lend a hand or an ear.  I also spent a lot of time just absorbing the environment.  We have been so busy since we've moved in that I hadn't taken much time to really stop and smell the roses.....or in this case, the fresh paint.  It felt like home.  It felt like ours.  And it felt good.  Everything is where we want it and we are happy.  So why mess with success, right?  If we need more space in a few years, then we can explore our options at that point.  For now, though, we are going to sit tight and ENJOY the house that we created together.  So I apologize for the fire drill a few weeks back.  Maybe it was hormones or food poisoning....or all the snow...but I assure you that there will be no more talk of moving for quite some time.

Momentary Lapse of Sanity...

I can't believe I'm even considering this, let alone typing it for all the world to see, but I am thinking about selling the house.  *GASP*  I know, I know.  It hasn't even been a year!  It seems crazy, but I think I found my DREAM home....my FOREVER home.  The one that we could expand our family in and maybe even take care of our parents in down the road.  It is even the house that has the potential space for a design studio (which is really important to me right now, see this post for more on that).  It is just perfect....AND its only a few blocks from our current house. 

Don't get me wrong, our house is great.  And I cannot tell you how much I love the neighborhood and the people.  It's better than we ever imagined!  I just worry that we are going to grow out of it sooner than expected and I would rather pull the bandaid off quick than get even more attached to our current situation.

Ugh, this is so hard.  So, being the crazy list-loving/organizational-guru that I am, I put together a list of the pros and cons of each house.  Here goes:

Current house:

PROS
Perfect size for us now
Exactly how we want it (with all of the renovations)
AMAZING neighbors
Walking distance to elementary school
Safe neighborhood
Quiet cul-de-sac
Good price
2 working fireplaces
Full basement ready to be finished
Conservation land behind us, no building = QUIET

CONS
Will outgrow and need to add on/move in a few years anyway
Only 3 bedrooms (could be 4 if put wall in master bedroom though)
Still need to replace windows
Only 1.5 baths, no master bath
Only 1 acre (although that is really a lot of land)
Wood siding...needs to be taken care of (especially trim)

New house:

PROS
Bigger house
4 large bedrooms
2.5 baths
1.5 acres of land (really large backyard)
3 car garage (we currently have a 2-car) - and room above it for studio!!
Lots of window/natural light
Historic home (1682)
Farmer's porch in the front
French doors in most of bottom floor to separate rooms
Vinyl siding

CONS
More expensive
Have to sell current house
On Main St. (which is oddly desirable in my town, but its still a main road and not as safe as current house)
Need to update kitchen (cabinets are relatively new, but need new appliances and countertops...probably paint cabinets too)
Need to refinish floors

Ok, that didn't really help at all.  There are about the same amount of pros and cons for each house.  I don't know what to do.  I just saw this new house and something clicked.  Maybe I'm just hormonal or something.  But, either way, I guess I'm going to look into it and see what the process would be like.  I actually already contacted my real estate agent and asked what her thoughts were on listing our house.  We would probably want to list our rental property as well, but it seems crazy to do that now when the housing market is still eh.  Who knows what will happen, but I will keep you all posted!!  Wish me luck!

One of Those Days...

This is definitely not DIY or decor-related content, it is really just a stream of consciousness....so I apologize in advance.....

Have you ever had a day that's so bad it makes you look at your life and re-evaluate some of your choices?  I have.  In fact...I am having a day like that today.  I am sitting at my desk at work (typing this instead of doing my job, which sounds bad, but its better than the alternative.....SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!!! <--oh, and the caps are to emphasize how loud the screaming would be)...and I can't stop wondering why I'm here.  Lately I feel like I am doing everything wrong (or at least that I am being blamed for everything that goes wrong) and that my best just isn't good enough around here.  I am not normally a self-loathing person....ok, maybe just a little....but in this case I feel as though it is warranted.  I'm tired of the bureaucracy, I'm tired of trying my best and getting nothing in return, and most of all, I'm just tired of pretending that this is my career.  Seriously, what am I doing here?

I started out at college as a graphic design major but after taking an elective Political Science course my first semester, I felt the spark to go to law school.  I changed my major the first day of second semester freshman year before even giving graphic design a chance.  Maybe it was a professor (Mr. Tolley, to be specific) and his down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to teaching (and NO....nothing like that.....you guys have dirty minds....), or the idea of fighting for justice in a corrupt society, or even the idealistic notion that I could change the world.  Who knows what made me do it, but I spent the next 3 years or so pouring over legal tomes and counting down the days to law school.  It only took a semester working for a big Boston law firm to realize that maybe law school wasn't right for me though.  I continued working there for a few years in a few different departments (and met my husband there, actually), but couldn't shake the fact that I chose the wrong path.  And, of course, instead of admitting that, I just searched for alternative ways to apply my major to a different career.  Political science is definitely not useless outside of the legal world, but it is predominantly where graduates end up.  So that's where I went.  And that's where I am today.  A paralegal.  I have been in the industry for almost 7 years now and I have no idea where the time went.  How did I let it go so long?

So, to wrap up this little tangent, my point is that I feel a little lost.  This is not what I want to be doing with my life and I am the only one that can change that.  I loved graphic design back then, and I still love it now, so I think that's where I am headed.  I have always been a creative person (at least that is what the teachers always told me....which probably meant that I spent more time doodling in my notebooks than listening to their lessons...but you say tomato...) so it's worth a shot.  I am done pretending that this is what I want and I'm tired of taking the easy-way out.  And that's really what it boils down to.  I have been too lazy the last 7 years to change my life.  Maybe a little scared too, but mostly lazy.  This was easy.  I was always good at it, so I didn't have to try, but what kind of life is that?  I want to be challenged.  I want to be creative and I want to do something more with my life.  Starting today....

But I'm not quite sure where to start.  I want to buy some software and take some courses, but I should probably set up an LLC before doing either of those so that I can write them off my taxes (at least my education taught me that).....and I need to look into printing vendors and ways to advertise.....and how to create a website (other than a blog) to attract customers.  I want to design stationary; invitations, announcements, letterhead, business cards and greeting cards, etc.  Just talking about it makes me happy.  I need to start researching this and make a change in my life.  No one else is going to do it for me, right?  Anything is possible, right?  Well, I'm going to try.  I have to, or I'm just going to keep having days like these....and I don't want to look back in another 7 years and wonder what happened.

So, what are some of your dreams?  Have you ever had a day that made you realize you were following the wrong dream?  I would love to hear about it.  Any thoughts or inspiration or even recommendations would be great.  I apologize for spilling this all on you so randomly, but I thought it would be the most appropriate place to air my future plans.  Because if I say it here, then I will really follow up on it.  I feel more accountable to you (internet) than to myself sometimes...weird, right??

Well....wish me luck!  And to any of you out there that are following your dreams, good luck and congrats!  I think it is wonderful!!  Scary, but wonderful....