I'm pregnant! :o)

I haven't posted in quite a while, but there's a reason!  I'm pregnant!  Yay!  I know that shouldn't stop me from blogging, but since I hadn't shared the news with family and friends, I really couldn't blog anything honestly!  I couldn't blog about spray painting this or that since I had to give that up... and I really couldn't blog about how tired and crabby I've been... or how nauseous I've been... it's hard to blog at ALL when you've got a big secret! ;)  But the secret's OUT, so I'm back (well, sort of!).  I've got a very hectic two weeks ahead because of work stuff, doctor's appointments gallore, etc.... so I'll be back in a few weeks.  So... about the baby....

So exciting... scary... overwhelming!  We're expecting in March, so I am thrilled!  With a toddler in tow already, they'll be a little over 2 and a half years apart.  I am very, very happy that it's less than 3 years!  I'm praying for this child already.  I'm also praying that my firstborn will welcome this baby with open arms, will love him or her, and will be nothing less than elated to have a sibling.  After the miscarriage last November, I do constantly worry about this baby, but I know God's in complete control.  It's early to announce, but He's got my family in His hands and I trust Him completely.  I've dedicated this child to Him already and I know in my heart this baby belongs to Him regardless.   

God, I thank you for this miracle you're working in me.  I need your strength to get me through each day.  God help me shake off my laziness and embrace a life of order.  I know that I cannot raise two children in chaos.  Give us a renewed strength to finish our home remodel and get the house in order before this child arrives.  You promised us You'd not put more on us that we can bear.  I trust that this child is coming in Your perfect timing and that You will provide all we need to set things in perfect order when the time is just right.  God, fill me with a brand new desire to make this house a sanctuary for my family.  You know my heart's desires: to get my family on a schedule (not just my children), to ease the burdens my husband carries, and to prepare my son for this new arrival.  Please order my steps and guide me in this process.  Grant me wisdom, strength, and grace to get me through the next 7 months of preparation.  I am forever gratefully Yours.

Everybody Clap Your Hands

I'm on a bit of a blogging hiatus.  It wasn't intentional, just kind of happened.  I know every blogger has their lulls but this is my first.  I've got projects going left and right, and I've got a lot to say about a lot of things, but I just can't seem to get it together in a "bloggable" way if that makes any sense.  I may not have words, but I always have a Sunday Song on my heart.  Enjoy!

My Favorite Painting

When the hubs and I got married, my parents gave me this painting as a wedding gift.  I've adored the painting since childhood.  I first saw it in a copy of one of my mother's Victoria magazines when I was probably 12 years old.  I cut the image out and hung it in my room.  It's still my favorite painting.  I thought I'd share it with you.   

Portrait of My Daughters by F.W. Benson, 1907 

The artist painted his three daughters.  I love that they are actually sisters because it reminds me of myself and my two sisters (I'm the youngest, so I'd be the one in the middle).  If they had an older brother pictured with them, it would be even better.  I know it's not really my family portrait or anything, but I have always felt bad that my brother isn't "pictured".  We'll just say he was out sailing that day.  :)

My print is in a goldish frame with a very mauvish gold-trimmed mat (it was lovely... in 1999), so I am working on updating it a little.  I still can't decide where to put it, but it's definitely getting a proper home here somewhere... and soon!

I need a vacation. Period.

I've been dreaming of a vacation.  Daily.  For 3 years.  It's been that long since we've taken a real vacation.  It was also around that time we finished up the year-long weekend demolition on the remodel, sold our first house, and began the grueling task of putting the remodel back together. Since then, our "vacations" have all been "stay-cations" involving a lot of work on the house.  Things like contracting the plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and drywall.  Installing the hardwoods, ceramic tile, endless paiting, etc. ourselves.  So, what's happened in 3 years?  Let's see.  I took a new job, got pregnant, had a baby, and the hubs took a new job (a very demanding one, at that).  He hasn't been home before 9:30pm all week.  Saturdays are used to unwind, recharge, and plan for the week ahead.  I can't expect him to work on the house when he's worked so hard all week.  Sundays we get about 3 hours together.  We all know life just happens and how plans change at every turn.  It's life.  We will probably get some time off this fall - finally!  Will we take off for that much needed getaway?  Doubtful.  We'll probably use the time to work on the house.  Again.  It's the "right" thing to do.  Perhaps we can hire out a few things while we install the last 4 rooms of hardwoods.  Perhaps we'll be close to finishing this remodel by then.  We really need a week to work.  It makes sense and it's the logical choice, but it sure is depressing!  I need time away!  A real vacation.  I have to get out of this house!  My office outside the home used to be my little corner of peace in the world.  A finished space that I could control.  Keep clean.  And organized.  Working from home this year has been a challenge.  It's hard to look around at this unfinished mess every day and focus on work.  It's also hard to have a toddler and focus on house stuff, work stuff, or anything else for that matter.  But coming home to an unfinished house after a week away would be equally as depressing.  It's a hard pill to swallow, but I think the answer is really to stay here and work on the house.  Sometimes doing what's best and what's right isn't necessarily fun or exciting. 

Either way, I can't wait to have the hubs all to myself for an entire week.  No work.  Just the three of us enjoying time together.  Regardless if it's a real vacation or just hanging out here working again at the messie house, whatever we're doing - it will be time together and I'm looking forward to that.  I just hope I can keep it together until then!

Mascara + a 20 month old = a black eye.

Just in case I didn't make myself clear yesterday, I'm not perfect.  This is what happens when you leave a 20 month old to his own devices for even 5 minutes.  I checked, and believe it or not?  My mascara is right where I left it.  Where he found this one, I still can't figure out!  He's super smart, though.  At least he was applying it in the right spot!  See those lashes? ;) 

PS, I must tell you that the marks on his neck are from a skin condition that his doc is treating.  And the yellowish spot in the center of his forehead is a healing knot from a fall over the weekend.  My poor baby! :(  And yes, his face is dirty (beyond the obvious mascara).  Two words: BBQ chicken.  And yes, he enjoyed it. :)

Parenthood: A TV-related Confession

Image Source: NBC.com

I posted a while back about my lack of cable, satellite, and other TV-related luxuries.  I also told you that we don't even have a set of rabbit ears.  In the process of emphasizing how frugal we are, I think I made us sound like we don't watch TV.  So sorry about that.  I had a couple of people email me to congratulate me for my honorable level of self-discipline.  Eek.  I really feel the need to clear that up.  I have NO self-discipline.  I do watch entirely too much TV.  I refuse to tell you how many TV shows I watch online.  It's like a proper lady telling her age.  You just don't tell these sorts of things.  I tell myself with each cancelled show that I won't pick up a new one.  I never listen.  This past year, I completely lost myself in the new series Parenthood.  Ugh.  Fabulous.  Love this show.  Love all the characters.  I won't miss an episode this coming season, the day after they actually air (the only drawback to NOT having those rabbit ears... but the upside is the commercials are much shorter).  Anyway.  I am cheap.  I don't have cable.  But I do watch TV.  Too much.  Cable would be a really bad move.  With all the primetime "regular" TV I watch, I dare say cable would put me in the sick category of TV addiction.  It's better for me that we're frugal, seriously.  I try to keep things in check, but I do have my guilty pleasures.  TV is probably the biggest and most shameful on the list.  I just wanted to clear the air.  I'm just like 98% of this country and I watch far too much television.  There.  I feel better!   By the way?  For those of you who also have a love affair with all things television and missed Parenthood?  Let me tempt you with the Pilot episode. All of Season 1 is available online.  I'm just sayin'.

Trash to Treasure: 3 Down, 27 to Go

In an effort to continue the Trash to Treasure Mission, I present Item 3:  an old mirror/medicine cabinet combo...

The thing is ridiculously heavy.  Here's part of the reason why:

I was dreading this, but it turned out so easy.  I just took out 5 screws holding the cabinet on from the hinged side and the cabinet came right off.  And it's still ridiculously heavy.  I cleaned it a little and installed hanging wire.  I am determined to get it on the wall.  Yesterday.

The photo actually doesn't look that bad, but the frame is plastic and some of the brassy finish is gone. I love the oval shape, so it's definitely going in my half bath.  My pedestal sink isn't even installed.  I do not care.  I'm so tired of looking at blank walls.  I know it's not painted.  I do not care.  It's going up.  As is.  Love it or love it.  ;)  I measured for the pedestal, sink, and faucet.  It's as good as I can get it at this point.  I'm sure it will be fine. 

I'll paint the frame as soon as I figure out the decor direction for the bathroom.  I don't want to waste time and money on a paint color that I won't love for the completed bathroom.  Just doesn't make sense.  Since it's in the half bath inside the guest bedroom and I have no idea what decor I'm going with there, I just really want to wait.  The positives:  1) I have a blank canvas; 2) I have a mirror to use when the sink goes in; 3) I've got something else OUT of storage; 4) I've got something else ON the wall. 

I'm calling it done for the sake of my Trash to Treasure mission.  It's my mission, so I make the rules.  ;)  If I'm going to finish this mission by the end of the year - I have to speed it up.  There's more items than weeks left in the year!

Wedding Photos: Update in progress!

My wedding photos bring back so many memories!  I'm proud to say that nearly 12 years later, I still adore my dress and I'd so wear it again (well, more importantly, I still adore my husband and I'd so marry him again)!  The only thing I'd change about my wedding if I were planning it today?  It would be outdoors in the early Spring, the flowers would be from a field somewhere, and I'd so get jiggy with it at an outdoor BBQ reception.  Our church frowns on dancing at wedding receptions.  :(  So, on to the point:  I've been working on my wedding photo project for a while now.  I hung this grouping in the hallway of our first house right after we got married in all their brass-and-cherry-framed loveliness.  I haven't decided where the bridal portrait will go, so for now I'm just concentrating on the other two photos.  I painted the ivory/gold mats white and the cherry/gold frames black, and I changed the color photos out to black and white.  Here's the black and white version (sorry about the glare):

I've had this console table in storage for years (couldn't pass up the clearance item... this was the old me) and I've finally found a home for it (the new me).  I was happy to discover that after years of storage and two moves, the mirror and glass table top are both still in tact, nothing is broken! And the clearance item which had been opened and returned was missing no parts! I do love the table and the lamp, but I'm not that crazy about the faux leather lamp shade and the crackled brown table top.

  Here's the work in progress:

I'm still working on the table top and the lamp shade, so I'll be posting the "after" soon, I hope. Stay "tuned"! ;)

Are We Teaching the Truth in Love?

This week's Sunday Song.  Enjoy.

FOCUS!

I was scrambling like a mad woman around the house getting ready for an appointment today.  You see, we hardly leave the house, so it's a huge undertaking for me.  Very stressful.  I couldn't find one of my shoes (which little one is well known to drag from one end of the house to the other) and he says to me, "FOCUS!"  When I'm frazzled and I forget what I'm doing, I stop and clap one good time, super loud like some kind of goofball and say, "Focus, Carrie... what are you looking for? Focus!"  As in, "You can do this.  Pull yourself together!"  I have to pep talk myself through stuff sometimes.  Scratch that.  All the time. 

So, anyway - my baby knows me well enough to say, "Focus." I so love it.

Trash to Treasure: 2 Down, 28 to Go

Sort of.  In an effort to continue my Trash to Treasure Mission for all my JUNK, here's the progress on Item 2:

That old bench.

Here's where I wanted it to land:  in my makeshift entryway as you walk in the back entrance through the sunroom.  The back door is our front door since it's where we park.  The coat/key rack is from my old house.  I figured they'd both look better in white. 

Here's a sneak peek, after priming and reupholstering.  I know.  Blah.  These certainly aren't the items I would have chosen if I were on a catalog buy-whatever-you-want-dear budget, but I am committed to making do with what I have.  Even though he'd probably let me get by with it, I really think I've spent quite enough of my hard working honey's money on the remodel.

I guess I'll be honest and tell you that's only primer and the "seat" is just sitting on top so it needs to be screwed to the base once I finish the final coats of paint.  I'm just out of paint and too impatient not to go ahead and post the after.  I'll also tell you that this is my first upholstery project, I'm far too lazy to hunt down all your fabulous how-to's, so I just went with it.  And yes, you can tell.  ;)  I totally put packing foam around the seat to keep the fabric from slipping... and to give it more cushion... and it worked.  I'll also tell you that fabric set me back $5 and I feel really guilty since I don't love it.  I totally settled and I feel a redo coming on.  It may grow on me.  Whatever.  I'll give it some time. 

I know it's poorly staged, but it is what it is, folks.  We're remodeling and it's not always pretty in the process.  We've still got to level the concrete and we've got tons of painting to do.  Always something to do.  Always.  Anyway, it's nearly done but I'll be sure to take another picture after I get the final coat of paint on, the hooks installed, and the bench seat attached.  That post will be much less painful, I promise!  For now, it's nice to have a square foot of peace in the sea of chaos.

I'm linking to these fabulous parties!

Trash to Treasure: 1 Down, 29 to Go

I am so ready to tackle the big pile of junk I showed you back in June.  There were 30 photos, not counting the duplicates, so I'm calling it 30 items for the sake of simplicity.  I'm committing to use, redesign, repurpose, or revamp the majority of my prized junk (hopefully all 30 items!).  So many of the items intimidate me, so I thought I'd start small.  Very small.  So here it is folks.  Here's my first measly attempt.

Item 1:  Ugly Basket.

I have a gazillion baskets in my house already.  I didn't want another one.  I was tempted to trash it.  Now, I know you're expecting paint.  I was, too.  But no.  I decided to just clean it up and put it in a closet.  When the occassion might strike, I'd have one ready to use.  And it hit me several days later.  All those little items (envelopes, half-eaten bags of crackers, almost empty bags of this or that) that kind of just wind up scattered - they could sure use a home.  So...

Ta da!  After:

I think it actually "goes" as is, so yay!  While I realize this is hardly a "post worthy" accomplishment, I really can't help it. I'm accountable and I'm committed, durnnit.  At least it's been rescued from the junk pile, cleaned, and is now being used! 

That's 1 down and 29 to go!  Lord help me - I'd really like to get the rest finished (among all my other ongoing projects) by the end of the year.  Ugh.  Lots of work ahead!

I'm linking to these fabulous parties!

What's Working for Me: Blogging It Out

This first year of my 30's has been a year of complete and total change.  I began working from home, my baby turned into a toddler, I lost a pregnancy, I let go of some old habits and I picked up some new ones.  One of those new habits is blogging.  I dove into it.  Head first. 

Blogging?  Really?  I realize blogging is "so 2001", but it's not about popularity.  It's about What's Working For Me, regardless if it's "in" or "out".  A boatload of people are still doing it (and doing it very well), so it's not completely dead yet, I don't think. 

I love to write.  Blogging is new to me, but writing is definitely not.  I've always kept random journals.  I have gobs of articles and essays that I've written out of pure pleasure.  I've always looked at everyday situtations and thought to myself, "I've got to write about this when I get home."  I carry a journal in my car or in my bag for all those moments, thoughts, or stories I didn't want to forget to write about.  I always have a notebook with me.  Always.  Usually spiral bound, tattered, and full of the most random thoughts you could possibly imagine.  Blogging didn't make me want to WRITE.  I've always wanted to do that.  It DID make me want to take more pictures in the process, though!  That's for sure. 

Are you THAT into yourself? A lot of people say that blogging is narcissistic. I do sort of get that. I guess the truth is, I am sort of consumed with myself right now. I'm 30. Scared to death about it. Who am I? Who I want to become? What is my calling? What kind of wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend do I want to be? Frankly, it does sound like I'm a bit self-absorbed. I guess there's a season for everything. My season right now happens to pretty much be about me. Narcissitic or not, I think my heart's in the right place. I think everybody needs a good self-examination every now and then. I'm just in an especially messie state, so the process is taking a lot longer than I anticipated.

Why?  It takes little effort for me blog because I love to write, but I don't actually blog about the stuff I usually write about (religion, politics, love, letters, articles, journals).  I REALLY BLOG to make myself ACCOUNTABLE.  One of my goals for turning 30 was getting out of my messie-ness.  I want to work through these issues I have before my child is old enough to remember the slob version of his mama.  I also want to be sure he doesn't turn into a slob because of my influence.

Blogging & Blog Following...

What I've Learned. 

It's addictive.

It's time consuming.

It's motivating.

It's encouraging.

It's inspiring.

Comments are like drugs. :-)

I am the WORST photographer.

How It's Improved Me.

I'm more aware of my time.

I see the junk around me in an entirely different light.

I'm becoming more frugal by the minute.

My goals are becoming more tangible.

My Goals.  (A Very Broad Version.)

To make my home a sanctuary.

To finish our home renovation.

To decorate my home beautifully and frugally.

To buy less STUFF.  Period.

To be more organized.

To have the family on a schedule, not just my child.

Why do you blog?  I'd love to hear about it.

Monday is always a mess!

{1}  The weekend was a blur.  Saturday was spent running errands and Sunday we visited family, so my house looks like a tornado came through.  I don't think I have a single drinking glass clean.  Not one.

{2}  I did work some this weekend, so I'm so excited I've condensed my work to-do's from 71 tasks (a few weeks back) down to 9.  NINE.  Only 9.  Wow.  A few of those are 9 really detailed, painfully tedious projects that will stretch out for months.  Several are 2 or 3-day projects.  I'm hoping I can at least keep it below 15 this week with the new stuff coming in.  Whew.

{3}  I'm also very excited that I got something done around the house this weekend.  Check out my fireplace!  I still need to finish my bench and my foyer table, though.  My personal to-do lists (broken down by category of course), have accumulated to well over 100 now.  It wears me out to update it, but I do enjoy marking things off!

{4}  I've got several appointments this week and several to-do's that MUST get done, too. 

{5}  I don't mean to depress anyone, but it's been a tough year.  Had it not been for my miscarriage, I'd be basking in the sweet sound of my newborn baby's cry for the last couple of weeks.  God has another plan and I'm happy to wait him out, but for the last 7 months, my belly has felt so empty.  Now my arms feel empty.  Thankfully, God has been merciful and has kept my heart full.  I still have peace and joy unspeakable.  I also have a son who, unknowingly, helped bring me through one of my life's greatest difficulites.  He gives the best kisses and the biggest hugs in the world.  I'm so grateful for the blessings in my life! 

Join Carissa at Lowercase Letters for...

Fireplace Art, Before & After

Okay, I thought I loved it before.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I just liked it.  NOW I LOVE IT.  I painted a design on each of the four panes on my fireplace doors.  I used a stencil and then hand painted additional coats.  I left it a little rough around the edges to give it a more vintage feel.  I was going for wrought-iron or old world.  Fancy yet simple.  I think it's fabulous.  Here's how it turned out...

Here's how the fireplace started out when we bought the house...

After paint...

And here's how the insert has come along...

Painted the brass black...

Hung the burlap curtain...

And now, the artwork is done...

Still a lot of work to do to the fireplace, but in the meantime - I am enjoying the part that IS finished!

I'm Linking to These Fabulous Parties!

Master Bedroom Remodel Progress

Since I showcased the closet progress this week, I thought I'd share the progress we've made on the master bedroom since buying the house. 

Here's the original royal blue shag carpet and sad navy patterned wallpaper.  The original closets were built about 16 inches too deep, which ate into valuable floor space in the room.  They were also covered with actual doors that robbed us of additional floor space when opened.  A wall divided the two closets.  With so much WRONG, we gutted it completely and started over.

During...

Now (sort of - we're working on the closets, of course).  We still need to install the bi-fold doors. 

This was one of my biggest issues with the room: the 3 weird windows.  One tiny one to the far left for an A/C and 2 weirdly high, weirdly sideways windows.

Much demolition and framing later... 2 normal windows.  Our queen sized bed fits between the windows and on the other side of the room (in the closet pictures above).  Our flooring gets darker each month with sunlight (yay!), so we rearrange our furniture often. 

The windows made a huge difference to the exterior, too.

Another weird thing about the bedroom was the getting to it part.  There were 5 steps - all different heights, mind you.  I think the crew that built this master suite addition were all high.

So, to get the stairs to code (you know, equal step dimensions with the same rise and run for each step?), here's the work our contractor did to get it there.

And here they are now, in desperate need of paint and stain.

Another weird thing.  I know - how much weird can we take here?  There were 2 odd closet-type areas complete with actual doors that wasted a lot of floor space.  (The door closed in the center is entrance to the room from downstairs.)  The tiny closet to the far left was gutted and used for a new air duct.  The over-stairs storage "closet" was also gutted. 

We will use it to store our old giant TV for now (perhaps one day we'll plug it in and hook an antennae up to it!).  We'll add shelving above it at some point.  If we ever get a flat screen, we'll bring the wall forward and keep it here.

One of the decisions I'm happiest with on the bedroom renovation was the door!  We get a lot of natural light through those 2 windows and since the family room below tends to stay dark, I chose a 15-lite interior door instead of the traditional solid door.  Closed or open, the sunlight shines through!  (And yes, that's my son.  Investigating!)

We've taken a break painting, as you can see. The primer is tinted, so at least there's SOME color on the walls. The room still needs baseboards, trim, and paint everywhere!  We've made some major PROGRESS, but I hope to post an official before and AFTER soon.  :)

Linking to:  Friday Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting at Remodelaholic

Pampers Gifts to Grow - Free Bonus Points

For those who keep up with the Pampers' Gifts to Grow Points... here's some free bonus points for you.  I'll be adding to the original post as I get new codes.

Added 8/2/2010:
AUG2010FACEBOOK (10 points)


Added 7/19/2010:
WELCOME2PAMPERS (50 points)
XKCMYXFVD96VXVK (10 points)

Added 7/17/2010:
GTGTENMONTHCODE (10 points)

Added to Post on 7/16/2010:
GTGFIVEMONTHS10 (10 points)
THRIFTYMOMMYGTG (10 points)

Added to Post on 7/8/2010:
GTGGETREADYSOON (10 points)

Original Post 7/7/2010:
FACEBOOKJUL2010 (10 points)
ENJOYYOURSUMMER (10 points)
OHAMANDAAWGTG08 (10 points)
4THFACEBOOK2010 (10 points)
JOINTHEFUNGTG09 (10 points)
WELCOME2GTG2010 (10 points)
WELCOME2VILLAGE (10 points)
GTGSPRINGFREE10 (10 points)
GTGPLAY3USA2010 (30 points)
GETSTARTEDNOW10 (10 points)
25GTGSUMMER2010 (25 points)
15GTGSUMMERFUN (15 points)
GTGSUMMERFUN5PT (5 points)
GTGLEARNMORE089 (10 points)