Baby Boy Nursery - Part 1

Our baby nursery is finally starting to come together. I've decided to show it in parts because I'm not completely finished yet. It's a work in progress, right?

I first started blogging about this room almost two years ago. At the time, I was planning on decorating it for Sienna but life just got in the way and I never ended up doing anything with it beyond putting junk and odds and ends in there. Everyone needs a room like that in their house!

A year and a half later, it went from looking like this to this:

So much nicer and fresher!

Today I finally put some pictures up on the wall.

 I made the pendant banner with some scrapbook paper that I had on hand. I put it all together quickly with scotch tape and some twine.

I found the colouring page here. I love it because you can add whatever colours you'd like to it. What drew me to it originally was the fact that it was already the colours I was planning on using!

I found both picture frames at Jysk for $5.99 and $9.99. Not too shabby!

I still might tweak it a bit more but for the meantime I'm happy with it.

My husband has been working on shelves for that strange cubby but it's slow going. Hopefully soon since Troy's clothes have been sitting in a basket on the floor! :)

Baby Boy Nursery - Part 1

The countdown is officially on. Not that it wasn't before, but I can now count on two hands the weeks before this baby should make an appearance!

In the meantime, I still have a pretty long list of things to get done. Thankfully we have all the expensive essentials like a crib, change table, carseat, and all those little gadgets that you seem to need. Unfortunately, I have only bought one onesie for him. This child might be naked for a while. (Just kidding!)

My sister's helped me out the other week and transformed Sienna's current room from the dark dingy colour it was before to this beautiful colour!

Olympic "Secret Passage"

It's a nice silvery grey which will go with pretty much anything.

In case you're stuck on what colour the room was before, let me remind you... Waaaay back when we first started blogging, I said that I was going to redo this room. One year later, we're starting...

The room still needs quite a bit of work. I tried to get two panorama views of what it looks like right now.

The view from the doorway. 

The view from the back of the room.

Here's the breakdown of what still needs to happen in the next 8 weeks:

- paint the room
- organize the closet and move all of Sienna's things to her room with Bella
- get a new dresser and paint it a fun colour (thank goodness it's garage sale season!)
- find some curtains that I like
- organize the change table so it's more efficient
- add some fun decorating elements like a new rug, artwork, shelves etc.

It seems a little overwhelming right now, but hopefully I'll get a lot of help! A few trips to Target and Ikea might need to happen in the next little while, as well as hitting up the clothing sales for little boys.

Do any of you have some great ideas for what I can do with this room? Any awesome decorating or organizing tips? It might be my preggo brain, but I seem to be stuck with any inspiration! Give me your input!

Doing Nothing Is Okay

I haven't really been up to any DIY in the last few weeks. I would love to say that I've been to the thrift store and found some great deals for some great projects. I even look at all the pretty pictures that other people have posted, it just hasn't happened.

I have tried spring cleaning for a few days but I'm pretty sure that cleaning with two toddlers while being 6 months pregnant is a recipe for disaster. While cleaning the other day, I had one kid crying, while the other one was trying to climb on my back and after 15 minutes, I was exhausted and gave up.  My house remains a disaster area.

I'm hoping once all the winter storm warnings have passed (yes, we're still getting snow here in Ontario), I'll have a bit more energy. Probably not though. I'm not holding my breath!

I have started on a few baby blankets for this new little mister:

Find the tutorial from here

We've also done a bit of nail painting around here:

At some point I'll get my DIY groove back. I'm looking forward to that day, in the meantime I'll try to tackle my house one room at a time and enjoy my time with having "just girls".

Tea parties anyone?

Navy Stripes Galore

Since it's still -10 around these parts, I'm still in the mood to knit and crochet. Usually around May, I get out of it and start doing more sewing instead but it's too stinkin' cold. I did see a robin today though.. maybe spring will come!

I haven't finished any other big or small renovations on my house lately. The most I've been trying to do is get my kids to sleep, stay on top of the dishes, and maybe finish a few presents I've been working on.

This is my latest project:

Baby blankets are the easiest thing in the world to knit or crochet and because they're so small, they don't take much time and are perfect for my short attention span.

I decided to keep it simple and make the whole thing in navy and cream and I love how it turned out. I used a stitch called the woven stitch. It's perfect if you're just learning how to crochet because it only uses a single crochet and a chain stitch.

If you want to make one of your own follow these directions here. They're pretty easy to follow!

Any good plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to catch up on a bit of sleep, see my hubby for a bit, get together with some friends for some fun and hopefully get out to enjoy some sun!

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Hits the Spot

I finally made a sweet little mobile for the kids' room. I decided to cut out arrows from the same pack of paper that I used to make the pendant banner that is hanging over the crib. Hence the title of this post. I am saving you from the many other puns that are floating around in my head...not enough space, not enough time. 

But back to the mobile... 

It is a little crooked. I know that. But the little arrows hanging down make up for the lopsidedness. So cute. And it really doesn't look that lopsided in person. 

I started with a plain embroidery hoop, string and arrows that I cut out using my Cricut. 

I plugged in my little pink hot glue gun and just glued the arrows to the string. Easy peasy. 

Then I hung it up over the change table. 

Cute right? 

Now all it needs is a little baby lying on that change table. Come on baby!

Happy weekend! 

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Cold Winter Blahs and Some News

We are officially smack dab in the middle of our Canadian winter. Last week we had -25 weather and this week it's a little "warmer".. Only -5! Ridiculous right?!

I'm definitely ready for some spring around here! For some spring flowers to start blooming. To just be able to run out the door without having to take 30 minutes to bundle up the kids in coats, boots and mittens. I miss my cute ballet flats!

Spring 2012. My little cuties showing some sisterly love.

There is one other tiny reason that I'm wanting it to come soon, a reason that is growing every day even though I can't see it...

Yep! There is going to be a new little one joining us at the beginning of July!

I'm looking forward to meeting this new little one who is going to change our family for the better. In the meantime, I'm taking lots of naps (or trying to!) and eating as healthy as possible which as not as easy as it could be since this baby makes me crave extremely random and unhealthy foods.

In a just a few, very short weeks, I'll be able to snuggle Heidi's little baby! I may have already started a pile of homemade things.. Maybe. :)

Baby Blanket Groove

This week I've been back into my crocheting groove. If there is such a thing. I have a few presents for friends that I've been trying to whip up.

I started working on this blanket on Monday night and I'm about halfway done. Since I couldn't decide on just one colour that I loved, I decided to use three different kinds of purple yarn with a white band joining them all. Since the blanket is for a little girl, I made the blanket with a lace pattern.

Girly, yet warm enough to cuddle up with! I'll pair it with a few other things and be all set to go. The only problem I'm having is whether or not I should add a white trim around the whole blanket.

White trim or no? I can never decide those things...

If you're wanting a pattern, just let me know :)

Banners, Cheap Frames, and Happy Art

Sloooowly but surely I am getting things checked off my mental list because this baby is coming in *here's hoping* five weeks. 

 Here we are, with the baby, as usual, leaning as far over to the right side of my stomach as possible.

I unpacked a small package of teeny tiny newborn diapers on Monday and put them away beside Gavin's huge diapers. That was a reality check! Gavin was even impressed by the small size of the diapers. 

On Monday, I made and hung up a pendant banner over the baby's crib, which is still Gavin's crib as of right now. What is it about banners that just make a room happier? 

 If you look closely, you can see my sweet, sick little baby settling down for a nap to get feeling better! Which is also why this picture is terrible quality. Sorry about that. 

I made the banner with scrapbook paper and threw in some pink tones too, since we don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl. 

Gavin and I also made a quick stop at one of my favourite thrift stores and found these two wooden frames for $1.69 each! Perfect for some happy art that will be hung up on Gavin's side of the room. 

 You can find the Baa, Baa, Black Sheep printable here and You are my sunshine printable here

I am still on the hunt for more frames for Gavin's side of the room, so I'll be doing that in the next couple of weeks, plus finding a couple of baby sleepers for the hospital, packing my bag, cleaning, making a mobile for over the change table, and oh ya...taking a nap or two. :) 

 (via) 

Winnie the Pooh is so wise...

Shared Room Progress

Like I promised, I have a few pictures to show you the progress that I've been doing in the kids' bedroom. Not a lot of progress, equals two pictures. But hey! Progress is progress considering I've been finally fighting the cold that has been floating around this area. *blech* 

I found the cutest free printables from The Handmade Home. When I decorated the room for Gavin, I had a theme of owls. It was really cute, but I didn't want to have a theme this time around. More like an electic mish mash of cuteness. Or is that a theme?

Over the change table, I hung up a round plastic mirror that was stored in a closet and hung up two rustic meets metal shelves. Right now some of Gavin's memorabilia are resting on the shelves, but eventually I'll get some other things up there. 

I also would like to try my hand at making a simple mobile for above the changing area. Melody made a beautiful one for Gavin before he was born, which I hung over his crib, but unfortunately, once Gavin started standing up, he would pull on it and now the mobile looks like it has gone through the war. I'll be saving some of the parts of the mobile and hopefully using them on his side of the room though. 

Hopefully once this sickness is booted out of this house, I'll be able to round up some of that "nesting instinct" and keep on decorating the room. 

Until then, Happy Weekend! 

A Thrifty Hamper

I have started to do a little decorating/moving things around in Gavin and the baby's room this week. I know that I gave you some ideas a while ago for shared bedrooms and I'm finally getting around to implementing some of those ideas. 

I appreciated those who gave advice on transitioning Gavin into a "big boy bed" before the baby is born. This past weekend, Jesse got started building Gavin a toddler sized bed that is close to the ground. I can't wait to show you pictures once it's all complete! 

One thing I will show you today is a very simple project that I did to a hamper that I bought for Gavin's room a while back from a thrift store. 
It started out plain and that's the way it has been for a year and a half. 

Nesting instincts kicked in though and I decided to jazz it up a little. A little glue and some scrapbooking paper, I was at phase one. 

I found some blue paint and gave it a coat around the edges and top to finish it off. 

This thrifty hamper went from drab to something a little friendlier on the eyes. 

On Friday, I plan on showing you a few more things that I've been doing to the children's bedroom. Slow and steady wins the race! 

{Ideas} A Shared Bedroom

When we first found out I was expecting again, one of my first thoughts was, "How are we going to fit two kids into Gavin's tiny bedroom?"

This is pretty much the size of the bedroom. Two angles. Tiny. 

Once the baby is born, it will be sleeping in our bedroom for the first little while in a bassinet that has been passed down through my family from baby to baby. Everyone from my dad to Faith's newest daughter has slept in this bassinet. 

When that no longer works, the plan as it stands right now, is to look for a small toddler sized bed (a classic style; nothing themed and plastic) for Gavin and the baby can then have the crib. The rocking chair will have to go and things will have to be moved around like a jigsaw puzzle, but I think it will work. The only thing I'm nervous about is moving Gavin too quickly into a toddler bed, but we will reach that hill when we get to it. 

I've been doing some 'research' on Pinterest for decorating ideas for shared bedrooms. Since we don't know what gender this baby is, I'm not going to do anything to the room until after he/she is born. But it's always fun to plan and dream! 
Here are some ideas that I've been loving: 
(as always, please don't 'pin' from this blog post. You can click on the picture and it will take you to the original site! Thank you!)

via Houzz

If the baby is a boy, I love this theme with the outdoors and rustic feel: 

via Lay Baby Lay

If the baby is a girl, I wouldn't mind to throw some coral on her side of the room: 

 via Lay Baby Lay

 These next bedrooms have several different elements that I am loving: 

1. Memories on a chicken wire frame, via Life Made Lovely
2. Pallet feature wall behind the change table, via Owen's Olivia
3. Whimsical wall art, via Little Lovelies 

4. A great place to play and sleep, via Elle Decor 

5. Vintage barn and toys, via The Boo and the Boy

So although my nesting instincts are not able to decorate a new nursery for this new little one right now, I can still gather ideas and dream of a place where our two children can sleep, play, and grow.

If you have more than one child, I want to know if your children share a bedroom? How do you tackle the design/functionality of the space? 

 

Turning One Dress

This Saturday, my little baby is turning one. I can't believe it! Where did the year go? Now she's walking and babbling and has a little personality all her own. I love her so much!

I decided I wanted to make her a special dress for her first birthday. I ordered the fabric from fabric worm (love them!) and decided on the dress that I wanted to make. I have a McCall pattern that lets you customize your dress and I've probably made about 8 different dresses from this pattern. It was definitely worth the money!

The dress that I made has sweet little cap ruffle sleeves (who doesn't love ruffles?!) and is lined for extra warmth. I made the length Shirley Temple length so we could see those sweet, chubby knees of hers.

Instead of adding a zipper like the pattern suggested, I covered some buttons with the same fabric and added them on instead.

I couldn't get any good pictures of her in the dress since she's just discovered walking and is lightning fast but look at those cute ankles!

The total cost of the dress was $10. Not too shabby! I find it's always cheaper to make dresses than buy them. Plus you get to customize!

Has anyone tried Heidi's recipe for pumpkin spice lattes yet? I was in Starbucks today and they had run out of the flavouring!! I might have to try that recipe tonight :)