For Butch

So I got a high five from Emily, followed by a fist pump..... and she threw in the elbows that Uncle Robert taught her at the wedding shower last week.  Oh ya she is quick and cool like that. She is my daughter after all ;)

Now, after last nights mental breakdown I am again testing my patience and getting ready to go to Emily's first Twin's game!  At least she woke up in a good mood today!!!!  This might just be doable - wish me luck!

Kisses, Meg

P.S. Love you Uncle Robert and thank you for the lovely note and we were glad to make it to the shower as well!



Update: We survived the game!!

On our way...

Walking into the park for the first time for both Em & B

Gotta love the park in the middle of the city - pretty cool if you ask me

Watching the game

And add a little cheering to the mix

Sitting with her Joe and my cousin Melissa who were lovely enough to join us!

Too much fun over there

way way too much fun

booing

and back to cheering

And who is the two year old?  ;)

Action time

Ya, I took that

And this one too

That was her ice cream cup, from lovely Melissa

It was the best thing in the world

Accessorizing

Dad's turn - might be slightly small

Rally time

Cheering after a homer

My two loves

And this is the end of the day...

So yes, we had a great time with Melissa & Joe.  Emily was great and had a fun time cheering for our twins even though they didn't quite pull through.  Emily got a cute twins hat, so life is good.


Peace

Tears at Jo Ann's Fabric

Today was one of those days... Bryan had to work late last night and till 4 today, so needless to say i am exhausted by handling my sick terrible two year old all by myself...

Not that she is completely terrible - just has the "whinny I am sick and will cry over everything and will only eat ice cream" attitude that is putting me over the edge.  And to top all that off we went to the doctor today after she woke up screaming "ooowiie" and pointing to her ear.  Yup. a lovely ear infection on top of her ugly cough and runny nose.  

Bryan was great enough to meet us at the doctor's office and we went to Noodles for some feel better macaroni.  I then took some much needed "Alone" time and headed to Jo Ann's Fabrics.

My god, there were so many people there and they all had their coupons!  All I wanted was a few sheets of felt and was going to pick up wooden letters for the new baby's nursery (they were a dollar off so I was going to save like $6) but when I saw the line, then saw the cost of the pillow inserts, I felt defeated.  Seriously no one could have conquered with their sanity in tacked.

Tried calling my mom.  She is always good in a crisis like this.  Could not get a hold of her.  So I turned to my lovely husband...

Wrong choice.  I got the "Megan,  I am trying to relax and you are just stressing me out over this."  That is when my finger accidentally hit the end call button.

I walked out and got into my car, and cried.  In front of a van full of old ladies with their knitting needles and gray hair.  I am 100% sure they saw me, cause they all had faces of pity and concern on...as well as what the hell do we do?!?!

That is when Bryan called back and apologized.  I cried some more and mentioned the fact that I had been holed up all day with out a great project taking care of a fussy baby on top of being pregnant and I just wanted a little understanding (even if it was over something insane).  

I then made my way over to Michael's in search of a small project and to try and rectify what was left of my day.  Success.  They were having their framing sale and I needed frames for the nursery I have been avoiding like no other.

I got 8 frames for $50.  Yup they were over 60% off.  I feel much better, still exhausted from the day but a little bit more mentally stable.  And I have taken a step forward with the nursery.

Speaking of the nursery I was sold on a Target set, very simple blue with brown dots, however the dust ruffle is no where to be found in stores, and shown but not available online.  I am not sure if I want to risk buying the bumper and never getting a dust ruffle to match (doesn't have to be matchy matchy- I am not that person but I want something that looks good with it...). So I might be begging my Aunt to make me a custom bumper and dust ruffle out of some vintage looking dotted chenille ...

We shall see where I end up but right now my bed seems to be calling my name.

Slightly dissapointed with Urban Outfitters :/

Okay, so as everyone knows - I have been waiting and waiting for my new bedding to show up (it was actually on time - I am just extremely impatient and one of those instant gratification people).  So when I got home after a great day at work and saw the box on my door step I was thrilled beyond belief.

So I opened the box and opened the package - and it smelled...to be expected when stuff has been packaged and such.  So straight to the washing machine my bedding went (after of course I laid it on the bed to dream and sequel- it was perfect).

So after distracting myself from staring at the clock on the washing machine and dryer by actually hanging up all the laundry I have been avoiding like the plague... it was finally done!!!!

And as I was laying it back on the bed to inspect - and find the actual insert area - I found this...

Wait it gets worse....

Told ya

So yes, as I debated whether to return it o Urban Outfitters and deal with the hassle of packing it back up, sending it and explaining that my washer in no way did this... I realized that I am lucky to return and outfit if it looks ugly and the chance of me actually going through all that work was slim to none.

Luckily I am a pro with the following:

Okay so maybe more of a pro with the no-sew fuse tape.... but lets pretend I used the thread and needle...

So yes, I was able to save the duvet cover.  And I am glad since I truly love it.  However, I would recommend to Urban Outfitters to inspect their products a little more closely before they are sent out.  If I was one of those super picky people I would have sent it right back.  The construction was a bit faulty on their seems (like they didn't have enough fabric to make it into the seems so they just made due).  I don't know if this is how most of their textiles are constructed, but I would hope that I am one odd duck out of the million who order this duvet...

Sigh...

So on to the good news... it does look great in the bedroom!  Exact look I wanted to go with the slight industrial feel!  And the cover goes great with my drop clothes curtains!!!! Who would have thought things would work out so well (of course I did - duh- winning).

Now, if I could just get rid of this darn ceiling fan...

 

So, yes I love the bedding, and know that it needs a bit of color - but that is what throw pillows are for (and I know all men are groaning right now - but really I am going to do it well). And then I will be adding 3 hanging picture frames above the bed and deciding what to do with the cream wall beside the bed - the mirror is just not working it over there anymore....

I am so excited to be so close to being done and happy with this room!  And my mind is already slowly roaming to my office/storage room.  I had the total intention of dragging my grandpa's old desk out side, sanding and painting it today after work but the laundry monster attacked and zapped me of all my energy.

Seriously it kicked my ass.

So maybe that will be tomorrow's project....

P.S.  I must have a green thumb this year.  My herbs are growing in the dollar tin cans I got from Target and the husband is impressed.  The Allium bulbs I planted last fall are popping up and growing great and all my end of the season dollar plants are budding. - Add pro gardener to the list of my accomplishments... (disclaimer- I do know I still have all of spring and summer to kill them all off one by one...) but hopefully my bulbs will soon look like this:

Happy Spring and Happy Spring Projects to you!

Update:

So after B saw how bad the tear way on the new Duvet, Bryan told me to write and email to Urban Outfitters, and I actually did - this is not in my nature at all.  Well, I wrote it on Saturday I believe, and today is Sunday and they have responded already!  I give them a gold star for customer service!  And they also gave me 10% off because I kept the damaged duvet.  But in all honesty the reply was the real reason why I will continue to shop at OU, the fact that they got back to me so fast was impressive.  I hope this was just a fluke (which I am sure it was) because I will continue to order from them and renovating my house with their quirky decor.

Thank you Urban Outfitters :)  

Lots of Trickery Going on

So my husband is the best manipulator in the world.  He can play the game like no other, get out of things like no other and can fall asleep anywhere on a moments notice.

Prime Example...

But today, I won.

I got off work a bit earlier than usual (that means I got home at 5 - I know I know lucky me).  And the day was gorgeous.  So we went out side for a bit to see out cat's new friend that followed him home and has decided that my patio is a great place to spray.  Fabulous.

But turns out he is a nice chubby gray tabby that most likely lives across the street.  This is where the trickery began....

The first step is to get Bryan outside.  Check.

(Thank you gray tabby who I will be soon sending to the vet if he continues to spray my patio...)

Second step, make sure a neighbor is outside.  Check.  

(Double check here since she noticed I was pregnant - however- she did say I was huge for being due in July - boo.)

Third step, grab the rake and start pretending to rake.

Fourth step, wait for Bryan to realize that this could make him look bad in front of neighbors.

Why yes, the result of this trickery was a completely raked yard.  I win.  Bryan did not realize till the end my plot. Yes the player got played and our yard looks amazing minus the green grass (which will come here soon).

So yes, he does think he is off the hook for this weekend's project which I have yet to decide on. Silly silly man.  But on to some other good news... I have been tracking my bedding and it will be here on Friday.  I am so tempted to call in "sick" on Friday just to meet it at the door.  But since Friday is one of my most productive days... I might just not do that.

I am still tempted to paint the desk... and Bryan does have to work on Saturday so I might just take advantage of him being "not available" to give his two cents on the paint color....  

Oh yeah, I am that evil.

Today was a good day!

So I have be slightly struggling with patience at work lately...and coming home complaining to B quite a bit.  He got tired of it.  He gave me good advice, he usually does and this time I took it.

It played out well.  He congratulated me on entering the man's world and playing the game as it should be played.  To tell you the truth - it went against ever grain of my being - and I was really nervous about it.  But wall-a it turns out I am amazing, and this move is good for everyone at work and at home!

And Bryan's response "See, doesn't it feel better than bitching about it?" and in truth it does.  And it makes me less annoying at work and moves me farther away from the whinny girl who complains about everything and does nothing about it (disclaimer: I still whine - lets get real - but I am trying to improve slightly).

So yes, today went well for me! And it went well for B too!  Hopefully I can share that bit of news later this week, if and when it is official.


On to other bit of good news....I have been reading the "Black Dagger Brotherhood" series by JR Ward (remember the scandalous Vampire books I told you about?) and my good friend who has been lending me the books said she would have the next 3 next week for me!!!! I am so thrilled beyond words. Another score for the day.  Remember... I did remind you that this series is quite scandalous, steamy way way past Twilight and the virginity theme, way past Sookie Stackhouse so just be warned ;) 

And on top of all that - the snow is almost gone!!! Emily has gotten to play outside at daycare and I think it is going to save my sanity.  Now I just want the trees to start blooming, the flowers to grow and someone to build me a fence for free so I can get one of these:

But Bryan wants one of these:

In all reality it is probably going to be the first dog that shows up on our doorstep looking pathetic and needing a home.  I am a sucker for strays... but have yet to steal a dog like my sister...however I am slightly tempted to steal my neighbors dog (the poor thing always runs out into the road, is getting yelled at and is named "princess",  it would be the humane thing to do...just to rename it at least)...but that might be a little obvious.


But I hope everyone's Monday treated them just as well!
 

Fancy Felt

So while I wait patiently for my bedding from Urban Outfitters.... okay patiently is not how I would exactly describe it buuuuut... 

Just a reminder and just another reason for me to look at it again

I have to come up with a good way to introduce some color to my new fabulous new room... so I have been googling again and found a new love.  Felt pillows.  Now I know there are the fabulous DIYers that will be creating their pillows from scratch - sewing, stuffing, adding fancy zippers and stuff but I plan to just cheat.

Yes I am a cheater, and I cheated on my senior calculus final - but I promise that is the most major thing I have ever cheated on (god I feel so dirty sharing that - go ahead and judge - the guilty feeling is already flooding back).  So yes, if their is a short cut in life that might just make mine a little bit more fabulous (but is not illegal) I am going to take it.  I have a two year old after all and I am not super mom, super woman or flat out super...or even famous...sigh.

But back to next weeks project....(shhh don't tell Bryan he is starting to catch on to my trend of a project a week).  I am going to try to make/knockoff/replicate some of the following pillows:

 

 

Deep dark secret, I do have a sewing machine that I haven't visited in ages...

 

 

This one will most likely be by hand...wish me luck

May or may not make the cut...not sure

Love the texture

How can I not?

Soft grey background, with light yellow waves?

And this one, just in case the pillows don't quite end up finished ... at least I can have this one for my lovely husband.

But, I am sure you are thinking - really Megan, you really think you can do all that?  This is where my short cut comes in.... Ikea.  I will be buying the pillow inserts from them and hopefully some pillow covers that I will then add my fabulous-ness to. TADA. EASY. I just have to cut felt and sew them on!

So I think this is one way I am going to add a bit of girly-ness back into my bedroom... and crystal knobs on my dresser and nightstands - already got the okay to do that - I know I know this may not seem like a major win but it is.  I have a husband who said the duvet cover at the top looked too girly... uh huh.  It was about the most ungirly thing I could find...


I have also decided to start cleaning out the office which is going to have to play double duty as a guest bedroom once our second one arrives.  The "office" should actually be renamed as the "storage" room... any who... gathering ideas on that... and still going back to a plumb colored desk...Bryan threatened to paint the office back to Miami Dolphins Teal if I did.  I don't know who is going win this one.

So I hope everyone has a great start to their week, hopefully Bryan and I will have some good news to share early this week (no, no, still just one baby boy on the way...don't go thinking ridiculous thoughts...)


Kisses, Meg

Drop Cloth Inspiration

So I have been on this kick of having a home improvement project "project" every weekend - not a rule- but there seems to be a strong theme going on...

This weekend's project, Bryan thought, was canceled out by picking up this little guy at Ikea (display model aka. DISCOUNT!!!) which is a mini version of the larger chest of drawers we plan on making our bathroom vanity once we are done pulling up all the tile we laid to re-level the floor and then obviously re-tile... sigh that is a big project.... 

 So yes, Bryan thought that by buying this guy I could just settle with "dreaming" this weekend... wrong...

So instead while he was at school this morning - yes yuck - school on Saturday... I googled.  I have this great 60's chair that I have been flirting with the idea of reupholstering (insane I know) and saw a few cute ideas using drop cloths... 

I figured Bryan would kill me if he came home to me and a dismantled chair that I have no idea how to get back together...and then a brilliant idea came to me....CURTAINS!  

We went to Ikea with a purpose, not to buy a night stand (but the "as is" section is sooooo tempting) but to look at sheets and curtains... no such luck there.  So this project seemed like the perfect solution.  Curtain rods $9.00 from Target.  $10 drop cloths.  $5 curtain hooks.  Mind you when Bryan came home and asked how much - he was able to put 2 and 2 together and multiplied that by 2.  I thought my presentation of the cost sounded much better the way I said it but I guess I married a genius who knows all my ploys.

So off to Target Emily and I went.... and then to Home Depot for drop cloths and back home....mind you this is a huge feat since Emily is a very independent 2 year old who feels that she should be able to walk anywhere alone in the store.  Fun times.  

But during nap time - I washed and ironed the drop clothes. This part was really just a b*tch - not an easy fabric to iron but it was needed... also a good thing to note about drop cloths - all edges are finished - so this was a NO SEW Project. YAAAAY for SANITY.

Grandpa Howard's Shop chair.  No one wanted it, I loved it.

Full on shot

Just a better shot, to prove my walls are a cream color not a blue.

And now on to the Dark Stallion wall.....

Still a little damp from all the iron and steaming, but you get the idea :)

Side Angle

So yeah... I am thiiiiiis close to having this room done.  It will feel soooo nice.  Did I mention that I ordered the bedding?!?!? Yes, I did!!!! And a big shout out to Ryan and Andrea (brother and sister in-law) who gave me a gift card to Urban Outfitters for X-mas that I have been saving and saving for the "perfect bedding".  Finally got to use it and it also helped convince Bryan that I should buy it cause it obviously I was getting a good deal... uh huh.

Just need my lighting to replace the ugly ceiling fan and a 3 picture frames and a large floor mirror...

More pictures to come when the bedding decides to show up at my door step!