Guest Bedroom Updates

Since our guest bedroom will be a well-used area of our home in a matter of weeks, Bryan and I have been in a hurry to get it somewhat organized and functional. This room has been known as the "junk room" ever since we moved in. We cleaned it out at this time last year, but alas, it was full of C-R-A-P yet again just a few months later. No more, we say! This room is finally a usable space....but it still has a long way to go before I will call it "done".

I refused to spend a lot of money while updating this room. The whole reason we had a "junk room" to begin with was because I would go out and buy random home decor items....sheets, quilts, frames, fabric, little knick knacks, and then end up not liking or knowing where to use them (this is BAD-- don't do this!). The junk room was where all things home decor went to die, so we ended up giving new life to everything in order to get a decent looking space for our guests to relax. Yes, I would have LOVED to start from scratch and buy all new bedding and decorations....but there's this thing called "being responsible", so I went ahead and stuck with what I already had instead :).


Here is what it looked like in January when I discussed plans to decorate it here: (and yes, the Office in a Closet is in this room as well)

And here is the one-sided "After" (Or "In Progress", I should say):

Much better!! We've had the comforter set, quilt, and sheets for about 2 years now. I bought the throw pillow for the room at TJ Maxx (where else) a few months ago (that was the inspiration for the room), and made the pillow shams with some pretty green linen that I got for "free" at Joann's using this tutorial from Centsational Girl (very easy!).

I originally bought the linen to go in the nursery, but then it didn't end up working out....so when I took it back to return it, I found out that I had never been charged for it in the first place. (That was awkward.) They told me I could just keep it since it was their bad for not charging me (I honestly didn't notice....it was a gigantic order and a gigantic amount of money to spend on fabric). Score!

The only other new purchase for the room was the Martha Stewart sunburst mirror that we got at Home Depot for like $35. I LOVE it. The headboard used to be in our room, but I decided to switch it out (more on that later). Oh, and we (Bryan) repainted. It's Behr Pebble Stone. Kind of green-y gray. Perfect.


I even made the bedskirt with my "free" linen fabric. I took some pictures for a tutorial...we'll see when I get around to posting that :). It was really simple and looks great with the pillow shams.

I think that my next move will be to make curtains or some sort of window treatment for the massive window in the room. We added blackout lining to the bamboo blinds for more privacy (this room is at the front of the house), but I have NO clue how to hang curtains for this type of "half moon" window. Any suggestions???? Oh, and I want to do something fun to that floor lamp.

So, that's just a little peek of the many projects that have been going on around our house! Don't you just love when hard work and things you already own come together to make a room pretty and functional once again?

Have a great day!

34 Weeks

Oh my gosh! I am so terrible. I know. You can always tell how crazy my life is by how often I'm blogging. Anyway....here is the 34 week post!

I forgot to take a belly picture this week....BUT we took our maternity pictures with the awesome Tiffany Harrison on Monday, so I'm using one from that shoot as a replacement. (I hope she doesn't mind me using it!) She is so so so amazing and I can't wait to see the rest :). She actually took me out for two sessions since our first one was really windy. Love her. Check out her website if you live in Lubbock! 

How Far Along: 34 Weeks. Only SIX more to go. Holy crap. 

Baby Size: I'm going to guess that he's around 6 pounds by now, and getting fatter by the minute :).

Total Weight Gain: 28 pounds as of my last appointment.

Maternity Clothes? Yep.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Sleep: I've been waking up a few times each night. My hips hurt sometimes, and every once in while I'll wake up lying on my back (Whoops!). I don't like to use all those pregancy pillows and wedges though--normally I just hitch my leg up on Bryan's back for support haha. Luckily he doesn't seem to mind :).

Best moment this week: Ah, so much has happened since my last update! I finally felt him have the hiccups on March 16th, and he's had them several times since then :). I loved my shower, getting maternity pictures, finding a wonderful doula to work with (!), getting the nursery more put together, and getting an awesome prenatal massage yesterday for FREE!

Miss Anything? No. Now I'm freaking out about missing pregnancy when he's out. Just trying to soak it up :).

Movement: Of course! Hiccups. So cute! And he LOVES to stretch his whole body out the second I lay down to nap. Not comfortable at all, but I'll take it :).

Food Cravings: I've really wanted sweets lately. I've been baking a lot to satisfy that haha.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: Sweet baby boy.

Labor Signs: No. Just Braxton Hicks. I'm kind of freaking out though that he could really come at any moment now. Our ultrasound tech told us that her little girl decided to come at 34 weeks. I was a little stunned because we are no where close to being ready!

Belly button in or out? The top is out? I don't know. It changes every day.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have never been so happy in my life.

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery, getting to see my mom and MIL this weekend, my showers this weekend, getting more prepared to actually have him (!), and of course....meeting him for the first time :).

Have a great week! Oh--my goal is to have the nursery pictures up either the first or second week of April! Yay yay yay!

A Sweet Little Shower.

My mom is pretty freakin' awesome. She is one of my best friends and I miss seeing her all the time. She is so awesome in fact, that she threw me basically the cutest shower on the planet this past weekend. I loved loved loved the "Vintage Birdcage" theme that she went with and I love her even more :).

(The cutest cupcakes around)

Why yes, those are pictures of Bryan and I as babies. Including the infamous "moo bar" photo that is my family's all-time favorite. I loved me some ice cream! (Still do!)

I made these little cards per my mom's request. They will be perfect for the baby book! I'm thinking of bringing them to my other showers as well because I loved reading everyone's responses. Definitely a keepsake!

The food table set-up was just perfect. And I'm pretty sure that I ate about 15 of those mini bundt cakes. Whoops :).

My mom gave away cute little candles and mini pots of pansies for favors. They were a hit and I'm kicking myself for only getting one picture of them. AND for not getting pictures of any of the guests! I ran around like a mad woman getting pictures before the shower started, but then started talking with everyone and forgot about my camera. Oops. I'm also mad that I didn't get a picture of my mom and I together....but I suppose I can get one when she's here in a few weeks though, so it's all good. :)

I also learned that I make many interesting faces while opening gifts. Have I ever mentioned that I'm an awkward person? Well, I am, and at showers it is definitely multiplied by like 1,000. At one point, I even waved at one of the guests while thanking her for her gift. If you think that is bad, you should have seen me at Lingerie Showers a few years ago! I pretty much took the cake as "Queen of Awkwardness" at those things.  

We were insanely spoiled by everyone that came. (Thanks ladies!) My car was literally filled to the brim when I headed back to Lubbock and I am SO very thankful to still have such great friends back in Denver that are so excited to meet our little boy!

I loved every minute that I was able to be home and am already wanting to go back :(. I miss my mom and dad so much but am happy that I get to see them more in the next few months! (Of course, there will be another little someone to steal the show by then haha!)

So, I'm still alive, just busy getting ready for bay-bay. And OF COURSE I will post pictures of the nursery once it's done. I'm suprised ya'll even had to ask! :) Have a great Thursday!



P.S Be sure to check out my giveaway over at Michaela Noelle Designs!! If you need an inviation or blog buttons....head on over. :)

Love that girl!! The giveaway will be open until next Wednesday :).

32 Weeks.

I am a terrible blogger! I had several posts planned for this week and never got around to writing them.... Sorry about that... :)

How Far Along: 32 Weeks! Only 8 more to go :).

Baby Size: According to our ultrasound on Wednesday, he is a whopper. Almost 18 inches long and 4lbs 14oz.  The tech said that his bones are measuring longer than other babies do at 32 weeks. While this might freak some out, I'm very proud of my big healthy baby :).

Total Weight Gain: Oh I have been dreading putting this on the blog....26 pounds! Up 4 pounds in 2 weeks :).

Maternity Clothes? Yes!

Stretch Marks? No!

Sleep: Starting to toss and turn from side to side, but still sleeping pretty well.

Best moment this week: Definitely getting to see him at our big ultrasound on Wednesday! He is quite the chunk already and it makes me SO happy! Everything looked great and he is as healthy as can be. I cannot wait to kiss those huge cheeks :).

Miss Anything? Nothing much at the moment.

Movement: Still moving like crazy. He is head down (sighs in relief) for now, so I'm getting pretty good at guessing what body part is moving/kicking me.

Food Cravings: Apples. And I really want a donut at the moment. Oh, and orange juice.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: Definitely a boy!

Labor Signs: Nope! I'm getting a little achy down low and have had TERRIBLE calf cramps but I don't think either of those are related to starting labor.

Belly button in or out? Alright, the top is officially out. It is weird. Have I have mentioned that I had my belly button pierced? Oh, the bad decisions that one makes at 15. Anyway, I can now see both ends of the piercing quite clearly, although they aren't stretched out (thank goodness). I'm hoping it will go back to normal after he's born!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!!!

Looking forward to: My first shower this weekend while I'm at home! Spring break, finishing the nursery, my other showers in a few weeks, getting everything ready for him to be here!

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

 

Savvy Shopping

So, it's no secret that I LOVE to shop. It is seriously therapeutic for me. I especially love to shop during sales, so when I found out that Dillard's was having a massive sale last week, I just had to stop by. And oh man, did I hit the jackpot. I spent just a little over $100 and got some great (pretty!) stuff.

First up are these awesome Gianni Bini leopard booties. A little show-y for my usual style, but I decided to give in and take the risk. Plus, they were 40% off the original price and then an additional 40% off of that....so I got them for like 17 bucks. I know, pretty awesome.

Next, we have a cute cardigan that I wore in this post (I can't remember the brand right now...) and another pair of Gianni Bini boots! Both for less than $20 each! Heck. Yeah!

And finally, this lovely Kate Landry handbag and a TON of fun jewelry. I love my new feather earrings and that chain link strap on the purse. Makes me SOOOOOOO happy. :)  I will take this time to point out that the original price of the bag was $129.00. My entire shopping trip didn't cost that much, people! Seriously, I am SO proud.

Do I have any other sale lovers out there?? To what extent will you go to get a good deal? I have to admit, I am ALL for 3am Black Friday shopping trips, but that's just me. Sometimes saving money on pretty pretty things is worth the lack of sleep (and sanity). :)

Have a great day!

31 Weeks

Baby Boy,

Your Dad and I met at church when I was in middle school, while sitting in the youth group room one of the first Sundays after my family had moved to Colorado. I remember seeing him for the first time (he had been asked to say a prayer) and very casually thinking to myself, "Well, if I have to marry anyone in here, it would be him."  Little did I know that this silly thought at the age of 13 would begin a very fun journey that would eventually lead to YOU! 

You will quickly learn that your Dad and I are complete opposites in just about every way. I wonder almost daily why on earth God chose to put him with me and send up "thank you" prayers every day for the fact that He did. Your Daddy is one of the most genuine and attentive people that I know. He listens like no one else does, and works extremely hard to make life better for his (growing) family. Sure, we argue, we say things we regret, and we both make many mistakes, but we are so happy together and work at loving each other more and more every day. I think that it's very important for you to know that. 

By the time you read this, you will know that your Daddy is pretty reserved and I often find myself wishing that I knew what he was really thinking about. I do know however, that he spends a lot of his time thinking about you. A few weeks ago, we were both at home and I couldn't find him anywhere in the house. I eventually walked into the nursery and found him standing in the closet just looking at all of your clothes. He absolutely hates when I make a big deal out of things, so I just kind of turned around and acted like I hadn't seen anything. Then, two nights ago, we were lying on the couch watching TV and playing the always-entertaining game of "Watch The Belly Move". Your Dad had himself propped up next to me with his arm pressed against the side of my stomach since we were a bit squished. I guess it was warm right where his arm was because you stopped moving all over my stomach and just started kicking right in that spot. Big kicks. I kept saying things like, "Look Bryan, he knows you're right there, he's saying hi!" He didn't say anything back, he just smiled, and we went back to watching TV. About 20 minutes later, I noticed that he hadn't moved a muscle and was still sitting propped up with his arm in the same spot. I told him that he looked uncomfortable to which he replied, "Yeah, my arm's asleep, but I don't want to move." That just about broke my heart. He was spending time with you, and even though he didn't say it, I am sure that he was thrilled with the fact that you seemed to know who he was for just a little while.

He cannot wait to meet you and I can't wait for you to know him. He is a wonderful husband and will be a great father. When I think about the person I want you to be when you grow up, I hope that you have a few of my characteristics, but mostly, I hope that you are like him. I know that you will be SO obsessed with him and will run to the door when he gets home from work. I know that you will beg me to drive to out of town games so that we can watch him coach. I know that you will happily be his golfing buddy even before you are really able to play yourself. I know that you will feel so honored when he asks you to say a prayer before dinner because you're a "big boy". I can't wait to see the two of you together! There are so many more things I want to tell you about your dad, but I'm sure that you will learn them for yourself in time. You, my little boy, are very, very lucky to have the Daddy that you have.

Love, Mom

(Sorry for the forever long  and extremely sappy letter, but this one was very important for the baby book! Happy weekend!)

Bulk Shopping and Kitchen Organization

I always love reading posts about how people run their homes, and especially how they keep everything organized. Maybe I'm just a nerd like that, but I need all the help I can get, so today I thought I'd share my recent kitchen organization overhaul for those of you who are interested :).

Bryan and I recently bit the bullet and got a Sam's Club membership since we will be in need of a massive amount of diapers in a few short months (!). We decided to take a little walk around the store and our eyes were opened to wonders of buying in bulk. How did I not now that I can stock up on food items that we eat every month for much less than I pay at the grocery store??? This prompted a massive shopping trip earlier this week (by myself---lesson learned to NEVER do that again....my back still hurts), which then prompted a total re-organization of our kitchen in order to store all of our new, shiny bulk purchases.

At first, the kitchen exploded.

Exhibit A:

(Sidenote: My husband eats like a 12-year-old, hence the sugary cereals and Little Debbie snacks)

Exhibit B:

I am happy to say, however, that I eventually (after about and hour and a half-yikes) got it all put away. I started out by dividing the large amounts of meat and bread that I bought into portions for two people, and froze most of it for future use.

 

(MONSTER HAND!!!)

I even took a risk and bought a HUGE lasagna (I'm a Stouffer's girl all the way) and thawed it to cut into four separate meals. I was nervous that this wouldn't work, but was very happy to find that our first 1/4 of it turned out perfectly (I made it that same night) after I baked it in a foil covered baking dish. Score!

I even divided up all of our chips and lunch snacks into baggies so that we can just grab them as we're running out the door.

Then I moved on to the pantry and fridge. Now, I forgot to take before pictures (BAD blogger...but I did show you my messy kitchen so give me a break), but here is the "after":

I finally put the storage shelves and bins that I bought at Target a few months ago to good use! Go me.

In the fridge, I threw out a TON of disgusting, molded (truth) food and actually washed all of the fruit and veggies that I bought in advance (who knew!) to remedy the problem of not eating them and letting them go bad because I still have to wash them. :) Yes, I am that lazy.

Same story in the freezer. I made sure to bag everything up in portions for two so that I will actually take the time to make it! Genius, I know.

And that's about it. I know....riveting. :) But I do feel like a can breathe a little easier when I'm making meals in our kitchen now.

So, tell me, how do you keep your kitchen organized? Do you have any great tips for buying in bulk and storing everything that I don't know about?

Have a great Thursday! We are almost to Friday, Friday, Gettin' down on Friday, Fun, Fun, Fun.... and now that song should be in your head for the rest of the day. :) You're welcome!