Etsy Pillow Options For A Boys Room

Hello! Hope everyone had a good weekend. We have bacon on the stove, lots of family coming into town for the big wedding this weekend, and shopping to do today, so I am happy girl.

We finished Parker's big boy room last September and have absolutely loved it, BUT there were a few things I never completely finished due to me being very pregnant and overwhelmed with other "nesting" duties. Since we are back to a normal routine now, I thought it would be good to tackle these last few items in the big boy room.

The first priority is adding a cute decorative pillow to each bed.

Part of me is still on the fence about doing this since it's for a 3-year-old boy's room and there are already two pillows on the bed…but the impractical give-me-the-pretty-things part of me is calling for something cute to top everything off.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 

Here are my favorites that I found on Etsy. I had originally found another ABC pillow when I was planning his room, but now the shop that is was from is closed. Bummer, man. I obviously want them to be on both beds, although they don't necessarily have to be the exact same. The other bed will eventually belong to Hayes so I was thinking of monogramming or adding their names to something as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I love them all, it is so hard to choose!

We have a lot of color in the room with the book wall and PB quilts, so I can really go with anything on the pillows. 

There are also several airplane themed items (the frames from Bryan's grandpa and the curtains) so I don't know if I should stay in that direction or do something completely different. I'm kind of thinking of doing something different since I don't want to be too theme-y. Yes?

So there you go. Hopefully I will get this narrowed down in the next few weeks. (It's only taken me 9 months…)

Have a great Monday!

Our Bedroom So Far

I have learned one thing in the last two years: decorating while you stay at home with kids takes a WHOLE lot of time, like two years of it. A couple of weeks ago, I finally FINALLY sat down to sew us a bedskirt and pillow for our bed. After living here for so long, this makes me one happy lady! I am an *extremely* visual person and very much obsessive so this has been hard for me to go so slowly when decorating our house….but I've managed to do it, so far, at least. Does this happen to anyone else or is it just me?


Anyways…here is some of our bedroom, which I am really starting to love!

The bookshelves were given to us by my in-laws. We painted them white and I styled them with things we already had (and all of our books). FREE!

I finally found my nightstands for $50 each on Craigslist. They actually weren't even listed, but we went to meet with the seller to buy a dresser for our living room and he had these there as well and asked if we wanted them (they match the dresser).  Fate, I tell you! I l-o-v-e these. They are extremely nice, solid wood, dovetailed drawers, and are exactly what I had envisioned. (Also painted.)

I already talked about the fabric--all from Hancock. I paid $5 for the Robert Allen on the pillow! The curtains are my favorite white panels from Ikea, and the lamps are from TJ Maxx which I got right after we moved in. Quilt is Overstock and Euro shams were clearance at Dillard's. I've had most of this stuff for about 2 years now and didn't really buy any accessories new…I had all of it because I am a home decor hoarder. (It's a problem.) Oh, and that headboard. I spent all of my birthday money on it 2 years ago. TJ Maxx. My favorite headboard ever.

Still working on the dressers and wall art on the other half of the room but it is coming together! I found some awesome mirrored frames on clearance at HomeGoods (I feel so weird typing that, we finally have a HomeGoods!) and just ordered some of our wedding photos to fill them. 

Oh, and there's this kid, who happily played by my side while I played photographer. (I had to crop train tracks and random toys out of several pictures.)

That's about all I got. Hope you liked it!


Sharing at The Shabby Nest too!

Friday Favorites Volume 4

Four and counting….go me! Here is another Made by Katy edition of Friday Favorites. Aren't you lucky. ;)

This post is full of phone photos….apologies.

This week flew by (as they all do). We have fallen off the daily grind wagon and into the lazy days of summer as Bryan is out of school which officially gives us no reason to get out of bed in the morning. Parker and Hayes usually end up in our bed at around 8:30am and it is glorious. We have spent almost every day this week in our jammies until noon.

Don't be too jealous though, this laziness results in serious un-productivity on my part... the house is a wreck, I've forgone meal planning (which means that we've eaten a grand total of 3 frozen pizzas this week and have gone out to eat the rest of the time), and my coffee has gone cold every single morning due to my constant and frenzied state of catching up. I hate microwaved coffee. It's a give and take.

We had family pictures made on Monday by the very sweet Monica Bartels Photography. To say that I'm excited to get our photos would be an understatement. I have been stalking her Facebook page for a preview on an hourly basis.

Pre-photos. Excited! (I was the only one who was excited.)

We were also EATEN by mosquitoes. I kid you not, I had about 50 welts on my legs by the time we left the "wildflower photo shoot". The kids seemed okay since we swatted them the whole time, and Bryan was wearing jeans, so it was just me in my short dress who got mauled. It was beautiful though, so there's that. I also got a spray tan, so there's that as well.

Getting ready for family photos is exhausting, BTW. So much prep/makeup/ironing/hair spray for a hot, sweaty, and usually stressful 30 minutes. If you know the secret to carefree family photos, please indulge me. ;)

Bryan has worked on the bathroom to the point that he now hates the bathroom. We had HUGE problems last weekend when we discovered that the adhesive he used on the floors was still wet after 4 days of dry time. (This is not normal.) We were mad to say the least, especially because Bryan had already grouted the tile and we had called it good and were so happy with it….but alas, when the floor starts moving while you're walking on it, something must be done to fix it. Bryan ended up pulling up the whole floor, buying new mortar, and laying it all again. I know, I felt really bad for him, too. Thankfully it only took about 48 hours to get back to where we were, but still…

DIY is rough, guys. Even for the super talented people like my husband. You have been warned.

On the good side of this reno, Bryan did just finish all of the door casings and beadboard tonight. It still needs to be sanded, caulked, and painted, but it looks soooooooo good. Like good as in it looks like a different room. A different house. A much nicer house. We are happy with it.

I also ordered the shower curtain fabric today and the granite people are coming tomorrow to measure the cuts for the vanity counter. Yes!

It'll (hopefully) be downhill after that. Paint, fixtures, sewing,  decorating. (Hallelujah!)

I'm a little torn between light fixtures that we can actually afford. All of our lights are black/bronze in our house but I really like this little Martha Stewart one from Home Depot of all places, and it's chrome, although still vintage looking...

Our faucets are also chrome, but I initially wanted to stick with more of a bronze/rustic/modern farmhouse look for everything else. Thoughts are appreciated!

I also like this one: (but it's more expensive)

This reminds me! I know what I did last weekend. I made a pillow and a bedskirt for our bed. To say I love it would be the understatement of the year.

The fabrics are both from Hancock's. (I am growing a little obsessed with the sweet ladies that work there…they help me envision everything.) The beautiful Robert Allen was on a bolt for $9.99! I have always loved this fabric so I was pumped to say the least. The bedskirt fabric cost me a grand total of $25 because it was back in the remnant section. I don't have any good photos of it yet, but it's a really simple ruffle and pulls the whole room together. Took me a whole day but was totally worth it.

I really hope to share more on our bedroom later. It is finally coming together!

-----

I'm trying to think of social things I did this week but once again I am proving myself to be a hermit….unless you count texting your friends and calling your mom? Going to your in-laws to hang out? No? Okay. I'll work on that.

Parker Reed has been cracking me up and has been quite the momma's boy. This never happens, so I'm one happy lady. He's also eating green beans by the bucket full, which is unheard of for him. I may have mentioned this before but it's worth repeating due to the miraculous nature of it. He got in his weekly dose of the Science Spectrum (Three words: Trains And Planes), and has formed an obsession with train crash videos on YouTube. I thought this was, uh, twisted until I realized it was toy train crashes and not real train crashes…but I'm still weirded out by the fact that people have enough time to make movies of toy trains crashing in the first place.

Also, Parker's feet stink. This is new and sad to me because it is proof that he is not a baby anymore. Just a stinky, loud, crazy ( and sweet) little boy.

(Watching the trains. We sit here for at least a half an hour every time we come.)

(In the air traffic control booth. His favorite.)

Hayes has been lapping up the sweet potatoes this week, yelling at us, thoroughly enjoying his jumper and being outside, and still refusing to crawl. He is cute.

I listened to a podcast with one of my faaaaavorite bloggers, Emily, and am even more obsessed with her now. You should listen, too. I'm also just hooked on this podcast in general now. Finally! Something to listen to while I fold laundry (Jeopardy was getting old).

I feel like I have so many things to talk about, but I'm already long-winded when I write and am tired so I will talk about them later. Is that good suspense or what?

Have a great weekend!

Things You Should Know About

In a very pro blogger move today, I am sharing a few things that I've purchased lately that are pretty much awesome. I think you should know about them too.

Don't get your hopes up, this is probably a one time thing.

But I did take a cool photo to document the occasion.

shirt / detergent / candle / shoes (similar) / mascara

Texas Shirt - I went to Sam's Club last night (yessssss bulk shopping) and came across these adorable Texas shirts. There were three different styles, all flattering cuts, and couldn't  really be passed up since they were something like $9.   (This is the curse of Sam's Club…everything is $9. I must have it all!) I have so far resisted the urge to buy Texas-inspired clothing since I still call Colorado home, but…like I said, it was $9... and I've lived here for 10 years. I need to accept it.

Tyler Glamorous Wash in "Diva" - You guys. You guys. You guys. Please get this. My mother-in-law who is The Ultimate Homemaker got me hooked on this detergent. It's made by Tyler Candle Store, who is also behind many of my absolute favorite candles right out of Tyler, TX. (Don't worry, they ship in bulk if you can't buy them locally.) It's kind of pricey, but you really don't need much and I only wash our sheets and blankets in it. I am not kidding when I say that  this detergent makes me look forward to laundry day. I feel like we live in a five star hotel every night when I get in bed! Worth it. Also makes a great hostess gift. Just saying.

Capri Blue Volcano Candle (more for the jar) - Well, I think everyone on the planet already loves this candle, but my last trip to Anthropologie had me going crazy over this new iridescent jar and copper lid. (It's probably not new at all, I just don't live by an Anthro…sad story) It's something you could definitely use in decor after the candle burns out. 

Squeaker Shoes - If you are one of those people who hates squeaker shoes then you are going to hate me because I find no greater happiness than seeing chunky little toddler legs squeaking around. I found these babies on Zulily for $14.99 but am so impressed by the quality and the company as well! Now Hayes just needs to learn to walk... 

Roller Lash Mascara (Benefit) - When I was at home my mom let me borrow her mascara (I was informed by my sisters that this is gross), but I fell in love. You really don't need much of it and it's definitely my favorite that I've ever used. Which is saying something. 

Alright, I must go. I promised Parker we would go to the park today and it's already 3. 

Friday Favorites Volume 3

Yay! Friday Favorites three weeks in a row.

I am awesome.

I believe I left off last week with us planning Abby's shower, yes? We ended up staying up all night long…like I'm not kidding. All of the women in my family are crazy like that. We put off the cleaning, prepping, cooking, and decorating until the very last millisecond and then BOOM, we do it all. (And are just sleep deprived.) It's a problem but we deal.

The shower had a great turnout and we really enjoyed getting to see all of the ladies from our old church and catching up. I argued with my mom about making the shower 3 hours long (soooooo long), but it ended up being a good thing because there was so much catching up to do. I think my mother-in-law cried when she hugged pretty much every person who came in. We all miss it a lot!

The money shot. 

You can also see one of the chalkboards my sister drew! Yay! The photo I actually took of it is pretty horrible, so in true blog form, I'm omitting it. It looked awesome in real life though. We had guests fill out recipe cards since Abby likes to cook. So fun!

Punch table with the best punch in the history of punches. 

Judy and Abby. Love those crazy ladies.

I, of course, only take pictures of decor because I am weird. Abby got a lot more on her phone I think, but I do promise there were plenty of guests there!

Us and Abby. I need a haircut (don't worry, got one this week).

Parker was an absolute three-year-old for the first part of the shower and stood on the porch crying for Grammy. 

My Dad intervened quickly and took him on a bike ride on one of the trails….can't remember which. Anyways, he came pack and was very HAPPY! Seriously though, he loved it.

As it goes, all good things must come to an end, so we packed up and left pretty much immediately after the shower was over. 

The weather was absolute perfection that day which made it even harder to leave. I do love our life here in Lubbock and would bawl my eyes out if we ever left, but leaving my parents and Colorado never gets any easier either. 

Oh! That reminds me, I got some photos of me running in the Bolder Boulder and am sharing them...you know, just to embarrass myself. (Still trying to log on and get my stats though.)

You know you're going pretty slow when CHILDREN are running circles around you.

I tried to smile for the camera in this one. HA.

I feel as though you can see the misery here. Also, bad angle. Just had to say it. Yes, I am that vain.

There is no joy as I cross the finish line. Just sweet, sweet relief. :)

We got back to Lubbock just in time to walk into a dust-filled house since Bryan had been working on the boys bathroom while we were gone. He was using the tile cutter inside. INSIDE. Guys, I love that man with all my heart, and he is a good, good, and talented husband, but I almost lost it. (Lord, help him.) I pray every day that I will get over my first-world self and just deal with messes…but I can't. Or at least I can't so far. 

Anyways…I went to another shower for Abby on Sunday (!), and have been drowning in a pool of renovation mess and clean-ups ever since. There is a reason we have lived here for two years and only have half of our project list done. AND to make matters worse, (and to be completely honest) I think we got in over our heads with the herringbone tile. I mean, Bryan is AWE-SOME at home improvement projects and tiling, so I don't know if there was some trick that we missed but herringbone is HARD. I just can't explain it. I'm debating if I should color the grout to white to make it blend in more (he used a gray initially), or try to ignore it, or what. DIY. Some things don't work perfectly, and that is very hard for this Type A perfectionist-penny-pincher to deal with. :) 

……..  

(That has obviously been on my mind all week.)

Here is the better side of the shower while it was being grouted. 

AND here are the vanity cabinets!! They are actually kitchen cabinets from Ikea. I am SO excited. They still have plastic wrap on the font of them and haven't been installed all the way yet, but they are built and they fit and they look amazing! We were going to stagger them originally but decided to just keep it easy and put them side by side.

Bryan also got the floor tile in last night and it looks ah-mazing as well!! I am so in love. (I actually helped with this, too! I never help tile.) 

I picked ceramic tile from Home Depot that was only $1.98/sq ft but looks a lot like slate. I obviously need to take some photos. 

Still to do….

-grout floors

-install beadboard, trim and casings

-paint

-score and frame old mirror

-purchase and install light fixture and fan

-install vanity and add hardware

-install vanity top, sink, and faucet

-purchase hardware for towels, toilet paper, etc

-install toilet

-build floating shelves

-sew shower curtain (because you know, I like to complicate things for myself)

-accessorize (fave!)

Bryan you are my FAVORITE person in earth. I mean this is true, but after reading this list it is definitely true.

……

The kids have been good but crazy this week. Parker ate green beans TWICE. He suddenly loves them. (Happy mom!) He also got in his weekly trip to the Science Spectrum (it's getting ridiculous) and suddenly has an imaginary dog and cat that play with him. He's also been telling me constantly that spiders and snails are "gross", and making a slurping sound when he wants to eat something, i.e: "I want a Popsicle. slurrrrrp". It's strange, but funny. I bought him a sprinkler toy that shoots balls around the yard which he has played with almost every day, except for that he doesn't actually play with it, he just stands by the hose faucet turning the water on and off while he watches it. Usually naked. 

Hayes is…well, adorable. He is just so happy. He LOVES the door jumper. And he will not crawl. And I think he is allergic to peaches because I gave them to him yesterday and his face immediately became inflamed with little red spots. BLAHHHH. I do not want to deal with food allergies. 

Bryan and I watched Hayes talk to himself this morning while he was sitting on the floor and it was SO funny. His little personality is coming out and it is the BEST.

Oh, my life.

I keep looking at my children and suddenly realizing how beautiful they are. WOAH, that sounded cheesy, but do you ever have that happen? Where you just look at someone all the time, so you stop noticing them and then it's just like BOOM, he's so cute. 

Let's see, what else…I basically did not see people this week. Yikes. Oh wait. I got my haircut yesterday so that was good. I also went to Wal-Mart. What an exciting life I have been living! The boys hung out at Grammy's yesterday and Parker swam his little heart out. (Thanks, Uncle Luke, for graciously letting Parker save you from the "shark" 50 times.) He is such a fish. In fact, I've been trying to set-up swim lessons with one of my sweet friends but we haven't gotten a chance! Need to get on that. 

Alright, Harry Potter is over so I need to go, too. Bryan and I have this fun game where I pick out a Harry Potter and he guesses which one I picked and he is ALWAYS right. It's creepy. And we are losers. 

Talk to you later!