Holiday Ideas House 2012

The Bachman's Holiday Ideas House is always one of my favorites. This year, the baby has been a really good sport about joining my mom and I as we walk through and take photos - dreaming of how to incorporate the look into our own homes. This year, he even "helped" take the photos...which meant that every photo had to be taken at least twice, and some still turned out to be a blurry mess. Oh well, he's cute :)

One of my favorite parts of the house this time was the built in spice rack. Super practical, so I'm not sure why I loved it so much, but I did!

I also loved the large mirrors over the couch. It made a huge statement, and the room looked WAY larger. I thought it was neat how the bottom row of mirrors actually start below the couch too. That's something I definitely wouldn't have thought of.

The master bedroom had a really romantic feel. The dresser isn't really my style, but there were a lot of the other details that I could see trying to work into my house. I especially loved the mirrors above the dresser (I guess that might be a theme) and the winter Christmas trees.

I was also loving the use of music on the walls, and the music note wrapped candles. I'm not sure how practical it would be to cover the walls with paper, but it is a fun look :)

Finally, the game room had a more cabin vibe. It isn't quite a look that would work at my house, but it did remind me a lot of my in laws. It also made me want to utilize more storage baskets!    

  

I also liked that the TV was hidden behind a framed photo. Not only does it hide a rather ugly TV, but it also lets your wall space do double duty, which would be helpful in some of my rooms where wall space is at a minimum.

 As always, the Ideas House is full of fun inspiration, and while not all of it would work in any one house, it gets you thinking! I also liked that they decorated more than just the main rooms for the holidays, which is something I never do. Maybe next year I'll add a little more Christmas to the rest of my house...though that might be a stretch.

Still Working On It...

I think this may be the latest in December that the tree hasn't been decorated...but I think I have a cute excuse...

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

I had to leave out the "a lot", because that would be a lie, but at least we'd have somewhere to put the presents in the event that this is as far as we get!

A Birthday Reflection

One year ago today my life looked very different. Brandon and I had been in our new house for a few months. We didn't know we were pregnant yet, but I avoided alcohol just in case.

About a week later we would find out that we would be having a baby...and that this year would be life changing.

And it was, but not only in the ways I expected. This year I lost my best friend. It was unexpected, and the hardest thing I have ever been through.

A few months later I would give birth to my son. I never knew how much one event would change me. I've turned into a nervous nut :-)

In the next year I am looking forward to enjoying my little family and every day  that I'm given.

Maternity Leave

                                                             Photo by Amber Engfer :)

Well, since my last post, I had a baby. A healthy, 9lb boy. And I started my 12 week maternity leave, which ended two weeks ago. I've gotten some questions (mainly from people who don't have kids) about what I did all day while on maternity leave, and I have to admit, that I had some strange ideas of what maternity leave would be like myself.

So, here it is, what managed to do, and what I didn't:

- Despite being set on it, I didn't watch any Downton Abbey. Or any full season of a tv show for that matter. I also haven't read any magazines cover-to-cover or finished any book that wasn't intended for children (and I mean small children, not teenagers like usual). I did watch a lot of the Olympics...and found a somewhat abnormal love for the British show Top Gear.
- I made one trip to the State Fair, which is a totally different experience with a crying infant.
- I went to one Gopher game. The other home game I could have attended fell on a day Brandon had to work, and I realized that carting a baby around a football game all by yourself doesn't actually sound like fun. We went to the zoo with my sister-in-law and nephew instead.
- I filled my time with BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) Yoga, Baby Massage classes, and Baby and Me classes. I learned the secret about Baby and Me classes as well. Some people think classes with other mothers are there so that you get out of your house, are able to see that you aren't alone in your struggles to adjust to motherhood and in the end don't harm your baby. That is mostly true, except they aren't to prevent you from harming your baby. You wouldn't do that. They're to prevent you from harming your husband. Because at 2 in the morning when you're rocking a crying infant and he's fast asleep...you might do that. And, I maintain, if judged by a jury of your sleep deprived peers, you would be found not guilty.
- I did not go on any vacations, but did make a road trip to Owatonna - for ice cream, because let's be serious I still have priorities.
- I attended my 10 year high school reunion. Nothing like a reunion to make you feel old.
- I called the nurse line more times than I'd care to admit, obsessed over everything, and consulted Google far more than should be allowed. I've probably been sure my healthy son almost every affliction known to man. Note to self: don't Google at 3am. No good can come of it.

So now that I'm back to work, and the baby is attending daycare full time, I'm starting to see what my actual every day life will be like. It is hard to believe that the only days I'll get to cuddle full time are weekends, and that I have to spend the majority of my waking time with adults, not the baby that thinks everything I say is pretty much the most hilarious thing ever. Which is sad, because I could totally get used to that.

Bedroom Updates

One of the things I've been slacking on in the 10 months we've been living here is getting any sort of art up on the walls. I'm not sure why...we have a lot of photos/art to hang up, but somehow committing has been a bit of a problem.

I knew we needed something more in the master bedroom to add some interest...and to hopefully make the walls look a little more grey vs. blue, and I was hoping black and white wedding pictures would be just the thing to do it.

First, however, we replaced the tall bookshelf with two shorter bookshelves (the tall one seemed to make the room unbalanced, and fit nicely in our living room for dvd storage).

We started out thinking we would put the two shorter bookshelves right where the old one was, and the photo collage would go above it.

The problem with that was, it prevented us from opening our bedroom door all the way...

So instead we decided on putting a shelf on each side of the window...

and a photo collage above each. I'm really liking how they both turned out, even though I've been struggling to take an acceptable picture of it. Here's the best I have right now:

And for kicks, a totally dark photo of the whole thing:

 But you get the idea.

Now hopefully I'll feel motivated to put up photos in other areas of the house...right after I finish the newest Sookie book.

Last Weekend

This last weekend was pretty fantastic in a lot of ways.

I got to hang out with one of my favorite girls...

My husband took me to one of the new donut spots in town (I'm a little peeved by the popularity of donuts these days...while they have brought some new options to the area, the posers in line around me annoy me). And by the time we made it to Mojo Monkey a lot of the good stuff was already gone, but we got to try a selection of their other offerings...and they were tasty...

I spent a bit of time in the garden, putting together potted plants. I'm really liking the bright pop of color they bring to the backyard.

 Oh! And my very favorite flamingo came out for the summer...

And finally, we got the crib up.

It is kind of weird walking by the bedroom and seeing a crib in there...and pretty soon there will be a baby! (apparently I'm the only one who is a little surprised by this fact, but apparently I haven't entirely wrapped my head around bringing home a little person in...8ish weeks)
 

So Much For Spring Cleaning

So, it may have been a little ambitious to think I was going to do one spring cleaning task a day for a month. Apparently, it's a little ambitious to think I'm going to do one spring cleaning task a week...

This has been a pretty productive last few days though...whether they've been blog worthy or not. Last week we had a daycare interview that went pretty well, even though it is really difficult to try and interview a stranger to watch your baby.

Yesterday was my baby shower with Brandon's family. It was a lot of fun, and we are very lucky to have such amazing family.

Today was spent getting a start on the thank you notes, and running a million errands. We went to Ikea (which I have to admit isn't my favorite place in the world) and bought the baby a dresser and bookshelf...as well as a bed for Melissa's room. So more to come there!

Then we went to Home Depot and picked up a few not as fun things, but apparently Brandon thought we needed them.

So now there are piles of boxes in my living room of furniture just waiting to be put together, as well as baby items that need to be organized. I'm thinking that I'm in for a pretty busy week!!

Pinterest Project

 Like most people these days I suffer from an addiction to Pinterest. I pin everything...and make nothing. It's good for inspiration, but some days it can leave me feeling a little overwhelmed.

When I came across this project though, I knew I'd found a perfect place to start. (You can read all about how to make your own here).

 

Photo from: Little Miss Mama

And so I decided to make my own. The only state that has real significance to my husband and I is Minnesota. It's where we were raised, met, got married, bought our first house, and where we'll have our first baby. 

So first I drew out a rough MN outline, and outlined it with black embroidery thread.

 

Once that was finished I added a red felt heart.

 

Framed it in an inexpensive frame from Target...And that was it! I'm mostly in love with the way it turned out...though there are a few eraser marks that I wish would disappear.

 

The nice thing is, they aren't very noticeable when it is hanging on the wall. 

So what do you think? I like that it adds a little more interest to our master bedroom photo collage, AND it was homemade...couldn't be better!

Spring Cleaning - Day 1

It seems like everyone's been bitten by the spring cleaning and organization bug. I'd like to say that I'm no exception, but with the difficult last month I've had, things on the home front have become a little messy. So my goal for this month, is to accomplish something home related every day...little organizational projects, actual decorating projects, or silly things that needed to be done.

When I came home from work today the table was covered with an embarrassing amount of clutter. Mail that's been piling up (a theme across the house lately), craft supplies that I swear I'm going to use one of these days, ultrasound photos from months ago, coupons that I hadn't clipped and a rubber duck. Don't you wish I had a photo of that?

Well, after a little bit of organizing (and bill paying and junk mail sorting) I'll end the night like this:

Much better if I may say so myself...now we just have to keep it clean...and keep the momentum going.

Wish me luck!

As the tulips are popping up in our garden, I'm getting a little antsy for planting. This will be our first spring in the house, and therefore the first year where we get to make some gardening decisions.

So here is a "before" tour of where we are going to add a little color to our outdoor spaces.

In front of our house we have hostas that are coming up (not really visible in the photo, but I promise you they are there). In front of them we have a little space to add some colorful flowers though. I'm thinking bright red would cheer things up nicely. Maybe with a little blue or purple?

We also have several spots in the backyard where there are tulips and other plants growing already (these areas have been cleaned up considerably since the photos were taken, but I haven't had time to photograph...). I still may add a few different plants to these spots, but even with what is there already, the are looking pretty good (the one on the right has actually started blooming).

 

Finally, we have a few planters that have nothing in them (except a weed here and there). These are where I'll be putting the majority of my effort. Again, I'm thinking about pulling in some reds, because for some reason those seem like they would really brighten the space up.

Some day I'd like to add some more sturdy planters to the end of our deck so that a toddler doesn't run off the end...but that's a project for another year...probably next year since that's when said baby will be moving, but we'll see.

Personal Update

Two weeks ago my best friend died.


And it felt like the whole world stopped. Suddenly nothing really mattered. All the house stuff I'd been stressed about...work issues...nothing.

Unfortunately, life doesn't stop when you want it to. Sometimes it doesn't even seem fair. The flowers still bloom...


And you have to find a way to keep going.

We still have a baby coming in 12 weeks (give or take 3 weeks...) and there are still things that need to be done around the house before that happens. Slowly, I have to get back into whatever my new normal is...

Weekend in Review

It feels like all my weekends are flying by lately. This last one managed to be a good mix of productive and fun.

On the fun side, we went to Pig & Fiddle at 50th and France. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves beer (Carla and Alex...this is for you), but it is also fantastic if you like food like me. We took my inlaws for my mother-in-laws birthday, but they also have a great late night menu. And the beer list is amazing...

My mom and I also went to a Spring Sample Sale in NE Minneapolis, followed by some shopping at the Bibelot, Pacifier and Michael's. I purchased a few things...but more on that another day.

A trip to Home Depot always helps to make a weekend feel productive. We picked up the paint for the nursery, and some seed to fill the dead patches in the yard. Not the most glamorous process...but apparently it has to be done...

Weekend Update

Well, I think what I'm learning is that the max number of things on my weekend to do list should be 2...especially if I'm going to basically read a whole book overnight. I do have to say though - the second Hunger Games book is definitely one you shouldn't start if you have other weekend plans. I even felt like watching the movie was getting in the way of my reading time. I should also probably take the time to admit that the books are really good. Like, addictingly good.

So here is the list I set out to accomplish this weekend, along with updates on where I ended up...

1) Set up bookshelves in the master bedroom and organize bookshelves. 50% complete. One bookshelf is set up with books...the other is in the box.
2) Finish taping off the nursery. - 75% complete!
3) Begin bedroom wall collage. - Not even close...well, I guess the photos are framed...so that's sort of close...
4) Pick up sample paint for the nursery. - Done! Now we just have to toss it on the wall and decide if we like it.

Posts with photos to come...

Weekend To Do List

Last weekend I put together a list of things I wanted to get done. I know people are probably very concerned...did I finish what I set out to???

The short answer? No.

1) Set up bookshelves in the master bedroom. - still working on it...
2) Organize living room bookshelf. - set up, but it isn't totally organized.
3) Begin bedroom wall collage - or at least determine a layout. - barely even started :(
4) Pick out some nursery paint chips - DONE :)

Instead, we spent some of the weekend working outside getting the yard in shape.

So for this weekend, the idea will be to finish up some of the things from last weekend, and a couple other additional projects...

1) Set up bookshelves in the master bedroom and organize bookshelves.
2) Finish taping off the nursery.
3) Begin bedroom wall collage.
4) Pick up sample paint for the nursery.

Fingers crossed that this weekend is a little more productive than the last one was!

Small Accomplishments

This post is about small accomplishments...

Lately I've been pretty inspired by Sherry from Young House Love's "Dude, Get On That Already" challenge. As it turns out, I have a lot of partially started projects and stuff I swore I would get to lying around our house. The kicker is, most of the stuff isn't actually hard to do. It's just doing it that has been the issue.

So a few weeks ago I accidentally ordered a duplicate photo for the bedroom photo collage I've started but haven't finished (I told you it's a problem). On of the photos, a 5x7 would fit in a frame that we received about a year and a half ago from my mom as an anniversary present. While I was in love with the frame...I hadn't put a photo in it yet...and therefor it just sat in the box it came in...I'm sure that's exactly what my mom hoped we would do with it when she gave it to us...leave it in the box.

Now with the extra photo, I really had no excuse not to bust it out, and put in on our mantel...and that's exactly what I did...Like I said, not the most ground-breaking...but baby steps...(although, I've been told I had better take some faster baby steps, because apparently we have a baby on the way, and should probably get some of this stuff done before he arrives).

DVD Storage Update

While I spent most of last night reading the rest of The Hunger Games so that I'd be prepared for the movie next Saturday, I managed to find a little time get a start on one of the items on my weekend to do list.

Like the rest of our house, the living room is a work in progress. There is a lot of furniture I'm not the fondest of, but not being made of money, I've been trying to make the best of what we have. That's left our living room looking like this:There are several things about it that I'm not the fondest of...but lately, the little dvd stand in the corner hasn't really been doing it's job. One, it isn't really the cutest, but it's also a little overcrowded.So in a "use what we have" kind of mode, we pulled the bookshelf from the master bedroom down to the living room. I have to say, I think it is kind of an improvement. Not exactly the built-ins that I'm dreaming of (and also not extremely organized right now, since I had to run back to to the book) but at least it is a step in the right direction, and will work for the time being.
(Though - on our trip to Home Depot today, I was able to walk through my plans with Brandon, and I think he's more on board now than he was before...so maybe it won't be too long until my dream built ins are a reality...)