Nursery Complete

Bryan sort of had to save-the-day with the nursery when some of my design ideas just totally looked terrible. He ended up deciding on the rocker, and refinishing an old dresser. I'm happy with everything except the yellow bedding in the crib isn't working. Luckily babies don't use pillows or big comforters for several months, so I have some time to work with the color scheme. Anyhow, I'm really happy with it. My favorites: the rocker, dresser, and the russian doll plates. Good job Bryan!

More Make

I found this free baby shoe pattern and thought they may make a good baby gift. Having never tried them on an actual baby, I don't know this to be true - they may be ill fitting, uncomfortable, or worst of all, fall off easy. However, it was a super easy project - took maybe 30 minutes. And yes, I am aware I need to come up with a new ornamentation for sewing projects besides the birds.

New York City Chapter Two: Hot Dogs and Design Shops

Day two of New York was so so great. Our great friends Chip and Katie along with their girls Eve and Ruth showed us around Brooklyn. We went to the area where the Cosby Show was set, had a real slice of New York pizza, and saw lots and lots of great shops with cute things that we wished we could buy.

Highlights:

By the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe Manhattan Bridge. I don't remember.

Pizza. Nice big pieces!

Views of Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn.

We started the day at the local market getting goodies.

Pie from Dean and Deluca. The lemon tart was the best thing I've ever eaten.

Fun furniture shop in Brooklyn. I really wanted this dresser.

Bryan went all the way to New York for this hot dog. It lives up to its reputation apparantly.

And the pina colada was awesome too.

At our friends Ward Chili Cook off we ran into a very good mission buddy of Bryan's - Blake Marsden.

New Bed

Ever since baby man figured out how to get out of his crib 4 months ago, we've figured we should get him a bed (although sleeping on a mattress on the floor is just fine for a 2 year old). Anyhow I found some that I liked, but they were around $400 each. It seemed like a simple enough project (little did I know) for someone who knew a little about "building things", so I asked my sweet dad to do it. He agreed, and here is the finished product. Isn't it great?

My dad is actually building another one for Pumpkin. The kids loved them and baby man was eager to practice going to bed.

Beware Martha Stewart

I'm not the biggest fan of Martha Stewart, but occasionally I see something she's done and simply must try it. (Not immediately - more like 3 years later). In her March 2004 Living issue, She had some really cool spring cakes. I also don't so much care for cake decorating (having tried to make an elmo cake for Pumpkin once and leaving us and all the guests with red stained teeth for two days). However, I've really REALLY wanted to try to make these cakes!

Anyhow, I asked for a cake decorating kit (in Dec. 2004). I finally got around to making a cake - the Martha Stewart cake I have been dreaming of all this time - tonight. Someone at church was saying they needed cakes for an activity so I volunteered, knowing that this was the only way that cake decorating kit was every going to be used.

I say beware Martha Stewart because this project took me 5 HOURS to complete. It's 1 a.m. and I have to get up in 4 hours and go to work. (and YES, Martha's was much better than mine, but still, I'm pretty happy with it). Through the process I only got more addicted, and will definately be cracking out the decorating kit more often. I don't mind the time investment because it's a little theraputic. And it's kind of edible artwork....so I can still tell people I'm "doing my art....".

4 months later!

Whoever knows what to put above cupboards? I don't! Ok, most of you probably have nicely decorated above-cupboard areas, but I haven't for 6 years. If you know me you know that I am beyond slow in 1.Decideing on any house decor, and 2.Once I've decided, acting on it.

When Bryan and I had our art show in November, I saw this idea in the gallery of just hanging balls from your ceiling. And that's when I decided that is what we would do with our above the cupboard area. And now is when I acted on it.


I have another annoying personality trait. When I spend all day cooking a big fancy gourmet meal, I sit down to it and don't really want it anymore. Or it doesn't sound good or taste good. Or all I think about are the flaws. I'm kind of that way with decorateing. After Bryan hung the balls we sat on the couch for an hour trying to tell each other how much we liked them. But there was no enthusiasm. What is wrong with us??

New Bedding

Bryan and I are painfully slow at making decisions regarding the house. Nearly any decision from rugs to bedding can take 1 to 2 years. or more. We've been unable to agree on even throw pillows for the couches......it's going on 2 years on that one. Anyhow, about a year ago we saw some bedding that we liked from InHabit Living. We finally made the purchase and we love it. They have lots of other cool bedding - we had a very hard time deciding.