Baby Nursery Intro

Since my last post, I've made lots of things such as duvet covers, pillows, topiary, etc., including Averi's nursery bedding (bumpers included :) and matching curtains/ruffled valance, but have yet to take pictures. I've just been too busy to post. I'm actually over her nursery decor now, ha (which is white and a light mauve with a ruffley, classy, dainty feel) and want to bring in some bold color. I change my mind a lot. Future plan: take pics and post! I have alot of friends who are preggers right now and searching for the perfect decor. That was me a year and a half ago. I searched and searched and was willing to pay for anything I fell in love with - my first (maybe only) girl HAD to have the perfect nursery. My prob was, I never found anything I liked. Everything was so over-used and over-done. I didn't want butterflies or flowers or winnie the pooh. I didn't want chocolate brown and pink. I wanted something original and special. So I gathered ideas and made my own stuff. I was pleased with how it turned out, but now my baby is getting to be a toddler and I just feel like upscaling. So I'm starting over. Only this time, I'll be sharing it online. Plus I never got to finish ALL the projects I had planned for her so this will be a good excuse to git-er-done.
Upcoming Tutes on Baby Nursery Decor:
-Baby Bumber Cover (easy peasy!)
-Ruffled Valance & Curtains (also surprisingly easy)
-Revamped Dresser (from brown to white)
-Painted Shelf & Decor
-Fitted Crib Sheet
-Crib Dust Ruffle
-Basket Liner (I already have a tute for that, but this one will be a bit diff cuz it has handles)

I already found the perf fabric at Hobby Lobby that brings in the bold color I want and ties in the 'morning mauve' color of her walls so it was a huge plus. I DON'T want to re-paint.
Excited to get started! I have many ideas, I just need to make time for them to come to life.

The walls look pretty light in this pic, but when in the room, you can see the color better

Exciting News!

We bought our first house! Yay for no more renting!! After 3 months of waiting anxiously, everything went through. The longest and most stressful 3 months of my life. 4 kids: piece of cake. Buying a house: head full of silver!
It all worked out and we are so happy.
We didn't buy a 'fixer-upper' but the place does need some love - all cosmetic. Walls & ceilings are filthy. Non-smoking home, but it seems they had indoor food fights, and possibly shook a soda can and let it explode in one of the bedrooms. Cupboard in the kitchen is missing, cupboard in bathroom is broken, outdated light fixtures, lots of gum underneath counter top bar, kids colored all over walls, all faucets leak, and the WORST paint job ever. BUT...5 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 living rooms, fire place/wood stove, 2 reg size pantries, 1 lrg walk-in pantry, storage shed, wood shop, chicken coop, large fenced yard, apple & pear trees, grape vines, raspberry & blackberry bushes and super nice neighbors.
We didn't have the luxury of getting the place move-in ready, so we're living there with all our stuff in boxes still. Our plan of action is to tackle one room at a time, making each room sparkle (if we don't do it now, we never will)...but with 4 little constant interruptions, it's going slower than we'd like. Plus, having to use a metal scraper to scrape gum and jolly ranchers off the ceiling may have contributed to the 8 hour-long bedroom scrubbing party. Yes, that is how long it took to clean walls, ceiling, baseboards, doors, and shelves inside closet in just ONE bedroom. Thanks to Emma Age 6. And that does not include the time it took to paint. I wanted to take a before pic of the light blue, dirty walls for proof ;) - but once I get in that 'cleaning mode' I don't want to stop.
So far, the walls, ceiling and doors all have a fresh new coat of paint. I love that new, clean feeling. ah. Once the other half of the closet is painted, we'll put up the boys' bunk beds and move on to room #2 - master bedroom.
Working on matching duvet covers for their beds and accompanying valance for the window. Need to get them a new dresser that matches their bed. The one they currently have is hideous. It was ugly to begin with, then we painted it, and its still ugly. Can you say curbside?
Pics coming soon :)

Mykayla Skinner

I'd like to shine a light on my sister-in-law, Mykayla Skinner. She is nothing short of amazing. At only 13 years old, she has been competing around the country at the 2010 US Covergirl Classic, 2010 Arizona Elite Qualifier, 1st ever Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, and most recently, the 2010 VISA Championships at Hartford. She works so very hard toward her goal of being on the US National Team for Gymnastics and competing in the next Olympics and we don't doubt she'll go all the way. We're all rooting for you Gollygol!

*On a side note, I want to say thank you for being such a good lil' auntie. The boys ADORE their Gollygol and get so giddy when we drive up to your house. It's so cute how much fun they have with you.

P.S. You've inspired Brayden to take his somersault to a whole new level.

Before I met Mykayla, Jeremy warned me about the "credit card" (hand swipe up my butt crack when I bend over). Sure enough, she gave me one. It just goes to show off her playful, fun-loving spirit that I hope she always has. You can't take life too seriously, after all.

For more pics of her tricks and updates on scores, check out her website.

Goofballs & Chelsea's Bday

okay, i know i promised to dedicate this blog solely to artsy fartsy stuff, but i can't help myself sometimes :)
...was my little sister's birthday, so we all went out to celebrate...
and by "we all", i mean a group of whimsical, sarcastic goofballs i call my family. auntie Lacey found herself a new man ...and i still got mine :) ...with a mouthful of water pictures are ALWAYS better when you don't know someone is behind you doing the 'over-done-but-still-somehow-funny' bunny ears for some reason, when we're all together, life isn't serious...i love that this is the firstborn goofball who started it all (and her husband who nurtures that silly spirit) these silly genes continue to run in the fam so glad

NYres Update

So, an update on my most important New Years Resolution: Improving Punctuality...
...the whole month of January, I was on time. On time to work, on time to appointments, and Oh, shocked my sister when we arrived in the valley before noon. Go me! February however, is not going so hot. It's almost the end of the month and I am failing miserably. I cannot seem to be any less than 15 minutes late to work. I plan to go to bed early, but then something or someone always keeps me up too late. A crying toddler fell out of his bed and needs to be comforted - A child woke himself up from yelling too loud in his sleep at his little brother - a fussy baby needs to eat again and cannot sleep on an empty tummy. My husband will tend to this if I ask him, (except the nursing part :) but they want 'mom'. Then I am so exhausted the next morning, I keep hitting snooze, then BAM! I jerk up out of bed, awakened in an instant, and my adrenaline starts running when I notice the sun looks oddly bright to be on time. 30 minutes later, I didn't get a shower, but I'm finally dressed and looking presentable by 7:45 am. Which is perfect timing if I had already eaten breakfast! Why do I ALWAYS forget about breakfast? I grab a banana and am ready to fly out the door. ..."MOM! I need juice! I neeeeeeeedd juice! :(" What kind of mother would I be if I ignored my sweet little son's call for juice? Okay, I'll hurry and just get some juice. I get him some juice and I'm on my way out the door. "MOM! I want juice too! and I'm hungry. I want a baggie of Cheerios!" ...and then, "I wan Cheos too and I wan watch a oovie" (movie). So after pouring 2 sippi cups of juice, filling 2 bags of cereal, and starting a moving, I finally walk out the door at 3 minutes to 8:00 am. It takes me 15 minutes to get there. This is NO bueno!

Starting tonight, I am getting into the habit of having juice, cereal, and a movie ready to go the night before, whether I have to work the next day or not.

I have gotta get ahead of my game!

NY Res

New Years resolutions are so overrated. You've got this whole big list of goals to become a superhuman and feel so determined that it could actually happen. Then you eat one too many slices of chocolate cake, skip the gym more than you intended, and broke your promise to stay calm during traffic...in front of your kids. Suddenly, it all becomes so overwhelming, you give up, and it's only the first week of February.
Who am I kidding? I'm still going to make a New Years Resolution. Only, just not so unrealistic. Here goes...

1. Read the B of M (this is a given)
2. Visit teach no later than the 2nd wk of the mo.
3. **Improve punctuality! (I'm a chronic later :( and I hate it)
4. The obvious, tone up the bod and lose 10 more pounds of baby phat
5. Teach Brayden to read
6. More Temple time
7. Be an 'even better' wife & mom :)
8. Stay away from chocolate until Nov 25th, then binge from Thanksgiving to New Years
9. When awoken from sleep, come into consciousness before throwing punches
10. Blog more