Projects Updates

The Girls’ Room

April/November 17, 2017/ Leave a comment Edit"The Girls’ Room"

I wanted to share the transformation of the girls’ room.  It’s so fun (at least for me) to look back on how things “used to be.” 

I was one of those kids growing up who loved to look at photo albums of myself as a baby and toddler.  I think I even said once to my mom that I wished I could “hold myself as a baby.”  No joke, Lily has already said this to me on multiple occasions.  I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!  Granted, things are a little different these days.  I don’t have albums printed out.  Instead, she’s swiping her fingers on our desktop and clicking away at pictures and videos of three years ago.  But the concept holds true.  I loved remembering (through photographs) how things used to be.  From decor and carpet color to themes and curtains, bedspreads, canopies, jewelry boxes, books… I remember it all thanks to the pictures my mom snapped during the process.  I even remember that she painted my name (in purple) in the back of my closet as a little girl when she first did my room.  It was there until the day I moved away for college [sigh]…

The point is, I want my girls to have that.  This is just one of the reasons I’m sharing these pictures!  The other is that I worked hard [literally] on painting things and deciding on colors.  I about killed myself in the heat of the day taping off and using the spray gun to paint the bunk bed while 7 months pregnant.  I truly hope all three of the girls can share this room for a while, because that part was NOT fun.  I know it’ll change again eventually, but I’m excited about the next few years!  Here’s the “before” picture of when it was first Lily’s nursery just three and a half years ago:

Next, when it was just the two girls:

And here’s a very cramped version of the transformation for three little girls:

After calculating it all out, the transformation cost approximately $350.00.  Which kinda seems like a lot to me, actually, but it does include all the paint and the little “extras” like bedding, decor and such.  I went into it thinking it’d be MUCH cheaper, but things add up quickly!  Here’s the breakdown:

Bunk bed from a friend on FB – $100
New twin mattress from Wayfair.com – $80 + $40 shipping (boo)
White changing table from a friend who moved off island – $Free.99
White crib from a friend who moved off island – $Free.99
Dresser from a friend who moved off island years ago – $Free.99
Toddler bed from the side of road – $Free.99
Handmade sign from garage scraps by yours truly – $Free.99
Can of white Rustoleum chalk paint from Home Depot – $16
New dresser knobs from Amazon – $10
Target bookshelf – $17 on clearance
Twin bedding set from Craigslist – $25
New toddler sheet from Target (not pictured) – $10
New crib sheet from Target – $10
New changing cover from Target – $15
Purple curtains from Ross – $15
Purple toy bin from Ross – $8
Teal picture frame from Ross – $6
Purple material from Wal-Mart for hoop craft – $4

This is by far the most nesting I’ve done during pregnancy.  At least it feels like it!  I have one final craft that’s not complete yet.  It’s going to be an old surfboard that I’ve painted white.  I plan to put all their names on it in different colors and hang it above Lily’s top bunk.  Maybe I’ll post about it when I finish if I can remember…  I should probably focus on having a baby first, but my mind is all over the place.

Ok, here are some better shots of the room!  Not the best quality though.  It’s also pretty cramped as you can imagine with places for three girls to sleep in a tiny room and all their clothes… but thankfully we don’t plan to keep toys in the room, so that should cut down on the clutter!  As you enter, pics start on the left and go counter-clockwise.  Enjoy   

Family Updates

Almost There

April/November 12, 2017/ 3 Comments Edit"Almost There"

You guys… I feel SO out of shape. It’s hard getting off the couch these days.  Rolling over in bed HURTS. EVERY. TIME.  I’m out of breath when I make it half way up the stairs.  This third pregnancy is really taking it out of me!  Sometimes I feel like she’s trying to kick her way out of my navel.  Yikes.  Yet, here I am… almost at the end… and not sure if I’m ready to make that leap from two to three children.  So much of my sanity will depend on this tiny human inside of me.  Will she be a wild and crazy newborn with so much to say like her eldest sister.  OR, will she sleep and snuggle in her car seat or swing for hours at a time like Emma?  Only time will tell.  I’ll be 37 weeks tomorrow, so the countdown is on!

Either way, I know God will give me the grace that I need.  Both of my girls have lived up to their names in their first year of life. 

Lily Grace taught me daily to draw from the well of God’s graciousness.  I needed his grace EVERY DAY to make it through the screaming and fits of rage.  Not that I don’t still need his grace every day, but he chose to make it plainly clear every hour of the first 3-6 months of motherhood with my Lily Grace.  It was a very refining season to say the least.

Emma Joy was just that.  She was God’s way of bringing pure joy into our hearts and lives through a smiley faced sweet heart.  My snuggle bug.  My happy girl.  My thumb sucker.  My content newborn.  

The cards are pretty evenly stacked now as they’re almost two and three and a half, but that first six months… whew.  We shall see how Cary Hope lives up to her name in her first months of life.  I’m curious and also very nervous, but I know and trust that God is sovereign and in complete control.

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These last few weeks and months I’ve been in full-on nesting mode.  I think I’m even exhausting my husband with all the projects I’ve done and am currently doing!  Here are a few examples:

• Sanded and painted a bookshelf for the living room, then added contact paper to the backing
• Added contact paper to the glass portions of our existing TV stand
• Painted and put together a bunk bed for the girls’ room
• Sanded, painted and changed hardware on the girls’ existing dresser
• Cleaned and swapped out cribs and changing table in the girls’ room (white theme)
• Put together a small bookshelf from Target for the girls’ room
• Changed the color scheme and theme of the girls’ room to include a homemade sign and multiple craft projects
• Tracked down new curtains, sheets, comforter, and changing pad cover to match theme (mostly on Facebook marketplace!)
• Sewed curtains for the laundry room window
• Sewed new pillow cases for the mini pillows in the girls’ room
• Painted letters for one final craft I need to put up in the girls’ room
• Created a hallway photo gallery to the downstairs (and sliced my finger in the process)
• Purged some toys from the playroom to make things a little less crazy
• Framed some pictures I have yet to hang

Just sitting down and writing it all out makes me feel more accomplished!  This weekend we plan to start getting a few things out of the attic that need to come down.  Things like the car seat, mama roo and swing.  And I still need to track down a bassinet to borrow for a few months too.  Funny how I’m not as worried about it this time around.

Welp.  That’s all for now.  It’s been a while since I’ve posted and I’ve kind of missed it.  Yet as you can see… I’ve been busy.  I’m sure I’ll be back on at least once before the big day.

Happy November Everyone!

April