Baby's Room Sneak Peek

It's our firstborn, so we (read: Trina) would really like our nursery to be special. Doesn't everyone feel that way? From the get-go, I knew exactly what I wanted for the colors/overall look of the nursery. I wanted to make it all myself- nothing premade that every other little tike might have. I didn't want a theme- no monkeys, sheep or trucks for our little prince. I wanted something funky/modern with these colors- Lime, Chocolate and teal/aqua. I wanted circles, polka dots and stripes. Is that too hard to ask for?

Apparently, it is. As soon as I started searching for the fabric of my dreams I realized it didn't exist. (Except for special-ordering from a designer company at $34 a yard plus shipping- yikes!) Actually, more than once I was brought to tears (I'm sure the hormones raging through my body didn't help) with my seemingly endless search for the right fabric. Finally, FINALLY, I found something I could live with and make work for the right price, while searching on etsy.

Michael Miller "Round-About" in Spa
Michael Miller "Lolli Dot" in Spa
Though the colors seemed to be green, brown and light blue, I still decided I wasn't going to find anything better and with only 3 months to go, I better get crackin'. So, I ordered some swatches, just to be sure. When they came in the mail- they were the perfect colors! The blues don't seem to show up right on the computer (even in these pics) and are actually teal/aqua. I cried. I mean, I actually really cried I was so happy. (again, thank you hormones...)

Now that these were decided, I thought it would be pretty simple to find a stripe in these colors. Ha! Learn from my presumptions, people! No, I can not find a stripe that matches, even in brown/white, to save my life. So, in an effort to save my sanity, I decided to keep it a little simpler and go with a coordinating brown minky dot fabric:
I've finally designed where everything will go and have ordered my fabric. Yay! Something to cross off the list.

So, that brings us to the next giant aspect of the nursery, the crib. Ugh. This is such a hard decision! We had one picked out from Babies R' Us, but then I decided I didn't like it anymore. We found one at Target that seemed perfect, but it was so short! Then, we found one online, and I loved the overall look, but it was sooooo expensive. The next one was great, but the hardware was showing. Finally, I decided to go with the one from Target (even though I detest this place) and when we went to pick it up with Greg's parents, they didn't have it in stock. (nor did could they order it, nor could they tell me when it would be in. Did I mention I loathe Target?)

Why, oh why, would you do that to an indecisive pregnant woman who has finally made up her mind about something? (You know that sent me on another frantic search for the perfect crib.) Anyhow, in the end, we found that another Target in the area had one in stock and made the final decision to purchase it. And, all's well that ends well, because I LOVE it!

I'm in charge of directions!

Today's the day we prep the room for paint! Surprisingly, I didn't have too much trouble deciding what I want to do with the paint. It came to me in a miraculous epiphany one day. (ha!) You'll have to wait to find out, though- I may just change my mind! =)

My husband's enemy

What is it, you ask?
Bet you'd never guess a mulberry tree.

I'd better start at the beginning:
When we bought this house 6 years ago, we loved how the backyard was framed with 2 trees- a maple and a mulberry. We built a privacy fence, put in a patio, and enjoyed our new sanctuary.
That lasted a year until we decided that all the landscaping must go, to be replaced by new EVERYTHING! (When I say everything- I mean it- not a scrap of grass or rock or anything was saved from destruction and removal). We also installed in-ground sprinkling ourselves. That was a very hot, very dirty summer.

But, the effort paid off. I discovered I've got a really green thumb (outside, that is- don't ask how I kill all the indoor plants...) and Greg discovered he was a lawn man. He really, really, REALLY loves his new lawn. Actually, it caught me pretty unawares that I was now married to "that guy." You know, the one who weeds by hand and yells at neighbor kids to "Get off my lawn!" (Okay, admittedly, he only yells in the house so I can hear- he's never actually gotten their attention.)

So, imagine Grass Guy's reaction when the mulberry tree (and all the birds that love it) kept dropping berries and ummm, droppings on his precious emerald carpet. Every year since then, he has been saying he's going to get rid of that tree. And every year I keep pleading with him not to- it's lovely, gives great shade, frames the backyard in nicely, and brings birds to our backyard utopia. I've won every year so far and he has done his part to rescue his fescue by placing tarps on the ground, getting up in the tree and shaking until the mulberries fall off. He does this several times during the growing season. Once, he actually had his shop vac out there, sucking up all the fallen berries and any crushed ones. We had mulberry wine fermentation scenting up our garage that year. Yuck.

Well, apparantly 2009 was the year for victory over a tree. On the Saturday I got my office moved to the basement, he was determined to cut down (sniff) my tree. He was so anxious to get rid of the poor thing, that this is how he and his friend Jeremy decided to risk their lives in an effort to protect grass-

That's right, Greg is using a reciprocating saw to cut down the tree (he's on the roof of the garage, if you're wondering). And Jeremy is using an extension cord to pull the large branches towards him. When I pulled in the driveway with pizza for lunch, I took one look at their setup and knew I had seen it somewhere before... (Jeremy knew exactly what I was thinking- America's Funniest Home Videos)

After all was said and done, I think our backyard looked empty and sad, but Greg was pretty happy (victorious is probably a more accurate term). And if it prevents him from obsessing just a little bit this summer, I guess that's a pretty good trade-off.

Wedding Place Card Holder / Favor Tutorial

Need a cute, fun, inexpensive idea for wedding favors/place card holders?

These fun embellished clothespin magnets are the perfect idea; they're super simple to put together and look great!
(watch for them on theknot.com's upcoming do-it-yourself blog! Link to follow)

Also, if you're not keen on doing-it yourself or don't have the time, I'd be happy to put together a custom order for you. Check out my etsy shop- katskrafts.etsy.com

Materials Needed:

Clothespins

Magnets

Mod Podge

Diamond Glaze (or hot glue)

Decorative paper

Ink Pad

Ribbon (optional)

Scissors/paper trimmer

Small foam brush

Step 1

Trim decorative paper to just smaller than clothespin side. You will need 2 strips of paper for each clothespin. Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge along each side of the clothespin (using the foam brush) and adhere the paper to it, pressing out any air bubbles.

Step 2

Using an ink pad and a light touch, distress the outer edges of the clothespin. Allow to dry.

Step 3

Spread another thin layer of Mod Podge over the clothespin sides, to seal, making sure to cover all of the paper edges. Allow to dry. Apply a second coat, if desired.

Step 4

Adhere the magnet to the back side of the clothespin using Diamond Glaze (recommended) or hot glue. Press firmly until the magnet is secure, or the magnet will be attracted to the metal of the spring and may rip your paper. The best position for ease of use as a magnet is just above the spring. Neodymium magnets offer the strongest pull and can be ordered online from many reputable sellers.

Step 5

Tie ribbon onto the clothespin, or embellish any way you see fit! (Other neat ideas include rhinestones, a monogram, or silk flower with button center.) These work wonderfully as place card holders and are a fabulously fun and functional wedding favor!