Thursday, March 31, 2011

Safety First


I was laying down the other day and Harrison was playing with a flashlight. 

Me: If you shine the flashlight on my belly the baby can see it.

H blasts the baby with the light then proceeds to get his chain saw. Yes, he has a toy chain saw. He then sets the toy on my belly.

Me: The baby can't see the chain saw, only light. But he (or she) can hear.

H cranks up the chain saw for a couple of minutes.

H: Did the baby hear that?

Me: Yes! 

H: Safety is the most important thing, baby.

He's going to be an excellent big brother :)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Website Wednesday - Urban Dictionary


Ryan gets the credit for this find. Click HERE to educate yourself on street language. Be prepared to laugh.

Defensive Eating- strategically consuming food for the sole purpose of preventing others for getting it.
Matt's mother-in-law unexpectedly arrived with a delicious dinner immediately after Matt finished a 12-inch sub. In order to prevent his wife from getting the surprise meal, he used defensive eating to consume the additional food.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Short Tracks


Harrison gave Lucy a middle name . . . Short Tracks. Isn't that funny? I picture that being her Indian name. She does have short legs for a cat. 

Monday, March 28, 2011

Hydrangea Leaves


This is a very delight sight for us. We were really concerned our hydrangeas wouldn't survive through the winter but they hung in there. I'm hoping we'll get blooms this year. I think I heard it takes 2-3 years before they will bloom. Is that right?

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Candle Sticks Complete


Finally! The candle sticks are complete. I have them sitting by the fireplace for now. Who knows if they'll stay there. Actually, I take that back. They will stay there b/c it's getting harder and harder for me to bend over.


Here's a sneak peak of my next project. It involves one my bargain frames and a print I purchased in Nashville.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Junktique Sales


I've been working on several house projects that I want to complete before the baby arrives. I'm needing more picture frames for the hallway but I don't want to spend a fortune. This morning I woke up early (actually Harrison woke me up at 5 am but we didn't officially get up until 6) and was ready to hit two junkique sales. The first one was completely insane but I was able to stay focused and I found these picture frames and two lamps. The lamps were a dollar a piece and the frames ended up being $12 for all of them!

On to the next sale, I found the bicycle basket for $1 and thought it would look good hanging in the bathroom for wash cloths. However, after I got home it looked too big so I'll use it in the shed to put garden gloves in. My best find of the day was the antique metal fan. I've been looking at these for years at flea markets but most are between $50-$70. Guess how much this one was??? A whopping five dollars! Whoo Hooo.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Baby Update!


My friend Michele sent me this sweet "Happy Pregnancy" card. She's so creative and it just makes me smile looking at it. 

Today was an exciting doctor's appointment. I've entered into the third trimester so now I'll start going every three weeks. The baby's heart rate is 135-142 (nice and strong). I'm measuring 23 centimeters which means the baby is a good size. AND I've gained 7 pounds in the past four weeks!!! Oink, oink. I thought I've felt bigger and apparently I was right :) 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Shed Paint


A big THANK YOU to everyone who commented on our shed question. We followed the majority's advise and painted it all beige. Thank goodness because it would have taken FOREVER to paint in between the panels. We still need to paint the lattice and trim cream (oh and the other three sides). If you look closely, you'll see two red dots, that's where the door will go. The weather is going to cool down again and rain so this project is on hold for now.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Website Wednesday - Bad Astronomy


Today is Ryan's pick for Website Wednesday. Click HERE to discover Bad Astronomy. He showed me an interesting post on radiation doses. I never thought about how much radiation you're exposed to when you're flying or eating a banana! Click HERE to find out more.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ben & Jerry's Goodness


In my aqua mom's swim class, there tends to be quite a bit of discussion on the topic of food. Ben & Jerry's always brings cravings amongst the pregos. I'll have to admit, I've never had Ben & Jerry's ice cream until recently. Boy, have I been missing out! Currently, we have four flavors in our freezer, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cinnamon Buns, Cake Batter, and Cream Brulee! The carton seems to last a little while b/c you can only handle a couple of spoonfuls at a time. And yes Jon, eat it from the container.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Piggy Play


Last autumn, I noticed If You Give A Pig A Pancake was going to be performed at The Arts Center and I was thrilled at the thought of bringing Harrison. A couple of days ago, we saw the matinee and H loved it. He's never been to the movies or the theater so it was a new experience for him. Half the time we spent watching him clap and laugh. We'll definitely take him again sometime.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Shed Question


The humidity and the mosquitoes haven't made their way here YET. So we're taking advantage of this nice weather and starting a new project. Are we crazy? Yes. Another project? Yes, another project. Lord, help us now :) Here's the before picture of the shed in our backyard.


After 15 coats of primer, it's white. Okay, not 15, more like 2 but the first coat really sucked it up.


This was an exterior color I bought for the trim. Last year, I decided it matched the brick too much but it works perfect for the shed. 


Okay, here's our question, do you like the wall to be a the solid color or would prefer to see the spacing in between the boards be cream? Right now it's white primer so we'll need to go over it in cream or just paint it all the same. What color should the lattice be, cream or beige? Ryan will be making a solid door in the middle (exactly the same as the one on the side), which will have cream trim. He's also going to add a platform and ramp to get the mower up there. I think I'll hang some kind of decorative metal piece next to the door. Can you picture it? 

SO, back to the question on the spacing color, what do you think? If you look on the left side you can see what it would like like all beige. We said we'd paint it whatever you decided.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Company


So I found out my sister is coming to visit in about two weeks. I'm pretty excited to see her since it's been awhile, plus she hasn't seen the updated house in over a year. There's nothing like hearing company is coming to kick you into overtime. I have several projects I'd like to finish and now I have a deadline :) 

Remember my candle stick holders? The painting is complete and now the sanding starts (to give a shabby chic feel). I'm still trying to decide where to put them?

On a separate topic, the baby is really getting strong. Right now, he/she is pretending he/she is kicking a soccer ball (which I'm pretty sure is my bladder). Also, the baby is trying to crowd me out of my left hip. It's constant battle with us :)

Friday, March 18, 2011

Strong Petals


We planted these last October/November and they are looking better than ever. It was really pretty to see the flowers in the snow and now I'm amazed they are still around.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

St. Patty's Day


Happy Saint Patrick's Day! We celebrated by having a feast of green. If you look closely at Harrison's plate,  you'll notice a pickle with mustard on top. Sometimes he likes to wash it down with a glass of milk. I think I'll pass on that flavor combination.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Website Wednesday - Design Mom



I've read about Design Mom in a couple of magazines but it wasn't until today that I ventured her way. Click HERE to see for yourself. Gabrielle Blair is a designer and mother of six in Denver, Colorado. She post on where design and motherhood intersect. Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Leprechaun Feet


Isn't this the cutest? Harrison gave this to me after school today. It's supposed to be leprechaun feet which was made by using the side of his fist and finger prints for toes. It reminds me of a baby's first foot print.

Monday, March 14, 2011

And the Sign Says


I think this is pretty funny! I like the eyes in the "OO" like someone is watching you.


Can someone please tell me what this sign means (the black and white one in the middle). Maybe if this truck crashed, fish and trees will die?

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Nashville Retreat


One of the best parts of this weekend, was the fresh homemade bread left outside of our front door every morning. Since I'm used to getting up early, I was able to snag it while it was still warm.


Here's a shot of the pool area and pond. Too bad it wasn't a couple of months later.


Down the hill is where we stayed. It had a carport next to the house which gave us plenty of ideas for our backyard.


Ryan found this while we were walking around this morning. We can't wait to bring Harrison and the new baby here someday.


Wee hang on tight! It's great to have a weekend to let loose and swing but even better to come back refreshed to a smiling little boy :)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

A Day in Nashville


We were both really impressed with Nashville. It was super clean and easy to navigate. As we were walking around downtown, I spot the Hatch Show Print sign.


Established in 1879, Hatch preserves the art of traditional printing. On the left side, the wall stores hundreds of woodcut fonts. It's an art form I can really appreciate.


Here's a sampling of some posters. Of course, I had to acquire a few myself.


Yee Haw, I think Ryan makes a handsome horse. Actually, when I showed the pictures to Harrison, he thought I was dressed up like a horse!


We stopped by the Gaylord Opryland hotel to see the fountains and gardens. It was nice but I preferred our secluded retreat :) We managed to make it to a hockey game that evening which was super fun.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Babymoon 2011


I've heard of people taking Babymoons and I've always thought it was a great idea. So this was our weekend for a little getaway before the baby comes while I'm still feeling good. Plus, I'm hoping I don't have to travel the first year :)


Pit stop in Memphis. I'm not sure what Ryan is doing?!


Wouldn't be Memphis without a visit from the King.


My friend Heather told me about this Bed and Breakfast cabin in Nashville. I'm so grateful we were able to enjoy the great outdoors instead of some chain hotel. There were peacocks greeting us when we arrived.


I'm a sucker for boxwoods. I just love them. A German couple owns the property and they built everything from scratch. 


It was a little cool tonight so Ryan created this glorious fire for me. 

Thursday, March 10, 2011

23 Weeks


I'm 23 weeks and coasting along. I feel a lot bigger than I look. The baby is growing right on track. He/she is about a pound and around 11 inches long. The baby can hear loud sounds so I'm sure he/she is pretty familiar with Harrison's voice. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Website Wednesday - yowayowa Levitation


Click HERE to view the levitation photography (and a couple of kitty shots) from Natsumi Hayshi. It's pretty cool.


There's so much creativity in the world, I'm just happy I have the internet to see a sliver of it.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Deep Sleep


I'm taking a trip down memory lane. I think he was around 8 weeks old in this photo. His eyebrows are just starting to appear. My sweet little angel.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Spring Nesting


What do you get when you cross the nesting instinct with spring clean? A crazy me. My mind is so scattered these days, I can't figure out what I'm doing next. SO I made a list of all the rooms in the house and had Ryan rank them on importance. You know what #1 was? My office! Ha ha. 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

March of the Penguins


We've been waiting for the penguins arrival for months now. Unfortunately, they had just finished swimming and eating so we didn't get to see them in action. I couldn't zoom in close enough to get a good shot.


Harrison says the giraffe is his favorite. I'm pretty sure it's because of its black tongue.


The sun bear came right over to pose for the camera. Then he asked me to put him on the blog. Anything you say Mr. Bear.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Happy Birthday Westin!


Harrison has figured out, birthdays = cake, so he was super pumped to attend Westin's first birthday party. 


Westin is such a cutie pie and seemed to enjoy everyone singing Happy Birthday. 


Shannon went above and beyond on the decorations. Click HERE to see more photos. She's so creative, he's a lucky little guy.


I love the straws and drink holders. This would be good any party or special occasion.