Family Room Makeover

When we moved into our home last fall, we didn't bring much with us in the way of furniture. We had a few pieces that we had purchased over the last few years, but the majority of our pieces were family hand-me-downs. They have served their purpose in the last few years. We were so afraid to purchase new pieces while living in the condo because we were unsure how they would fit into whatever home we moved into. That has left this house feeling empty...and not quite feeling like a home just yet.

With William's baptism approaching in another month, we'll be hosting guests for lunch afterward. It has inspired me to get a move on things and make it look as though we've completed a room in this house other than the nursery. Now, I'm the kind of girl that likes to make To-Do lists. I'm even the kind of girl that writes things down on a To-Do list that have already been done, just for the sake of crossing things off. Yes, I'm that person.

So, I've mentally started writing my list of things I want to accomplish before the baptism. Note that I'm mentally making this list -- I'm too afraid to actually write it all down this time, because there's A LOT on there. And about 30 days to do it. And a newborn. And so, yeah. You see where I'm going with this.

The room that will get the most attention between now and then is our family room. We love this room. We LIVE in this room. The makeover is already under way. After moving in, we (and when I say "we" I really mean the hardwood flooring guy) took out the carpeting and installed wood floors. We (and this time, I don't mean the hardwood flooring guy, but actually ME), purchased a new rug and a new fan. So, the process has begun, but the room itself is lacking something.

I'm hoping that with a new coat of paint, some curtains, and something decorative on the walls, the room will begin to feel more "homey" and less like a mishmash of furniture thrown together, desperately trying to pretend that they are the real deal.

Here are the before photos:

First order of business -- remove neon green shoes.

Getting Pin-spired!

For the last couple of months, I have been enjoying the "Get Pin-spired" link up. I never felt as though I could participate, however, because I was enormously pregnant and had a very limited wardrobe. I thought I would take this opportunity to begin to challenge myself to love my closet again. This is a hard thing to do, as I'm still not fitting in my clothes. I take that back. My jeans DID zip up the other day...but let's just say that the only muffin tops I want to see are on my breakfast plate! Ha!

So, I thought I'd take it slow this time around. My Pin-spiration comes from this image:

I love the idea of mixing the fancy and the casual. And, for this momma who has to find time to squeeze in a shower in the morning, the regular jeans and a t-shirt routine looks way more put together.

Here's how I interpreted this look:

Get pin-spired, too!

Stuffed.

For awhile now, I've wanted to explore knitting a stuffed animal for Little One. Upon seeing this cute octopus on The Purl Bee, my curiosity was reignited.

via

I remembered that I had wanted to make the dear Otto. 

via

Well...have I got a surprise for you!

Here's the progress I have made so far...

Oh, I'm so funny. Get it? I haven't actually started yet. You see...having this baby has thrown me off a bit. In the best way possible, of course. Every day begins and I think, "Today is THE day! I'm going to begin knitting Otto!" But then....feedings, diaper changes, and loads of laundry later...and I'm exhausted.

First, I felt guilty doing something for myself, when there were important things to get done. I promised myself I'd write out the birth announcements first. And, so I did.

Then, ohmygoodness, look at all of these thank you notes I need to write! Did those, too.

Oh WAIT. I want to organize my closet and pack away my maternity clothes. Done and done.

And then, when all of those chores are done....I just want to snuggle. Because he's so tiny and rapidly growing like a weed and I know he won't let me snuggle him when he's 15. Much to my dismay.

It's my personal goal to begin Otto this week. The yarn taunts me every day - and this Little One needs a cute, snuggly friend, right?

Little One - Project #1

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The very first project that I made for Baby William was Blue Sky Alpaca's Eyelet Baby Blanket. This one was a no brainer. The incredibly soft yarn, the daintiness of the eyelet, the ruffled edge - it just screamed "baby" and I knew it was going to be baby's blanket, loved and cherished many years to come. Because we were unsure of what we were expecting, I kept to the neutral ecru and I'm so glad I did.

Although the pattern itself was very easy, I did run into a snag. Anxious to get started on the blanket, I neglected to check my tension. Welcome to the story of my life! Do you think I'd learn from my mistakes?

Apparently not.

I realized this was going to be an issue as I was working on the last ruffle edge. Knowing that I'd be thisshort I opted to rip out a couple of rows from the other 3 finished edges so that everything was equal. This, of course, was a pain, but I'm happy with the end product and that's all that really matters, right?

Knowing that there was going to be a photo shoot at the hospital shortly after William arrived, I made sure to bring the blanket - and it added the perfect accent to the photos. Loved how soft the ecru looked against his skin and I was so happy to see him bundled up in something that mommy made!

One-Armed Raisin Molasses Cookies

Oh, molasses cookies. The not-as-loved cousin of the Ever Popular Chocolate Chip Cookie. Molasses cookies have always been my favorite. The cinnamon and ginger give it a kick that the classic chocolate chip cookie lacks. Even my husband -- the consumer of millions of chocolate chip cookies -- has found a spot in his heart for these molasses cookies.

As I was baking, I was moving at ultra-high speed so as to get the bulk of my work done before the Little One woke up. I wasn't too lucky. This is why I dubbed these cookies "One-armed Raisin Molasses Cookies." You can only use one arm because the other is holding a whimpering baby.

One-Armed Raisin Molasses Cookies

¾ c butter                                                                  1 tsp. cinnamon

1c sugar                                                                     ½ tsp. cloves

¼ c molasses                                                              ½ tsp. ginger

1 egg                                                                           ¼ tsp. salt

2 c flour                                                                      1 c raisins

2 tsp. baking soda                                                     sugar for rolling

Beat butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and egg, beat well.  Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.  Add to molasses mixture, mix well.  Stir in raisins.  Cover and refrigerate until chilled.  Shape into 1” balls, roll each in sugar.  Place 2” apart on greased cookie sheet.  Bake 350 for 10-12 min. or until set. 

And, because I couldn't use both hands, I was only able to snap a shot on my phone of this masterpiece. Seriously, you need to try these, like yesterday.

Stay tuned and I'll have fun posts called "One-Armed Laundry" and "One-Armed Vacuuming". It'll be a trip!

Little One - Project #2

Although we are in the midst of Memorial Day weekend, the blustery air outside suggests otherwise. My mom reminded me that I had knit up a Spud and Chloe matching sweater set for the Little One a couple of months back. Perfect for this crazy weather we're having! I couldn't resist a mini-photo shoot.

When I say that these patterns were easy...they were EASY. The sweater was knit in one piece and the pant legs were quick to knit up. I used the yarn the patterns called for (Spud and Chloe's Outer) and it is the softest yarn - perfect for touching baby's delicate skin. Either one of these are great patterns to use if you want to knit up a quick little something for a baby-to-be. Give yourself a few hours one weekend, and you'll be one sweater set richer than you were before.

The only snag I ran into was that the length of the pants were on the long side. The REALLY long side. Proper tension and I are frenemies. Although the pant legs were extraordinarily long (and I decided not to alter them, as all of my ultrasounds depicted a HUGE baby), they made for excellent pictures.

Looking like he's wearing a fisherman sweater...

Looking like he's a mermaid (merman?!)

One month old!

William Alexander was born on April 20, 2013 - also known as: The Best Day of My Life.

It's hard to believe he is already one month old! This past month has been a blur -- a tired blur filled with lots of feedings, tummy time, and just watching my little guy, enamored that he is here and he is MINE.

Poor little one had to endure lots of pictures this morning to try and capture a few that worked. I think we succeeded. There's only so much we can do when we can't fully support our own head!

Love you, William - today and always.

Get used to the camera, kid!