frame.of.mind: DIY

Nesting--the master bedroom.

It's far from finished, but here's just an itsy bitsy sneak peek of what we've been up to lately....

Well, mostly my husband really. He's done most of the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively) but it has been a group effort. We are currently remodeling the master bedroom and it has been a slow, grueling process at times, but it is so fun to start to see it all come together and take form.

People always talk about those crazy nesting urges, and usually I'm about 3 1/2 months behind everyone else, but this time around the nesting urges are striking before the 3rd trimester, if for no other reason than I already feel like I'm getting huge and I don't want to be bending over this much 2 months from now. First and foremost on my list was our master bedroom, although I would love to do the office and girls' room and guest room as well. Ha. We will see what we have time/motivation/energy/sanity for before baby comes.

This is what it looked like when we moved in:

And what I love most about the two photos is that it shows you that really small, minimal changes can have a HUGE impact. We basically just painted a ton, (walls, ceiling, trim) exchanged the carpet for wood flooring, and updated the fireplace. Nothing too impossible or drastic, but added all together it completely changed the entire feel of that room.

I knew exactly what I wanted for this bedroom when we first moved in here.....a light, airy, Scandinavian-style refuge that would become a place of peace and rest and claim its position as my favorite room in the house.

Especially with a baby coming this summer, I know I will be spending a lot of time in there, rocking and cuddling and getting up for nighttime feedings, and obviously sleeping whenever and however long I possibly can. And so for what can be such a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining time, it really helps to have a spot that you love to be to curl up in and just take life slow and easy for a while.

I'll try and do a more in-depth room reveal when it's all finished and decorated, but we just got done with the floor and I couldn't resist posting a little bit. Aren't grown-up things like home owning and redecorating so much more fun that you thought they would be when you were a kid??

For the most part, anyway.

What are some of your favorite ways to make a small change to a room with a huge impact? I'd love to hear!!

6 comments

, by Unknown

Christmas

DIY dollhouse.

6 comments

, by Unknown

crafts.

Easy, simple, DIY Valentines.

I will probably never be one of those moms that shows up to her kid's class with the expensive cards in the latest cartoon trends and bagfuls of the most-coveted candy.

Valentine's Day always seemed to me to be one of those "elective" holidays that if you were too stressed out or overwhelmed with busy-ness you could just skip it entirely. Which coincidentally, is how I feel 93% of the time. Lucky for me, I am married to an amazing man who doesn't feel that way.

I mean, it's hard enough for me to drag out all the fall decor, Thanksgiving things and Christmas trimmings, that by the time I get that all cleaned up and stored away the last thing I want to do start all over with, is more seasonal decor. So I usually just skip it. And actual Valentines? They usually get passed over too.

But now that I have a toddler old enough to say, "Mama, do a craft with me!" in that gentle, pleading way that tugs at your heart strings and sends you running to Pinterest, I figured I may as well make it seasonal. So here we have it, toddler-friendly Valentines.

Poor Charlotte wasn't very involved because she was feeling under the weather. Miraculously, in spite of a low-grade fever, I still convinced her to eat her spaghetti. And then I just had to snap a picture as she sat there pitifully watching Jocelyn work on Valentines....poor, dear little thing.

First off, let me warn you. These are not Michelangelo-approved. But I didn't say that, did I? They are toddler-approved. Which really means, they can look like just about anything and it's fine and dandy as long as they have candy inside and you're allowed to get a little messy while making them.

And these Valentines fit that bill perfectly.

I'm actually sort of partial to the Valentines that aren't picture-perfect, because that usually means that a child made them. And how much sweeter does it get than a token of love from the hand, artistry, and imagination of your own child?? Not much sweeter, I tell you.

So rather than hover and assist and direct and instruct, I just sort of let them loose and see what they come up with. And the results usually surprise me, in a good way.

Instructions on this are so basic it feels ridiculous to list, but here goes:

1. Dip eraser-end of pencil in paint for polk-dot effect. You can get creative with this! I saw a lot of cool ideas with this technique on Pinterest in the shape of hearts, etc. but I just let them do it as a background of sorts so there was even more freedom.

2. Use cookie cutters or a bent toilet paper tube for a heart-shaped stamp. Dip in a contrasting colored paint and once again, get creative with it!

3. Sign a message on the inside and tape in a piece of candy, and you're good to go! Like I said, not rocket science or art gallery material, but definitely toddler-approved.:)

So tell me, what do you usually do for Valentines? Do you go all out and festoon your entire house in reds and pink? Or do you feel like you deserve an award of some kind if you actually make Valentines with your kids? Whichever camp you find yourself in, I'd love to hear about it!

6 comments

, by Unknown

DIY

Move over banana bread, there's a new kid in town.

Sometimes people disappoint me. Sometimes they frustrate me, sometimes they bewilder me, and sometimes they completely misunderstand me. But sometimes, people completely and totally AMAZE me.

Take the time for instance when my friend, who has FIVE small children of her own, took the time to hand-weave me a beautiful basket and fill it full of farm fresh pears. That's when a thank-you card just doesn't seem to cut it.

So obviously I didn't want to let a single pear go to waste, but I also wasn't sure I wanted to can one. Single. More. Jar. And so........baking with pears! Seasonal, delicious, it warms up your house, makes everything smell like Heaven, and is just an all-around great idea. So after a bit of Pinterest-browsing, I found a pear bread recipe that didn't seem too daunting or too unhealthy and I gave it a try.

And boy I'm glad I did because this stuff will not last long around here! Not only is it the perfect companion to a cup of coffee, but every once in a while I start to get a little burnt out on banana bread, and so this is a delightful (while every bit as sweet!) alternative. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

RECIPE found via Chew Out Loud.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 TB vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 TB ground flax meal (dry)
5 cups of very firm pears, peeled and diced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F, and grease one large loaf pan and line a muffin pan (or grease two loaf pans for two smaller loaves.)

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, olive oil, applesauce, and honey. Stir together. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir to incorporate.

In another large bowl, combine salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, all-purpose and wheat flours, and flax meal. Mix dry ingredients well. Gently fold honey mixture into dry ingredients, just until completely moistened. Gently fold in pears, distributing evenly. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan(s) and/or muffin tin.

For single large loaf, filled almost to the top, bake 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out almost clean, with few moist crumbs attached.

If splitting batter between two loaf pans, bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs attached.

For muffins filled almost to the top, bake 20-23 minutes or until toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs attached.

(Makes one large 9×5 loaf + ten muffins, OR 2 smaller loaves)

I made two loaves with this recipe and they were a good size. Also, I didn't have allspice or flax meal on hand, and so I omitted those and it still turned out great. But it would be nice to have the flax next time for that extra fiber. Enjoy!