Tuesday, July 19, 2011

I'm married to an old(er) man...



Curt just had the milestone birthday of turning 30.

I've mentioned before how our usual birthday protocol is really low key, we don't usually do gifts (well, we jokingly call any large purchase we already are making for the month{s} before and after 'birthday gifts'), we don't do parties, we don't even typically go out to dinner.
We do tell each other happy birthday, we do maybe make something special for dinner at home.
I like things this way...maybe it's because I feel so blessed as to have all I need and beyond built into our budget that it just feels good to not have to do occasions...but then again, maybe I'm just obstinate and backwards.
Definitely a possibility.

At any rate, this year I broke out of the usual protocol to show how significant turning 30 is.
I am not a party planner, but we had like 15 adults and their corresponding kids over for a get together.
It was pleasant mayhem.

The biggest thing I did out of the norm though, was this:


 {uh, I accidentally bought trick candles...so sorry Curt...I thought they were just 'sparklers'}
*oops*


30 layers for 30 years.


so pretty to look at...
 ...and truth be told really fun to play with the food coloring to get just the shades I wanted...

...but so much work I doubt it will be done in my household again.


On another birthday related note, my Mom has impeccable timing.
This showed up right on the big day...

the inside reads "The more you have, the harder it is to breathe.   Have a happy one! (Birthday, that is.)"
 Struck me as funny, and has made me giggle every time I pass it.

Happy 30th my sweetheart.

 

Monday, July 11, 2011

Nursery Tour

So, I cannot believe that this little guy is almost five months old and I haven't shown you his room yet.

You may have noticed, but I tend toward neutral, classic colors.
Yeah, I kept to that in the baby room.



Just as you walk into the room are the redone dressers that I talked about here.


We have some awesome friends who have boys who are now entering the teenager stage and wanted to redo their room to a fit that new stage.  We were lucky and got some of the hand-me-downs from the classy, younger look that they were getting rid of.
For example, this is actually a spiffy light fixture that we received from them.
It would have hung too low for my taste in our space, so I removed the light kit and think it is an amazing display piece all on its own.



This leaf is one I brought  back from the Sacred Grove on our big trip we took with family last year.


I painted the upper portion of the wall a Glidden color called "bronzed ivy" in an eggshell finish back in January of '10.  I put the small shelf up around the room shortly after that...and there the room sat for a bit (read: almost a year).


The crib is possibly my most favorite Craigslist find ever.
It was $200 with the mattress and we bought it from a really nice older couple who had bought it for when they watched their grandson...it was hardly even touched.

I like the spare look...not a huge fan of all the plethora of stuff you can outfit a crib with.
{comforter, bumper, dust ruffle, mobile, light/music show, stuffed animals, oh my}
I'll let you know if my kid turns out boring because of me.


 Oh but I find it soothing on the eyes.


The art is some more from our friends, I love a *free* theme that I adore.
Worked out so well.


I affixed the metal oval art piece to an extra kitchen cabinet door we had.
{it has a dent that you can't really notice in it so the builder replaced it and let us keep the dented one}
In a happy coincidence the cabinet stain matches the crib perfectly.




The curtains are canvas drop cloths, a trick I repeated from my guest bedroom.


It's a little hard to photograph when light is coming in the window, but I cannibalized a bamboo blind set to do an upper accent on this window and a few others I will show you later.
You can't really see it here, but it has some of the same wood tones in it as the crib, cabinet art, and the glider...It's a little touch that I feel ties the room together, makes me happy when I look at it.



This view is really nice...


...but it actually usually looks like this.

I have my diaper changing station on the floor in the closet.


Couple reasons I did this...
1) I don't find a changing pad particularly attractive so I love that I can close the door on it
2) I'm not real coordinated, plus I'm lazy
...so I wouldn't buckle my baby down every single time that I changed a diaper, but I don't trust myself to keep a wiggly baby safe on an elevated surface...so the floor it is.

I'll do another post later on why I do cloth diapers and how I like them, but for now I'll just explain that we clip them up {on these clothespins strung on fishing line} after we take them out of the dryer...keeps them fresh, organized, and right at hand. 


The builder basic closet only has one shelf at regular height the length of the closet.
I installed these shorter shelves all the way up both sides to use space that is usually wasted...I can fit so much more stuff in here and it's easier to organize and see everything.

laundry basket, small stock of disposable diapers, burp rags, washcloths, bedding, shoes.


stuff.


I have a small problem...I am deeply in love with little boy jackets/coats.
They are just too cute, I cannot help myself.


more stuff.
All that stuff just tossed up top {where I cannot reach} are the items he's already grown out of.



more inherited art work.


...and we are back to where we started from.

What do you think?



Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Family Reunion



On our last day in Utah, we packed up the vehicles and headed down to the farm and then to a family reunion on my Dad's side of the family.

I hadn't been to the farm in over 5 years (?!)
This is the house that my grandpa built and that my dad grew up in.

I poked all around for a bit {there are a lot of out buildings}, reliving childhood memories and noting changes and improvements, then we ate lunch.


outfitting the boy
Then we loaded up again and headed up Oak City Canyon.


Cousins/Cousin's Kids I haven't seen in way too long.


Me and Grandma


Dad and Uncle Vance


Lane and Shane playing a game


Dad showing off his "big guns" to go with the big pines.


Shaners playing in the creek


My little family


Ellie sure loves her Uncle Pants
(what she calls Lane)


Saturday, July 2, 2011

Baby Milestone


Desmond just rolled over.
Darn it but he is so very, very cute.


where you readers come from