Fob-ulous!

I made a key fob! And I'm obsessed with Pinterest. The two go hand-in-hand, I promise. Last night I had a sisters-in-law craft hour with Stephanie and Caroline.

To all of you who scoffed at the lanyard I've been carrying my keys on for the past year: Thank you.

I will no longer carry my keys around my neck like a dweeb. They will now be firmly affixed to my wrist, which I'm sure will be much easier to use for self-defense purposes (should the need arise.)

Oh, and of course I chose the green and gold combo to honor that good old Baylor Line!

Stephanie's Key Fob, with cute stitch lines!

(Caroline's Key Fob is not pictured, but I will pressure her into letting me get a photo of hers as well)

Original Pinterest Pin here.

Tutorial here.

Mission Accomplished

And we finished BEFORE we needed to (we have 2 weeks, 5 days til my due date, so I'm currently patting myself on the back.)

And now I will share the photos of the nursery that should hopefully feel like you are transported into the tiny bedroom on our 2nd floor. Kennedy and I have been enjoying just sitting in there in the evening and looking around the room.

Tonight, my lovely sister-in-law, Stephanie, helped us organize all his clothes by size in his closet. Honestly, it would not have gotten done if she hadn't helped us.

And honestly, the nursery wouldn't have gotten done to this extent if it wasn't for everyone else in our lives. We have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and help that our family and friends have showered us in. And maybe I'm gushing and having an emotional pregnancy moment, but it's also the truth. I almost need to cry over how undeserving I am of all this love.

STOP! I'm going to stop now, so I can share the photos! Enjoy!

Welcome! 

Step over here and you can see the crib. Above the crib is a photo of each of our 3 dogs. Yeah. 3.

View of the daybed corner

Throw pillows made from the same fabric as the crib skirt. Headboard is an antique door that Kennedy re-stained. Above the headboard is a tree picture (center) that sister Emily drew and had everyone at my baby showers put their thumb-print on in lieu of a guestbook!

Notice the dog in the corner. This child will have no shortage of dog toys.

View from corner near the crib

Changing table/book shelf. Yes, I staged the changing table caddy with diapers and baby powder.

Pinterest-inspired bulletin board (backed with chicken wire!) We put pictures of his baby friends, family pictures, a dog calendar, etc, etc.)

View from the Diaper Genie II!

Fun projects! Printed letters from this site and hung them up.

Got an old, burned up fence picket from this fiasco, and Kennedy put 4 different knobs from Hobby Lobby on it.

AWESOME! Jaclyn made this shadow-box name with antique letter press letters. I can't stop looking at it! It's on the side-table by the rocker-recliner.

Where I'll be spending a lot of time. Sister Emily also made that adorable "C" stool next to the chair. (We have so many hand-made and thoughtful gifts that have helped furnish this nursery. It makes it all the more special!)

1AM and I'm updating my blog about the nursery? What am I, CRAZY!?! I'm going to sleep now.

Childbirth class report

-or- What NOT to do or say when accompanying your wife to Childbirth class

I believe a numbered list is most appropriate in this situation.

1. Lay down on the floor during breathing exercises.

2. Announce to the class how lazy your wife has gotten in the last trimester.

3. Chase the other pregnant ladies around with an amnio- hook.

4. When the instructor offers a chair to the pregnant ladies to prop their feet up and they all decline, but you go ahead and get one for yourself.

5. Making a baby-cry noise at the end of every breathing exercise.

6. Make disgusted faces and groans during the childbirth video.

7. Later, impersonate women in aforementioned childbirth video.

8. Ask if the instructor knows if most carpet warranties cover someone's water breaking.

S'Mo Holiday Deco'

But first, a stream-of-consciousness interlude (with holiday overtones)!

I swear, if Cece doesn't quit with the gigantic paw-swipes across my bare skin (arms, face, neck...), she's going to be wearing Christmas mittens for the rest of her life. I will duct tape them to her if I have to.

I don't mean to be a Grinch about it, but whomever was responsible for her when she was a puppy forgot to remove those little hook-shaped claws half-way up her leg, and those suckers are SHARP.

I stopped in at Hobby Lobby today to pick up some picture frames for above the crib in the nursery. The frames will house a picture of each of the (3) dogs. I got to thinking how cute it would be to have baby pictures of our dogs in the nursery. Unfortunately, Cece and Harry both joined our family as adult dogs. Sad.

Fortunately, dogs are pretty much like babies forever! Charging camera now to take a photo of Harry.

I went outside to take some pictures of the lights Kennedy hung and it was starting to sprinkle. I thought to myself, "Good thing I'm at the end of day 2 on this hair style." If that makes sense to you, then you don't wash your hair every day. Also, the bottom half of lights on the house were out. Needless to say, Kennedy fixed them in less than 5 minutes, but I was already sitting on the couch by then. So no picture of the outside.

Do people really like to see other people's Christmas decorations? I mean, I like to see other people's decorations, but is it completely boring to post pictures of my own on my blog? Oh well. If you hate Christmas, then stop reading now. (Also, hating Christmas/Holiday lights probably makes you a terrorist. Just saying.)

The "peacock-inspired" tree in the fireplace room

Close-up of the ornaments on this tree. Working on a tree topper soon!

A terrible iPhone picture of some ornaments in a bowl on the coffee table.

When I say it that way, it really takes all the magic out of Christmas, doesn't it?

Pinterest would describe it as a "rustic holiday centerpiece."

My view from the couch every night (except the television is on and I am using the laptop - but I left this out of the photo.)

Why buy a tree skirt when you can use a fuzzy white blanket that's been balled up in the laundry room for 3 months because no one wanted to fold it?

That, my friends, concludes the holiday tour thus far. Perhaps someday I will post a photo of the outside lights. I still have more Christmas decorations to put up, so we'll see.

I hate grading papers.

Nursery Reveal!

Coming soon!

But until then, here's a picture of what we'll be hanging over the changing table...Thanks to Pinterest for the idea!

Christmas decoration extravaganza!

I got him! I finally convinced Kennedy to help me decorate. (In his defense, he always gets all the decorations from the attic for me, so he's not a total grinch.) But this year, he has put his thumb in the actual decorating pie, and it's like Christmas synergy at the Dean house!

Man's a natural. He even put up Christmas lights on the house (first time in 3 years!) I'll go ahead and give the baby credit for his Christmas cheer. He is so excited he doesn't know what to do with himself.

So yesterday I decided to decorate in room themes. I now have a candy cane room (stole this idea from sister Emily) and a peacock room (so trendy right now!)

In addition, I made a fun Christmas sign using ONLY materials we had on our property. Translation: FREE Christmas decor.

Take a look!

In the stairwell! (Ignore the following things: baby gate propped up against the bottom step, any dents or divots in the walls...)

Close-up of the signs! (I miss Hawai'i.)

I love Christmas decor!

Necessity is the mother of invention

And my invention was bred from not wanting to spend $100+ on a crib skirt. So I decided, after seeing countless crib skirt tutorials online, that I should make my own. (I realize, yes, I did not invent the crib skirt. I just like the saying.)

After all, most baby bedding has monkeys or frogs on it for boys. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not my style. I like things to be a little unique.

Luckily, I was dragging Kennedy to IKEA to get a shelf for the baby's room that will double as our changing table (IKEA hack to follow) and got to browse their wacky fabric selection. I ended up finding a fabric that I thought perfectly complemented the tree wall.

Behold!

I set to work hemming 3 sides of the piece I'd be using for the skirt. That's all I did. I hemmed a piece of fabric. Then I added ties to it so it wouldn't fall off. DONE.

Ironed hems (made it much easier to sew on the machine.)

Finished skirt! With a blanket folded to look like a mattress with a sheet on it, since we have neither yet. Perfect little hiding space for JUNK! Can't wait to push everything under the bed when I feel like I need to clean.

Ribbons sewn onto the top hem of the skirt so I could tie it to the frame.

Cute little dog snuggle blanket that Aunt Amy sent us! This baby will never be deprived of things related to dogs.

Stay tuned for more nursery updates!

Aforementioned crib skirt tutorial links:

• Domestic Adventure
• Pepper Design
• Project Nursery

Oh yeah, don't let me forget to show you pictures of our new master bedroom! (Just as soon as we get some furniture in there...)

Nursery Sneak Peek!

The "feature wall" is done! Nevermind the texture and paint all over our floors. Kennedy will be removing the floors this weekend to make way for our carpet installation on Monday.

In other news, I'm hosting a giveaway for "gently used" laminate flooring. Any takers?

Tired. Grumpy. DIYing.

It's a dangerous combination. Luckily for Kennedy, he is working in another room of the house. Otherwise, he might be subject to my hormonal outbursts (again).

I guess we finally decided we need to start working on projects concurrently, especially since my due date is a little over 8 weeks away. So I'm prepping the nursery for Kennedy to paint while he patches drywall in the master bedroom.

Cece and Uncle Harry have joined me for moral support, while Elvis stares longingly out the front living room window. No help at all from that dog.

OMG we knocked a wall down

So... We bluffed forever about knocking that wall down between our bedroom and the guest room. This week, it is happening. Now I'm freaking out that I have to fill a room twice the size...wish me luck!

I have been waiting for this

I finally have a new iPhone! I've had the same 3G since May 2009 when we moved back to Dallas. It was alright but way slow.... Now I have this fancy new technology with an even better camera, and I can really see myself bloggin' on the go! Look! I can even take a picture and upload it with the touch of a button!

Is it weird that I'm eating dinner on the couch and blogging from my iPhone? 10 years ago, half of that sentence wouldn't even make sense.

Now THAT'S weird.

Jealousy

...is what you'll feel when you see what I got in the mail on Saturday.

Yep. That's a Jell-O mold in the shape of a brain, just in time for Halloween! (My favorite holiday of the year!) There's also a small recipe booklet for different brain recipes. Yum!

Don't be jealous though. You can get your own brain mold for FREE by going to this link:

https://apfco.com/secure/w1381/product_description.cfm?product=W1381-19

All you have to pay is shipping, which is like $2 or $3 -- I can't remember.

Also, did you know the inventor of Jell-O's birthday is on Friday?!?!

Maybe not

Maybe I'm not nesting, because today I haven't done a dang thing except go to the dog park and then nap. I needed that though.

But, I have more to share from that one day I was nesting (yesterday).

First of all, Kennedy has forbidden us to share any more progress pictures of the bathroom until it is completely finished. Here's the last posted internet photo that we have. I'm currently trying to talk Kennedy into installing the toilet today.

He didn't say anything, however, about sharing pictures of the vanity we're modifying! We are using the old vanity that was already in the bathroom, but it was a mess. It previously featured a nice, dirty white color with stains and chipped paint. It was also realllllllly low to the ground. Meaning, it was below my hip, and I'm short. No wonder Kennedy's side always had toothpaste splatters all over the mirror.

This is a picture from the day we moved in. You can kind of see the vanity there, but there was really no way to ever get a full picture of it because the bathroom was so narrow. The vanity will be moving to the opposite wall.

Here is 1/3 of the vanity before I started taking all the doors and hardware off to sand it. Look a little closer at the disgusting baseboard...

Ignore all the dirt and dust you might see, because the vanity has been sitting in the garage for close to 8 months at this point. I do clean our bathrooms, even if it doesn't show...

So anyway, last weekend I sanded all the doors and cabinets so they could be ready for some fresh paint. We decided to go with a bright white (shocker.) We also decided to use an oil-based paint, so I could not participate in the painting (darn.)

A benefit of oil-based is that it is MUCH more durable compared to latex. It won't chip or peel later down the road,which is great for cabinets and furniture. A not so great thing about it is that the Home Depot lady will chastise you for buying this when you're pregnant, resulting in your poor husband having to do yet another part of the bathroom remodel alone. I guess I don't blame her for the warning...the can's label does say "Causes birth defects"...

Kennedy, you're such a trooper.

So, I mentioned earlier that it was way too short. I like tall counters, so we decided to jack this baby up on some spun legs.

Here's a picture of a leg, post-priming. You can see that we had to add those little 2x4 blocks to raise the height even more. We also decided to add a trim piece along the bottom, but wanted most of the leg to show, so that was another solution.

Here's where we were before the first coat of oil-based paint (and a better idea of what our vanity will look like when it's done!)

Before, the middle piece had 3 drawers in it, but the drawers were a PAIN. The drawer tracks were all crazy, so the drawers would open sideways or fall out when you pulled on them. It was annoying. We decided we liked the look of open shelving better, so we just took out the pieces separating the drawers and added a shelf in the middle. We'll probably put a woven basket or two on the top shelf, and folded towels on the bottom. Or something like that.

5. The number of times I said "drawer" in that last paragraph.

Sneak peek of what it will look like with trim?!?!

I can't wait to brush my teeth next to this thing! It practically comes up to my neck! (In a good way.)

Nesting

Is that what's happening to me? I hate it when everyone is right. But at the same time, if nesting is a real thing that happens to pregnant women, I'm glad I got it as one of my symptoms. You would not BELIEVE what I got done today. I have energy to spare! It's ridiculous, but in a wonderful way.

And I'm sorry for the lack of blogging, but let's just go ahead and be honest with each other. I'm not a good blogger, and I'm going to stop pretending to be.

Have you heard of Pinterest yet? If not, get over there now! Especially if you're addicted to the internet but have run out of things to do. You can start by browsing my pinterest. It's pretty easy to figure out what it is, so I'll spare the sales pitch that I keep giving everyone.

The reason I bring it up is because I spent a lot of today and some of this week doing some things I found on Pinterest.

First up, my halloween wreath!

I found this little beauty on Pinterest:

And here is my version:

This was SO EASY. I got a wire hanger and pulled it into a circle. Then I tied strips of black tulle all the way around until it looked full. (I actually think I ended up using 7 yards of tulle from a bolt of fabric that I cut into strips. So, tulle is hard to cut straight, but it doesn't matter for this because it looks better kind of jagged.

If you wanted it to look more like the original picture, you could get an embroidery ring in a preferred size (about $2 at a craft store) and make the tulle strips a little longer. I like doing things for mostly cheap, and I am always trying to get rid of those wire hangers. So. There's that.

It currently hangs on my front door. Now I'm thinking that I need to repaint our front door from red to a dark blue/cornflower blue color like this:

Reason being, I have already started making that wreath as well, and I think it's going to clash with red. We'll see. It's a little more labor-intensive, but here's my progress so far:

Tutorial can be found here. Can't wait! I think this wreath will be great for between Halloween and Christmas, and then after Christmas, and Spring and Summer. It's very versatile!

Last thing to share from Pinterest before I fall asleep. (Weird, I was just wide awake and now I'm not so much.)

Coconut Chicken. YUM!

Recipe can be found here.

Stop whatever you're doing and go make this right now. I won't blog again until you do.