Play Room Reveal

OK, I promised you a tour of the playroom redo, but as with Emma's room, the photos are NO BUENO. Sorry, but it's an awkward shaped room and I'm not a photog (in the least).

Looking into the playroom from the foyer.

A daybed for naps/a guest. It's super comfy. Trust me on that.

The one thing we still need to do is add a ceiling fan.

I am trying to figure out what to put on those shelves above

 the bed. Any ideas?

The corner with our old re purposed bookshelf-I got the organizational baskets at Target and have them filled with toys-the toy box wasn't holding all of girlfriend's toys. I did bust out the label maker and label the bins with things like, "Stuffed Animals," "Puzzles," "Stacking Toys," etc.

 

Bad dark picture. But, here are the blackout curtains (same as in Emma's room). They provide that nice darkness for napping. :) No valances here because of the crown moulding. Unfortunately, I didn't think that the length would be different from upstairs, but I didn't realize the ceilings are higher down here.

 (Now that I look at this, I want some sort of coverage up there.

I don't like the white blankness between the curtains. Ideas?)

The one "grown up corner" of the room with a bookshelf (full of grown up books!) and an iHome. This is another re purposed bookshelf that we are using as night table area.

Barty is modeling the use of the playmat. Isn 't he presh?

This alphabet poster artwork is from Sea Urchin Studio on Etsy.

It is a 16x20 print. LOVE IT!

 

Another custom made print from the Keep Calm Shop. It originally said, "Keep Calm and Rock Baby" or something, but the shop will change any saying and color to what you want. Plus, they are VERY reasonable. My only "issue" is that the posters are not normal sized for framing (I think they are 13x19), so you have to buy a bigger or smaller frame and pare down. I'm not custom framing a 20$ poster. I got a 14x18 at Hob Lob for like 9$ and cut some white off the top of the poster.

I chose this saying because it's right by Emma's rocking horse-hidden on the side of the daybed.

She breaks it out about twice a day.

I found these cute prints at Hobby Lobby for $4 each. I wish I could've found one more in green, but alas, I could not. Emma LOVES these-she walks up to them and says, "I liiiiiiiiikkke."

 

The pics of the pictures are from my iPhone, so they are a bit grainy.

So, that is the redo of the former office. What do you think?

iPhone picture dump

As per usual in the blogging world, here is what has been happening in our lives since Sickie got well (THANK GOD!)

Trying out a trike! But, we aren't buying a trike for $100!

Playing in my sandbox in a diaper, beads, and shoes!

Playing with wipes (she's obsessed!) I wish she would look at me long enough without moving and getting a glare off her glasses....

Playing with some dinosaurs that my colleagues gave to HME....already stealing toys!

Cajun chicken pasta-freaking yuuuummmm.

Aaaand, no picture here, but we will be having this baby in about 13 days.....

What's on your phone?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Love ya all!

Ten on Tuesday

I really liked the "Getting to Know You" thing I did over the weekend, mostly because I'm nosy I like reading what other people do, so I'm going in on another one today that I saw on Beach Bum and Baby. It's from Roots and Rings.


Ten on Tuesday
1. Have you ever used Craigslist?
Ummm, shockingly no. I don't have the patience to sort through all of the stuff on there, and not be able to see it instantly in person. Plus, I have a phobia that the reason it's on there is b/c it's shitty, so I would rather go to Goodwill and see it, dis it/buy it. I do know TONS of people (espesh in the blog world) who have had great success with CL.


2. Can you sew?
Ha! That's laughable. I'm sure I could do a button on, but other than that, it ain't happenin'. I would like to learn, but that would require two things I currently don't have: time and a sewing machine.

3. Do you pour syrup on your pancakes or dip your pancakes in the syrup?
Duh-rench them please. I am not a fan of dipping things. I need lots of butter, then lots of syrup to eat pancakes or waffles. I prefer both to be soggy. Gross, I know.


4. Rain storms: Love them or hate them?
Seriously LOVE them so much! My sound machine is set to rain. I relax when it's rainy and I'm at home. I love the darkness outside and the sound of it hitting the windows.


5. Do you like swimming?
Well, yes. I've always loved the water, of any kind. But, now it's a heck of a lot more fun with Emma. I was a "swimmer" growing up-I use the term loosely for my past country club competitive swimming, right mom? :)


6. What kind of drink do you order at Sonic?
May lose a friend over this one, but we don't have any Sonics nearby and I'm not a huge fan. I do dig the cherry limeades though, so that is probably what I would order. And, their ice is the bomb.


7. Are you funny?
Umm, yes? I think so. Ask my friends about the bikini wax of '99 story or any other retelling of what happened when I had a convo with someone and we disagreed-I like to embellish and make it a big story-and I do facial expressions and interpretations of said person-pretty much get some good laughs there, so we'll go with yes. Or, you could read this story.


8. At what age will your kids get cell phones?
Middle school. I personally think that phones before that are ridic, and you can try to convince me, but I'm not down with it. They DO NOT need a phone, as they should not really be unchaperoned before that age. I mean please, cell phones weren't invented until I was in high school-I got a BAG PHONE when I was 17 and used it twice because the roaming fee was equivalent to a mortgage payment. So, no phones for awhile. And then, they can get out my old Samsung and high tail it to T Mobes. Cause they aren't having a smart phone-fo sho.


9. What’s your favorite vegetable?
Asparagus. Roasted or grilled. Also, lunchroom green beans (aka Southern style beans). I LOVE all veggies, especially roasted!
10. Were you a Girl Scout?
Dude, totally! For like a while! I had every patch in the book. We met at the Methodist Church down the street from my house until like fifth grade-then it wasn't cool to be in Girl Scouts anymore. I was about to "bridge" to 'Cadets.' Ha! My mom loved taking me and my sister to our weekly meetings and then hearing us complain about having to do service projects to earn said badges.

Hope you all have learned some new things about me. Please play along with Roots and Rings and tell me if you do so I can learn some fun facts about you!

Emma's New Room

WARNING: THE PHOTOS IN THIS POST SUCK. It is extremely hard to photograph an odd shaped room and I don't know how to focus on certain areas when I can't capture the whole room at once. I need to take a class.............cause I have a kick ass camera.

So, walking into the room, here is what you see.

I am planning on getting some sage green valances made to go above the tan curtains to make that area pop. I want some sturdy fabric, but everything I've seen so far is silk or some other dressy junk.

From the door of her bedroom looking to the right-the repurposed dresser of mine from college, with two floating shelves above. That little rocker in the corner was mine when I was a baby and my sweet momma refinished it and gave it to Emma.

The front view of her crib. It will turn into a double bed once girlfriend is ready.  I like seeing how this space will look once that happens. I am not trying to hide the hamper or diaper genie because we use them regularly. And, I don't want her closet smelling like a dook dipe.



And, that's it. I didn't explain every pic, because honestly, you can figure it out. The only new things we bought were the crib, rug, curtains, and floating shelves. (Why does that sound grammatically incorrect Britt?) Everything else we had in her nursery or already had. I didn't want to do a huge thing because she will want an upgrade in a few years.

 I really love how everything came together. I also like how she has a play area on the floor. In one of the pics above, you can see a white wicker toy chest. It's full of stuffed animals and other little toys that she likes. Also, in the white dresser, I had 2 empty drawers left on bottom and put some books and puzzles in them for her to access. She plays in there while I fold clothes or whatever.

I forgot to shoot the closet, maybe I will do that one day soon! I'm pretty proud of my basket organization in there! I really went through her clothing and boxed up all things that were too small/out of season and got it out. Her old room had a ton of clothes in it that didn't fit/work with the seasons, and I need to be better about this. Cause she has tons of clothing!

So, I hope you can make some sense of the tour, and excuse my crapola photos!

Getting to know you

I thought a little Q/A would ease my transition back into blogging while I'm caring for Miss Sickie. Which PS, I hope NONE of your children EVER get this sickness-it is absolutely atrocious and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. The poor babe is just pitiful and I cannot take it anymore. I am crying as much as she is because I can't bear to see her hurting. AWFUL. So much for "bed rest."

Here are the questions:

1. What's your favorite rainy day activity?

Reading, playing with Emma and doggles (and J if he's home), blogs, organizing something. Generally just being low key and cuddly.

2. What time do you go to bed?

When I was working, about 9-10. Now, when I'm tired. Which is generally about the same time since I'm 15416546 weeks pregnant.

3. How many magazines do you subscribe to?

I think 2-3 now. Star, Parents, and.............I think another one, but can't be sure. I don't really have time for reading magazines. I make time for blogs first. :)

4. Did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday?

Umm, no. I forgot we were supoosed to be raptured until about 5:58. In all seriousness, I was not in any way, shape, or form thinking this would happen. We will have no clue when the real rapture will occur.

5. What's your beauty obssesion?

Shampoo/Conditioner, face wash, and pedicures! A pedicure can make anyone feel fab!

6. If you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life...what would it be?

When I'm not the size of a trailer, I love NY&Co and Loft. If I had to choose, I'd say NY&Co because I can get a ton of pieces and be somewhat trendy without going broke.

7. What's your summer must have?

J'adore some wine in the summer, but I must have sunglasses, flops, and runniung shorts!

8. Do you make weekly dinner menus?

YES! I have been doing this for about 6-7 years now, and I couldn't function without it. There may be the rare week when I'm off schedule due to travel or whatnot, but I really need to plan it out, look for coupons, and shop. I do not like going to the store 3-4 times per week for random things.

So, I would love to know these things about you all. Who wants to play? Link up to http://www.mannland5.com/ and let's learn about each other!

Upcoming blogs will be about Emma's new room, HME's nursery, and our playroom! Stay tuned......

Sickie

So, for someone on "bed rest," I'm not getting much rest.

Emma has herpangina (gross name, right?) It's kind of like hand foot and mouth disease, except it's blisters in her throat.

So, I'll be back once my bunny is better!








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Love ya all!

The End of an Era.......

Well, my last day of teaching was on Friday. I have been teaching for nine years. Seven years in third grade, 1 year in first, and 1 year as ITS/Science Lab professor.

Right now, I can't say I miss it. I feel like it's "Summer Vacation." It will sink in later when I'm out and about running errands.

I'm on modified bed rest from work due to swelling and pain in my legs/feet. I have three weeks to go until this baby gets here. I just can't be on my feet all day. I'm going to use these last days to unpack/organize HME's nursery, make meals, get all my ducks in a row, and enjoy myself before the no sleep sets in for A WHILE.

Emma is still going to the babysitter. It wouldn't be any kind of rest if I were chasing her all around! :) I am having lots of fun and previews of what it's going to be like once I'm a full time stay at home mom.

So, how long will I stay home? No clue. Could be one year, four years, or forever. I don't know right now. I guess we'll roll with it and see how it goes.

So, let me sum up the past nine years using numbers.

I've taught roughly 225 students.
I've graded over a million papers. No way to find out how many, but it feels like millions.
I've averaged grades and done roughly 1,000 report cards.
I've gotten up at 5:30 for roughly 1,620 days.
I've worked for four principals.
I've dealt with about 450 parents (about 20 were high maintenance/annoying/unappreciative).
I've written around 324 weeks of lesson plans.
I've made countless "teacher" friends.
I've made an impact on at least 5 kids. God, I hope it's more than that! :)
I've said, "Zip it dot com" at least 45,875,621,252 times.
I've had multiple recesses spent laughing and gossiping with friends.
I've worked my butt off for nine years. And now, it's time for me to take care of my own kids.

I can't wait. But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Updates to follow. I'm super grateful that I have these 8 "school days" to get things ready for baby boy and just RELAX!!!! Then I have to go back and clean up/pack my room up for good!

Sorry for going so long with out a post. I will do better! What have you all been doing? Blogger has been kind of quiet lately.......
xoxo

I'm still here....

Will get caught up soon! Today was my last day of work!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Love ya all!

Wordless Wednesday

Below are some pictures of the devastation from just outside of my hometown in Birmingham.

This is Pleasant Grove, Alabama. All of the pictures are from my sister. She took them

when she went out there to work/volunteer.

It is sickening and saddening.

This looks like a bomb went off.

The whole top half of this house is gone.

These are STEEL power poles.Bent. At 90 degree angles.

 

If you can, donate money or time to an organization that needs help.

If you live in/around the areas that were affected, consider helping.

I am going home this weekend with about 10 bags of clothing and food to donate.

I know Tuscaloosa had SEVERE damage, but so did other parts of Alabama. Consider helping them out too.

To see more pictures of what these people are dealing with, please visit my sister's blog

http://www.maconamess.blogspot.com/

Still here

I haven't been able to breathe through my nose in almost a week.

I may end this week being addicted to Afrin.

My husband AND child are sick with this allergy/sinus thing too. That's fun.

Fortunately for me, I get to go to work.

I'm still here. I just have NO TIME for anything and this week is SLAMMED with our upcoming trip to Birmingham. I have 80 bajillion things to accomplish for Scarlet's birthday, Mother's Day, etc.

So, I'll holla back when I can get it together.

I know, you were wondering what was up.

xoxo