More Decorating...

Let's just pause and take a moment here to reflect on what Adrienne has done- I have successfully hung 3 window treatments all by myself using a real drill... as opposed to a fake one:)
Do you realize that you have to do many steps to hang curtains and to just get the drill to actually put a hole in the wall? Oh, it only took me 2 hours to figure out how to get the drill bit in the thingy and then tighten it up or maybe it's the thingy into the drill bit, whatever, I got it done and it looks good! Maybe there is installing in my future. After all, this is what my dad did for my mom's interior decorating business, after being in the Army for 20 years he retired and became the installer of all my mom's custom drapes. Dad you should be so proud of me!

Now, you're probably thinking "Was she on a ladder and shouldn't she take it easy, she is pregnant after all?" Yes, well that's me, I'm crazy like that and very stubborn. When I want something done and feel like I can get it done without hurting anyone or anything in the process, I will do it. In all seriousness though, I do know when to quit, I take breaks and I do most of my projects in stages. So please don't think I'm crazy enough to put me or Bennett in jeopardy!

I must be nesting though because I don't know where I'm getting all this energy from. I'm 32 weeks now and I think having Ainsley (my firstborn) 6 weeks early, has made me go into panic mode a little early (I did this with Harper too) because you just never know. And heaven forbid if every single thing on my "to-do" list isn't done before the baby gets here!:)

Here are some pics of my progress: (Let me preface this by saying I toned things down in this house as far as decorating because every time I go crazy and make the girl's rooms super cute, we end up moving and I have a feeling this move will not be permanent so I decided to just paint and make it easy for resale when we do move again).

Here's Miss Ainsley's room, in here I just painted (a very pale green-in our last house it was more of an apple green so I toned it down a bit this time) and got her pillows monogrammed, everything else was pretty much done.

This saying is sooo Ainsley... (actually it's probably sooo most 4 year old girls):)

This is Harper's soon to be room (whenever I can get her out of the crib and into a bed that is and if you saw the video, that isn't happening any time soon!) But it serves as a good guest room still so it works out well. I stayed with the pink and brown for her and just pray that she doesn't get the duvets dirty when she actually "moves" in!! I'm getting the headboards slipped covered in a chocolate brown so I hope it turns out good!

And here is Bennett's room (currently occupied by Harper and probably will be for a little while)

Still need to get his bumper on-(it matches the red stripes in the curtains) and there's the poor crib that Harper is trying so hard to brake-it's not like it's an antique, it's just that I don't like spending a lot of money on cribs- I don't know, I just think it's a waste, I'd rather spend my money else where so hopefully Bennett will take it easy on this crib!

I thought this was a cute saying and something different other than a picture.

I also hung the scrap booking paper I found on sale at Michael's and typed up his monogram on the computer. I hung his curtains too!! I now know not to use the plastic anchors when drilling into a stud, I'm telling you people, I could be good at this one day. Thinking of painting that white table in the picture, maybe red??

Here's our bedroom before...

Pretty bad, I know, we did just move in so that's been my excuse.

And after...so much better I think!

These are the curtains from Target I hung and with my mom's help, hot glued some cute trim to make them look more custom.

So our bedroom is complete except for a monogram that I'm going to add over the bed that Kristen from Faulkner Family has helped me with, (she works for Uppercase Living), Bennett's bedroom is almost done, just waiting on his bumper and I'd like an area rug, Harper's is complete except for slip covers for the head boards and Ainsley's room is done, yay!

Now we move to the outside but alas this is Mike's area of expertise, well maybe not expertise but he and my dad will try and I'm sure it will turn out nice! I will just sit back and instruct:) We are planning on adding a patio because we literally walk down three steps into muddy grass. We also want to get the swing set up for the girls, which is almost done! We brought this with us from our last house because, well, we paid good money for it and we're going to get some good years out of the thing! It's going to be nice after being cooped up all Winter long to enjoy the back yard and add some plants and landscaping.

So we have about 7 weeks to get all of this done (Lord willing Bennett stays in that long) because I just know if we don't do it now, it just won't get done. However, getting a patio done in that time frame with Mike working may not happen. I'm okay with that... I guess :)

One last project that I have decided to do is to make our "formal" living room into a playroom. I always told myself I would not do this because I liked having the nice living room for extra space "in case" we have some big party and we need more space for people to sit. Please! We all know when you have a party everyone congregates in the kitchen- it never fails, so why have this extra room that no one uses except for Blitzen, our dog, who enjoys looking out the window why lounging on the chair??

I just think it will be easier once Bennett gets here to have everyone (the kids and I) during the day, on the same level (as opposed to the unfinished basement ) and besides, the girls like to be close to us, so now they can play just one room over while I'm in the kitchen or feeding the baby or folding laundry or whatever. I just don't want it to look like an explosion of plastic toys, various Elmos, Doras and baby dolls when you first walk in, so that is my task right now, to make it look cute as well as fun for the kids at the same time. So, I'll keep you updated on that!

On an even crazier nesting note, I totally rearranged our family room at 1 in the morning the other day and I'm so much happier with the set up! I think Mike really enjoyed walking downstairs to get his coffee before running out the door for work and seeing a new arrangement. Yeah... he thinks I'm crazy.

Oh, if you could just see my check list, you'd really think I was crazy too but you're probably already thinking that...;)