A Friday Collection

Well, I'm sitting inside on a Friday evening - in my pajamas - watching tv. Hubby is out of town and I feel like this would be the perfect time to blog, but I can't seem to focus on one major blog subject. So... here is a mini run-down of stuff that I'd like to blog about...

1. Sherwin Williams Harmony Interior Paint - Not only do I LOVE Sherwin Williams paint, but I LOVE LOVE the fact that they have paint with ZERO VOC's. Yep - that's right. I said zero. (Most paint has 200 if that gives you a good comparison) This low-odor and anti-microbial paint is PERFECT for preg-o's who are anxious to paint their nursery - or just for anyone who enjoys painting without the nasty lingering paint smell. Even if you don't get the Harmony paint - you gotta get Sherwin Williams. I've tried the rest and I'll never go with anything else. I love them. Seriously, I do.
2. My "new" bike trainer. I say "new" because it's new to me - but I got it on Craig's List. I typically hate the idea of Craig's List because the sellers are always so sketchy, but for $15 I couldn't pass up this deal. Most basic bike trainers are $75 - $100 new, so I figured it was worth the risk to see if this one worked - and guess what - IT DOES!! So now I can ride my Giant hybrid bike (aka my wicked witch of the west bike) indoors without the risk of falling off! Yay for a Craig's List victory.
3. Birthdays: Did I tell you that it was my birthday last week?? Hmm, well - it's really worthy of it's own blog because my husband TOTALLY went above and beyond to surprise me. I'll summarize:
   
   • surprise Carvel ice cream cake (holy YUM) the night before my b-day
   • surprise balloon, happy birthday song and breakfast in bed on my b-day morning
   • SUPER SURPRISE Easter egg scavenger hunt around the house with the sweetest clues leading to an egg hunt outside - and a prize egg which said I could get my BOB jogging stroller!!!!
   Here are some pics if you really wanna see - click here.
4. Garage Sale: I'm having one to get rid of some clutter and hopefully make a little extra cash to accessorize the baby room. I can't WAIT to get rid of this stuff... ahhhh
   
5. Mom's In Motion: It's a class I take Tues and Thurs that I just love. Get's me motivated to move and try to stay fit in my last few months of pregnancy! Love my instructors and my friends in the class :)

I think that covers everything... sorry this is a relatively boring post. I really do have intentions of making this blog worth reading one day. Once I get the room cooking I'll have more to blog on because I'll be crafting, tearing down walls, making stuff etc... In the meantime - this is what you get :)

Easy photo album cover

Looking for a cute way to dress up a brag book for you little one?? My mom showed me these cute little covers made of wool that were easy to put together and made GREAT gifts.

I have a collection here... My mom made me the one with the dog on it (my cat is on the other side!), my Granny made me the one with buttons on it for Christmas, and the plaid is the one she made Chris for Christmas, and the pink one in the back is one I just made for a friend walking the breast cancer 3-day.

All you need is:

• Felt (you can find it almost anywhere - walmart, michaels, joann, etc)
• A cheap photo album (again - walmart has them for .99 cents)
• Embroidery floss
• And buttons (if you choose to use them)
  

Once I learned how to make them, I decided to get creative... I had a baby shower to attend and was looking for a cute little gift for her. The pattern my mom had kinda looked like a diaper to me, so I thought how I could craft the cover to look like a diaper and baby butt!!

Didn't take long and I figured out this pattern. It was a HUGE hit at the shower, and now that I'm pregnant and have a lot of pregnant friends, I think I'll make more! It's a GREAT thing to do if you are on bed rest - or just bored. Materials are SUPER cheap if you use felt, but you can use wool or any other substantial fabric.

(The picture shows regular safety pins, but before I gave it to her, I got real diaper pins and it looked MUCH cuter!)





Looking back - I probably could have been a little more creative with the diaper - maybe put the kids name on the front and some ruffles on the back (if it was a girl)... but that's the beauty of creativity - it's always a thought process!

Instructions/pattern to come soon!

Getting over being sick

One thing I promise to everyone. When my kid is sick, I will keep my kid home. I will not send her out to school, gymnastics, cheerleading practice, play dates, etc. And I will do this out of the sheer respect for all the other kids and families out there.

If there is one thing I can't stand in life, it's when people put their wishes above the health and prosperity of others. Yes, I missed 2 of my Mom's in Motion classes last week (and yes, I had to pay for them too) - but if it meant keeping the other preggy's well, then so be it!

On a happy note - I'm feeling much better and hope to be back to blogging... I will not let this blog go - I wont.... I WONT!

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And now on to something I have just marked on my calendar: The Indie Craft Experience, coming to Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park May 30-31. There should be a lot of really cool vendors this year - and they have made it a 2 day event, so now you have an extra day to get out there! Be sure to check it out.

Cordless blinds for the nursery

I can't tell you how bad I HATE blinds with cords!!! Loathe may be a better word. I absolutely refused to put blinds with a cord in the nursery, so I went out on the search for a better alternative.

I thought I vaguely remembered seeing some type of honeycomb type blind that you could push up and pull down without the use of a cord. After a brief google search ("cordless blinds") I found a bunch of options for blinds that are made of "light filtering fabric" that does just what I want!!

Here are the options:

• Remote control cordless blinds (Bed Bath and Beyond)
  These were awesome - but pretty darn expensive.... and I really dont think I need a remote, it's not like the windows are inaccessible.
  
• Ready Shade Cordless Blinds (Bed Bath and Beyond)
  Loved that these had a peel and stick "technology" so that you didn't have to drill or screw anything. They also can be cut to size using the included tool. The price is also really good at $24.99 - $34.99.
• Cordless Pleated Shade (Domestications)
  I liked the fact that these came in colors other than ivory and white. I think the chocolate or linen color would be good for blocking out a little more light. These are also at a great price ($19.99 - $39.99) and come in 13 different sizes.

I think I will try the Cordless Pleated Shade.... (pictured below). I really like the linen color and think it will be a nice accent. I wish I could see the color in person, but I'll check out the return policy before I buy and let you know what I find out! Yay! No cords!!!!

Changing over to new layout

In my attempts to stay current on the blog and hopefully create something people read - I have changed over my layout so that I can add widgets. I have been stuck in the "Classic Layout" for quite some time - but coming from a website background - I guess it's understandable.

Anyway, this may mean nothing to you - but I wanted to warn you that the layout may be messed up - please comment back if you notice something that is not right. I'm trying to get it fixed asap!!

Thanks for the patience!

Things I'm looking forward to...

Even before we started talking about having kids, there were a few things that I have looked forward to. The closer it gets to ACTUALLY having one - the more things I get excited about! I thought this would be a good blog topic... a list of things I'm looking forward to once the kiddo is here.

These are in no particular order:

1. Scholastic Book Fairs - I used to love these things!!
2. Making Easter baskets and Easter egg hunts (and tooth fairy visits, and putting together bikes at 2am for Christmas...)
   
3. Tent-forts with sheets and sofa cushions
   
4. Going to games/recitals
5. Birthday parties
   
6. Halloween costumes/dress up days at school
   
7. Being a room mom
   
8. Girlscouts
   
9. Girlie stuff: tutus, glitter, makeup, dresses, tiaras, etc.

What are you looking forward to when your little one arrives? Or if you already have kids, what are some things you really enjoy doing that you couldn't do before you had them?

I suck at blogging...

Ok, I totally suck at blogging... but I think I've finished my last 'major' commitment so maybe I can stay on track.

Over the past month I've been trying to finalize my design ideas for the baby room... and I think I'm pretty sold on purple/green as the room colors. I'm still sticking with a vintage theme - and at first thought it wouldn't go with purple... but the more I'm researching - it's very much a vintage theme color. Wow, that was a run-on sentence if I've ever seen one.

Here is my idea board. I'm pretty sure that is the "built to grow" crib and glider we are getting... we have to go back and check it out again and then just decide! Ugh, I hate decisions. The glider is RIDICULOUSLY comfortable. It doesn't recline, but it's positioned perfectly so I don't think I'll need



More detail on the fabric. The purple floral print will be the bumper pad and curtains. The other fabrics I'm still deciding on for accents. I really want to find a good stripe as an accent, but purple fabric just isn't that popular right now.




I love the idea of silhouettes, but was concerned that I couldn't pull it off with the new color scheme until I saw the print of the queen (in the shot above) on a vintage purple paper. I may not use purple against my purple walls, but I like the idea of it.

Here are some other good ways to use silhouettes with fabrics and patterns. I saw this in a magazine and then was thrilled to find it online (I hate scanning stuff haha - although I DID just get a new printer/fax/scanner that I'm excited to try out! It's wireless too!!)

Ok, so that's the major thing that's had me preoccupied recently. I also just finished working at a race expo for a friend, so now that it's done, I will try to focus on blogging and getting the room FINISHED!

Photographing Kids - Photography Tips

Ok, this is a totally "cheat" blog entry because I'm back dating it so that it will fall behind the one I just wrote haha. Yeah, lame - but whatever - it's good info.

I came across this blog while "Stumbling". It's a few good tips on how to photograph your kids. I keep seeing all these pictures of my friends kids and there is so much STUFF in the background - messy rooms, dishes, etc. And I think this is a good quick lesson to show that you dont have to be a great photographer to take good pictures. Just take your kids out of the clutter and follow these simple tricks and VIOLA - awesome pics!

How To Take Great Photos Of Your Kids - from the Alpha Mom blog.

The past month...

Yes, it's been almost a month since my last entry... and it's been a crazy month to say the least.

My Granny, who I was very close to, passed away on the 18th. She was in the hospital for about 3 weeks with problems relating to breathing. She had high C02 levels, and they couldn't seem to get her oxygen and C02 levels stabilized long enough to make a difference.

She passed very peacefully in her home and is now with the Lord. Fortunately, two days before she passed, Chris and I had the privileged of telling her that our child, her 9th great grand child, was going to be a girl! She was the 1st to know (other than me and Chris) - and was also very proud to be the 1st. I'll never forget the smile on her face after we told her and showed her the ultrasound pictures. She was a very, very special lady and her memories will live on in this child and in many of us!!

This is her obituary - I will post the revised one from her funeral program as soon as I get it.

CASTLEBERRY, Edna Born Edna Carlise Brown, daughter of Joseph Waverly Brown and Minnie Bell Stephens, Edna died peacefully at the age of 86. Her family operated Brown Dairy in Chamblee where Edna attended Chamblee High School and played basketball. Edna married Charles Sylvester Castleberry while he was in the military in 1941. The two returned to Chamblee and founded Castleberry's Appliance Store where she worked as a bookkeeper for 64 years until her passing. Her son Curtis continues to operate the family business to this day.

Edna enjoyed many hobbies. Her favorite being golf, gardening, quilting, love of animals and sewing for every friend and family she could find. Edna was preceded in death by brothers, Robert Franklin and Joseph Conrad Brown and sister, Mildred Louise Scott. She is survived by one brother, Johnson Waverly (Dub) Brown; her daughters, Beverly Castleberry Winsness and Cynthia Castleberry Bell; son, Curtis Brian Castleberry, niece Nancy Scott Kidd; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Just days before her death, she was delighted to have been told that great-grandchild 9 will be a girl.

Funeral services will be held on Monday February 23, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. from H.M. Patterson and Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Rd. Burial will follow in North Atlanta Memorial Park in Doraville. The family will receive friends on Sunday, February 22, 2009 from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Kidsignments is HERE!!!!

Ok, well almost here - but I figured I'd give you a weeks warning so you can line up your baby sitter!!!

Folks, when I say this is the largest kids consignment in the southeast - It could be the largest in the United States. I'm not kidding - this thing is HUGE!!! My sister has signed up as a worker for the past 4 years, and last year conned me into helping her work some shifts. At the time - my husband and I didn't have kids, nor were we talking about having kids. I got to the sale and was BLOWN AWAY by the magnitude of stuff there!! Everything from ALL clothing sizes up Juniors and even MATERNITY, baby beds, rocking chairs, high chairs, pack 'n plays, baby baths, bedding, books, toys of ALL kinds, play houses, ride on toys, book bags, shoes, you name it and I SWEAR it's here... Anyway - you MUST MUST MUST go if you are near Georgia (notice I didn't say IN Georgia, I said near Georgia - it's really that worth it.

The website is www.kidsignments.com - check it out and see you at the sale!!! If you want a direct link to the photo gallery, click here!

Spring 2009 Sale Dates:
Tuesday Feb. 17 9am* - 7pm
Wednesday Feb. 18 9am - 7pm
Thursday Feb. 19 9am - 7pm
Friday Feb. 20 9am - 6pm (many 25% off items!)
Saturday Feb. 21 9am - 6pm (many 50% off items)

Here is more info from the site:

"Kidsignments is a semi-annual kids consignment sale held at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville, GA. Many of Gwinnett's smart parents have discovered the secret of buying and selling with us. People line up before this great event with laundry baskets (and those coveted garbage cans with handles and wheels) in tow (serving as shopping baskets of course!) to gather up the many bargains! It has become quite a tradition! Since we have filled our spots so quickly at the last several events and have had a long waiting list, we increased our seller limit to 1,000. With a 1,000 seller limit (yes, you read that one right - 1,000!) many great bargains should abound! This is not one to miss! Come see why this event was voted "Best Place to Buy Childrens Clothing" by Gwinnett Magazine and listed as one of the "101 Things to do in Georgia!"

The 'Grandmother of All Sales' (as written up by the AJC, Gwinnett Daily Post and shown several times on Channel 11 news) needs plenty of room for all the great finds you will discover here! We have over 30,000 sq feet packed with great finds when we open our two buildings for the kick off of the sale.

Don't Miss Out! Our selections vary from sale to sale, but with a limit of 1,000 sellers, bargains abound! We carry kids clothing from preemie to size 16, junior & young mens clothing, toys, baby equipment, maternity clothes, and every type of child related item that you can think of! We even get kitchen sinks, cars and houses! Well....they are plastic and child size. We had to rent the second building on the fairgrounds due to the high volume we receive of these larger items. This event only happens twice a year and for only 5 days! Don't miss it! We even accept Visa and MasterCard but make sure you have your picture id! We will not accept them without your proper id.

Not on our mailing list? Don't Miss Out! Make sure to send us an email at
Kidsignments@mindspring.com to be put on our future sale email notification list! Please include in the email the email address to add even if you are emailing us from that address. Also, make sure to send us your name and postal mailing information if you would like a postcard as well as an email from us."

Awesome Nursery Ideas

I have NO CLUE what I want for my nursery, even though I posted some photos earlier... I just can't make up my mind! There are so many great ideas out there it's going to be impossible to narrow them down!

HGTV (one of my FAVORITE stations) has a "Rate My Space" section on their website where people can upload photos of their rooms and people can rate and comment on them. They literally have EVERY room of the house - including Nurseries!!!

If you need some great nursery ideas, be sure to go there and check it out.

GREAT NEWS!!

I'm sure some of you have heard the rumors about the Consumer Products Safety Commission trying to put a stop to small businesses and individuals selling hand made garments and items for children under the age of 12. Well after a fight they have granted a one year stay of testing and certification requirements.

This is FANTASTIC news to all the sellers of these products - and even better news to those of us who absolutely LOVE buying handmade!!!

I have a few featured sellers that I will showcase on here coming soon so be sure to check back. In the meantime, check out etsy.com for some fabulous handmade crafts, garments and more!!

Custom Wall Paintings

If you look at the magazines and tv shows these days, you will see a trend towards custom murals and paintings on interior walls. I've seen this a LOT in kids rooms and nurseries, and don't think I wont jump on that bandwagon! I love the idea of something unique for my kiddo's room! One of my friends did a BEAUTIFUL job on her daughter's room painting the vaulted ceiling with polka dots, bottom chair rail with stripes, and stunning giraffes and jungle animals in the room and in the bathroom.

This was really the main inspiration for my desires, so I sought out to find an amazing artist to commission for the job. Who did I find?? Kristen Davis of Kristen F. Davis Designs - a brilliant mind when it comes to anything crafty! Check out her portfolio and prepare to be amazed!!!

Now to decide what I want. Here are a few on my list:






Ok - so this one isn't painted - it's wallpaper - but I just LOVE this room!!!!!

Bitty Booties

Love, love, love these little things. I can't remember how I came across them - but they are so cute and you can do ANYTHING with them!!!! There is even a Flickr group dedicated to creative new styles people have made!

Anyway - they are cute little booties you make with felt and other fun stuff - but you have to check out the gallery. People are so freakin creative I just can't stand it. Especially the creator of the Bitty Bootie - Heather Bailey. She is AMAZING - check out her blog if you have a sec.

When you are ready to make your own pair of Bitty Booties, you can download the pattern here.

Maybe I wont abandon this one...

So I'm self diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) - but then again, aren't we all. Why you ask? Well - I seem to jump from project to project without ever finishing one... Ok, lets be positive - I'm an "Ideasman". And I'm ok with that.

I was very passionate about web design for about 10 years - until it became more of a job than a hobby... well, it was my job - but I was missing the "fun" I used to have with it.

Life intervened during the 1st rut and I had a freak hand accident that put me out of work for about 3+ months. This actually was good because it gave me a little break. Until the cast came off and reality set back in ... I was swamped with work. A problem most people would be glad to have - I was not. So I busted butt and made it through some big projects - little by little decreasing my love of web design with every "tough" client.

In order to get out of my 2nd rut and to do something for a good cause I signed up for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-day walk in Atlanta. Awesome - Amazing - Incredible event. I had a great time and became obsessed with that. It took my mind off work for a while until it was over and again - reality set back in. I was swamped with work (again) and stressed beyond belief (again).

Well - I think God is pretty amazing and once again - he gave me a reason to taper down the web business... I got pregnant with our first child!! So after discussing it with Chris, we decided that Pilot Designs would go on the backburner for now and I would focus on being a wife - but still do a few SMALL websites just for some extra income.

And that brings me to here... creating a new blog all about nothing at all. There are so many craft projects, baby things, news articles, cool websites and more that I feel like the world needs to see - or at least that I need to collect together. I hope to bring little bits of interest in the lives of those who need a little break. This blog is perfect for those Mama's with ADD - I mean other "Ideasmen" :)