Good Dog

New Year's Resolution Part 1

My New Year's Resolutions this year were all about learning. There were a number of things I've been wanting to take classes in for a long time but I always use the kids as an excuse. So, I made it my mission this year to take a photography class, photoshop class, and a serging class. While we're on the subject, I also wanted to expand my social group by joining a Mom's Group again or some thing else so that I can meet people with similar interests.

Today I took the first step in checking one of these off the list by registering for a photography class. The class starts on March 27th at 1:00. If things go well (with daddy watching the kids) then I'll sign up for more photography classes.

I also attempted to sign up for a Photoshop class as well (another New Year's Resolution) but that class was cancelled.

(If you're still reading this, bless you for hanging in there. I promise I'll have more exciting posts in the future.)

To add even more productivity to my week, I also signed up for two moms groups and one sewing group--it sounds a little excessive, but I just want to try them all out and see which one works best for me and the kiddos.

Sometimes it's quiet around here

but it's usually not good. Not good at all. And it usually ends in someone yelling (me) and someone crying in bed (Bella) and someone being banished to the kennel (Bella) (Gunner).

When it's quiet, something's goin' down.

I peaked around the fireplace to investigate and this is what I found. Bella grabbed a row of crackers and started feeding Noah. She's been asking if he wants cheerios ever since we brought him home from the hospital, but he finally has the teeth to eat them (kinda). But not by himself. That's the rule. But if you're three, rules are more like guidelines.

It's almost as though Noah know's he's been caught. He loves trying out his new teeth on anything and everything. Especially fingers. And Bella's toys. And important papers. But not junk mail. He's picky like that.


He definitely takes after his daddy with his bite sizes (now if he's looking like that with a brownie or cupcake, that's more my genes).

Don't let the innocent looks of these three fool you. They're up to no good. Always. Notice how Gunner is laying down. He's not really behaving. He's waiting until the two of them scurry away. Then he'll have a feast. Notice how Noah's looking like he's wanting something better (like a cupcake) and how Bella's ready to run to his rescue (and get a cupcake for herself too). I have my hands full.

Bella's Room

Bella's room is coming together...slowly. I painted her room turquoise which I LOVE. I wanted something fun but not too obnoxious. Abel would have selected pink, but honestly seeing pink and princesses all day long and then to see it at night is a little much. The color was a Behr color that I had them add a little more honey so it's more of a "custom" color. This little nook here used to have a desk and a shelf built in but the desk was HIDEOUS. Aweful. (Ignore the patch of popcorn ceiling that was underneath the shelf. I need to scrape that as well!)

So we demo'd the desk and were surprised to find a mouse hole (we've sprayed our house many times over...if that doesn't get rid of mice, don't tell me any differently.) and we learned that there was no carpet under the desk. We'll also replace all the outlets and switches to white. (Add that to the "honey-do" list.)

I salvaged the upper shelf and am painting it white. It'll serve as a bookshelf and will cover one section of missing carpet. I'll either put a rug and bean bag chair to cover the other section or put her dresser there. Either way, you'll notice that there's a little light on the wall (that we'll replace) and it'll be sweet as either a reading light or a light above the dresser (you know, in case she decides to change at night or something...sometimes things are more for decoration). I'll probably but a mirror below the light if I put the dresser there.

It's a work in progress. We still have to do the ceiling but hey, at least we're making progress!

Entry Way

I really wanted a hall tree to put in our entry way, but Abel insists that he had one as a kid and they never used it. (No matter HOW much I insist that I will use it, there's no convincing him!) Then I found THIS from Ikea (only $99!!) and decided I HAVE to have it. Our entryway would look great with two of these side-by-side with a wide mirror above (you know, like a hall tree). Then all of our shoes could fit in there (hopefully). We could put pictures and candles and all sorts of junk decorative pieces on the top of the shoe-dresser-thingy. I LOVE it!

And I could still put a bench across from it. Then it's like a hall tree but broken up.

Now all I have to do is convince the hubby. Maybe I'll just start leaving my shoes where my hall tree shoe cabinet will go. :o)

Our New Couch

This is our new couch that sometimes I look at and think I should have gotten the other one--but every time I sit in it, I fall in love with it again. To me it looks a little formal right now, but I think it's because our other couch just looked so...sad. I look at our old couch now and think it's a surviver. It survived years with Abel in college playing games like "how many people can fit on this glorified loveseat", two infants and Bella learning to drink without a lid (Abel thought she could start that when she was 18 months...I still put the spill proof lid on her cup) and potty training. If there were a cancer/war ribbon for couches, this one deserves it. That's why we're going to move him into the play room or retire him downstairs. He deserves a break.

You'll have to excuse the mess in our living room. We're trying to figure out what-goes-where. Even though Abel has an office devoted solely to him, he still puts his two laptops in the living room. Eventually we want to get to arm or wing chairs and ottoman to put in front of the fireplace, but for now, we have the glider. It looks a little wimpy in comparison to the couch.

You'll also notice the paint colors on the wall. I'm pretty indecisive. I need the color to be perfect.

I still like this color (this isn't our house...just a picture I found a long time ago) but it's a benjamin moore color and I need it to be in Behr because I need the built-in primer for our walls (they were painted high gloss). Home Depot (who carries Behr) won't color match someone else's paint sample. So I just need to figure out what color that is in the Behr line. It's a process.

My Sewing Room

While Abel was away in Virginia on a business trip, I decided I would set my sewing room up. Since Abel loves the paint sprayer (which takes WAY too long to set up), I decided I would paint my room quickly before he got back so there would be no confusion on the best approach to painting.


I went with a color that I call Pistacio Ice Cream (I think Behr calls is celery sprig or something like that...Pistacio Ice Cream is a better description). At first I was a little put off by how bright it is, but now I love it. I feel so inspired when I see the room...that and I want to keep putting stuff on the walls. It's a little bare.


I still need to put in the new outlets, light switches, and reinstall the intercom, but that'll come this weekend in time.


I especially love my dress form. I FINALLY got to take it out to use display. It really makes it look like a sewing room. Kinda professional-looking!


When Abel was buying my furniture for the sewing room (two shelves, two tables, two chairs, and a filing cabinet for less than $100) he also saw this conference room table that we're putting temporarily in the dining room. It'll go in the garage in a few years when Abel builds us a new table. I *heart* craigslist!


Noah's two bottom teeth broke through this weekend, so he immediately fell asleep when I got home. Isn't he so cute?