So I realize I haven’t been the most faithful blogger in the last few weeks, but it’s because a girl can only handle so many projects at one time.  One of the projects was a face-lift to my site.  Kyle encouraged me to take a critical look at my background, as well as look into a few different ways to personalize the site.  So I’ve been experimenting with colors and hope that the new look stays true to my pink-obsessed self while allowing the blog and pictures to really pop.  I also incorporated some green in the site to keep it from being too monochromatic.  Nothing is set in stone, so let me know your opinions.  (If the changes aren’t showing, make sure to reload the page in your browser.) I’m also trying to learn a bit more about WordPress and the many many options that are available.  For instance, my Choice Finds in the sidebar (send me an image if you’d like me to include a link to your website) and the Follow option vie Google Friend Connect.  Even though we’ve had the site almost a year, I still feel like such a novice sometimes.

Another project on the list has been to find Kade a “big boy bed”.  We were looking for a Captain’s style twin bed: Captain’s style because I knew we would need under-the-bed storage and a twin because the kids will be sharing a room and we wanted to save space.  (We opted out of the “toddler bed” to avoid another bed purchase in 2 years).  Eventually I found a great deal on Craigslist and convinced Kyle it was worth driving an hour and half to retrieve it.

On a side note, can I just say that it truly irritates me how men respond to women?  I keep trying to explain to Kyle what it’s like to walk around this world as a 5’4″ woman vs a 6’5″ man.  I’ve learned to be OK with the fact that no one will step out of my way in a grocery aisle or on a sidewalk (even when pregnant), that salesmen at hardware stores won’t answer my questions directly, and that I will be treated like a moron at Best Buy.  But the Craigslist guy seriously irked me!  When I initially called about the bed I asked for measurements to see if we could bring it home with our SUV or if we’d need to get a truck.  When I called back to say that, yes, we would come pick it up, he asked how I was going to get it home.  I said we’d use our SUV, we’d put the drawers and headboard inside and the bed and mattress on top.  His comment, “Does your SUV even have a rack on top?  You know, you just can’t set things on the top of a vehicle” which was followed by, “Do you even have rope?”  Are you kidding me??!?!  Did he really think that I was just going to toss a bed on top of an SUV and start driving 80 miles an hour down a freeway?  I guarantee he would not have said that if he was talking to a male’s voice.  I wear pearls, love aprons and can make a mean pot roast, but that does not mean I’m an idiot!

Moving on…here’s a pic of the bed in process.

It’s just particle board covered in a veneer.  No matter what bed we got, I wanted it to be white.  So I read some tips on painting this kind of pretend wood and got started.  We lightly sanded the veneer to help the primer adhere and then I painted 2 coats of primer, followed by 2 coats of white paint and a clear coat.  (Don’t worry, Dad!  The garage was well ventilated and I always wore a mask.)

These are the drawers with one coat of primer.

Thank goodness Kyle convinced me we should put it up on 5 gallon buckets to paint it!  Since we had to BUY the buckets, I thought I could save a few bucks and just leave it on the ground.  But after crawling around our garage floor for 4 days sanding and painting and sanding and painting – it was the best $7.50 we’ve ever spent!

Next on the project list was nursery bedding.  I was going to need a new set for the crib and twin size bedding for Kade’s new bed.  Again, in an effort to save money, I ended up making both.  I used a white-on-white eyelet fabric for the crib bedding (bumpers and skirt) and then made four different crib sheets out of some gorgeous fabrics to bring a splash of color.  I was shocked at how much cute patterned crib sheets costs (around $40ish) and then shocked again when I found this super simple pattern for making your own.  I ended up making 4 sheets for less than the price of one purchased one.  Here’s a preview of the crib set.

For Kade’s bed, I cut down our old white duvet cover to fit a twin and then inserted an old blanket rather than an actual duvet (potty training is going well, but I wouldn’t say we’re batting a 1000 just yet!).

With all the white though, I need to start thinking about how to bring color into the room.  Leave it to mom to save the day.  She sent me a ton of vintage-esque fabrics (top photo) to work with which I’m using to make bunting, curtains, basket liners, and more.  I also got a few old nursery rhyme illustrations framed and Kyle is going to make me a quilt rack to hang my Grandma’s nursery rhyme quilt from.  I can’t wait to show you how it all comes together.

One of the most fun projects has been getting ready for a little girl to join our family.  I went through Kade’s infant toys and got back out all the baby supplies.  But the most fun was when a co-worker of Kyle’s gave us 2 boxes of little girl clothes!  It was like Christmas as I sorted through mountains of pink and ruffles and lace.  Now everything has been washed, folded and carefully put away in it’s spot in  the nursery.

Just a few final touches to finish up before Fritz arrives…and I promise I’ll post pics of everything put together as soon as I can.