enJOY it

around here.

April 19, 2013

Good week. Very good.

We bought Paul's flights home for his quick leave trip in June. It was pretty surreal penciling the time his flight lands into my calendar. We spent $95 on trip insurance in case he needs to come home earlier or something changes. But I know the fact that we invested money in a back-up plan means we will probably not need a back-up plan. So it's sort of a win-win. I have an appointment with my midwife this afternoon and I am excited to hear how baby girl is doing – specifically if she has turned head down yet. There's no real rush to get her out of breach position, but her movements have changed recently so I know something is shifting in there.

This weekend I am headed up to LA for lots of friend time and then all of next week I'll have my sister-in-law in town for a visit. We hope to make more progress on the house, hunt for vintage treasures and get the nursery completely set up. I also have a plan for a DIY ottoman that may or may not come to fruition. April is flying. I am thrilled.

Something fun to share: I am honored to join some lovely mothers on Spilled Mi lk, a collaborative photography blog. Each Wednesday, we'll be uploading new photos that we all took around a theme and the over-arching idea of motherhood. It's a fun challenge to be a part of right now while my little one is still in my belly and I really look forward to seeing how this will push my photo taking through the next few weeks and then after her arrival. Consider adding the blog to your bookmarks for photography inspiration once a week.

I am feeling light and energized. Hip hip hooray for that. Have a wonderful weekend.
#onmywalk.

April 18, 2013

The best part about being diagnosed with gestational diabetes is that I am now eating the cleanest and healthiest I have ever eaten in my life. I can't complain about that. I hope & pray that in eight weeks we are blessed with a healthy baby. I know that in eight weeks, I'll be a healthy mama. I recognize a daily difference already. I am sleeping well. I am waking up alert and headache free. I have consistent energy and thankfully never suffer sugar crashes or periods of too low-blood sugar. My diet is low-carb, super low-sugar, lots of veggies, lots of berries, high protein and high good fat. I am consuming probably the same amount of calories each day, but they are nutrient packed calories.

In addition to diet, I have noticed a significant difference in my blood sugar levels when I keep stress low and work in daily moderate exercise. I started up Bar Method again. It's different of course; the pregnancy modifications help keep the class from being "oh man, I am dying!" difficult. But it's a great workout, strengthener and something I have really missed. I figure one to two classes a week will help me build up strength for labor. And at the very least, Bar Method is great practice for breathing through pain.

I have also worked back daily walks into my routine. These are my favorite. Usually short – just 15-20 minutes and normally after dinner, but sometimes after lunch too. I am getting to know my neighborhood and love seeing the daily changes that spring brings. (Every single day the plants on the side of the road are taller.) I continue to take photos of the walks and share them on Instagram, partly to hold myself accountable and partly because it's a fun challenge to capture something different each time I walk the same stretch of block.

Spring is wonderful. Fresh air is wonderful. Eight more weeks of mindful eating, walks and baby kicks? I am on board.
bedroom curtains.

April 17, 2013

My dream for the bedroom is to make it feel like a zen-paradise. I recognize that as soon-to-be parents, we are about to be hit with a love-able but crazy tornado for the next 18+ years and this makes me so inspired to be sure we have a clean and simple bedroom (or really retreat?) that feels comfortable and special.

I am far from there – this room still needs a lot of work – but getting curtain rods and curtains (all from Ikea) installed this past weekend was a huge step for the space.

Our bedroom windows face our backyard which means privacy is not really an issue, but I thought adding some super-lightweight white curtains would help define and cozy-up the space. The room had three windows in a row and I choose to add one long curtain rod (in black) above all of them and attach three long curtain panels that extend all the way to the ground.

All the wall brackets that hold the curtain rod are to the right of each window. This means the curtains all pull right to be opened and left whenever I want them closed. The farthest left window bumps up against the corner of the room so I just ran the curtain rod right up against the corner wall. On the right, I extended it out about a foot to allow the curtain room to move right. Because the curtains end up covering the wall between the windows, the illusion is that this is one long window as opposed to three separate ones. That was sort of a happy accident.

The whole room is going to come together from these curtains, I can tell. I am going for a totally neutral (black, white, tan, cream, wood) palette with the only color coming from plants and maybe a large but subtle painted canvas or two. Can't wait to share more.
DIY media cabinet.

April 16, 2013
I am seriously having a love affair with a piece of furniture.

The backstory here is decorating a house is hard. And I've got my mind spinning a bit trying to get everything "right" in this new place. It's a tricky thing – the house was built in 1961 and it totally has a mid-century vibe. I want to go there and take advantage of all the rad mid-century vintage and vintage-inspired pieces that are currently popular and available. But I also so badly DO NOT want the house to look like something from the set of Mad Men. It's got to be modern and "us" with healthy dose of mid-century.

That said, I have been looking for a new TV stand/media cabinet for the past few months. For the past few years, we have been keeping the TV on an antique white trunk, which I loved but what didn't really make sense in the main room of our new space (it's in the bedroom now). It was too bulky, didn't provide enough contrast and lacked easy access storage for DVDs and the normal TV clutter.

So I was looking for something with drawers or cupboards. I entertained a lot of low profile vintage dresser ideas. I thought about lots of different wood finishes. I hemmed and hawed and sent emails and screenshots to Paul (almost daily! yikes!) but nothing clicked. Not even a little bit.

And then I saw IT. The media cabinet of my dreams on the instagram feed of @ascotfriday. (Here's her cute blog.) I sent a screenshot of that to Paul and then started trying to figure out how I could recreate the look (because surely something that rad would be hard to find and expensive, right?) I loved the contrast of the white and real stained wood and I loved the idea of something SUPER clean and low-profile that the TV could sit off center on.

I found this white media cabinet at Ikea and knew that starting with that as a pre-made base would be infinately better than starting from scratch. After a quick trip to Ikea I learned that that exact storage system is actually purchased in six pieces (two small cabinets at $50 each and then four hinged doors at $5 each). The total length of two units side by side is 94.5 inches and the depth is almost (but not quite) 16 inches.

So then I went to Lowe's and found out that they sold 3/4 inch thick solid pine that was 96" long and 16" wide. This was perfect. My plan was to add the wood on both sides and at 3/4 inches thick it would make the total unit length 96". If my board on top was 96" long, it would cover the entire cabinet and the extra wood on the sides perfectly. It was totally meant to be.

I sent another screenshot and an outline of my plan to my dad and this past weekend, after picking up the supplies, we set to work. Our first and only snag was hit early when we realized that the 96" pine that we bought was really a tiny bit short (closer to 95.75") which meant the sides stuck out a tiny bit longer than the top. I wanted so badly to just deal with it but this was one of those minimal projects where if the details are off the whole thing is just lame. So back to Lowe's we went and I found some pine that was slightly thinner (21/32" instead of 3/4") for the sides of the cabinet. We had the wood for the sides (that was already 16" wide) cut to 15.25" long.

My dad stained all the (correctly-sized) pine with Minwax English Chesnut wood stain. He went over the top of each piece and the sides that would show with two coats and then let that dry for several hours and went over everything again twice with Minwax clear semi-gloss polyurethane to give it a great sheen. While the stain set we built the white cabinets, attached them together and added the doors.

When everything was completely dry and ready to roll, we used guerilla glue to secure the pine to the cabinet and again waited several hours before drilling holes and screwing the whole thing together. We used just six screws to connect the top to the base. Two in the middle and one close to each corner. Once the top was secure, we were able to push the stained wood sides up flush with the top and drill and screw them into place against the white cabinet (with a screw in each corner).

It was tedious work because as mentioned we wanted it perfect. Both my dad and I are far from perfectionists, but this cabinet deserved it. Overall, I would say the process was not too time-consuming considering how much other stuff we accomplished last weekend. And it was relatively inexpensive if you figure we got a custom cabinet that fits our house and our style. Here's the material and price break down:
- Ikea BESTA cabinet system – $120
- 3/4 x 16 x 96 stain grade pine – $28.92
- 21/32 x 16 x 36 paint grade pine (cut into two 21/32 x 16 x 15.25 pieces) – $7.95
- Minwax English Chestnut wood stain – $5.82
- Minwax clear semi-gloss polyurethane – $5.82
- box of 100 1 1/2 inch dark screws – $5.58
TOTAL – $174.33.

It was far cheaper than any other system or piece I considered and makes me infinitely happier because it's just right. I told Paul the last night that it's going to raise the bar in all the other rooms of the house which is exactly what a good piece of furniture should do. Huge, huge thanks to my Dad for helping me build something so fantastic.

My potential long-term plan is to hang a gallery wall of some sort behind the TV, but I am going to live with it awhile to see what makes sense.

other relevant products and projects shown : DIY hairpin leg coffee table, DIY ampersand string art, small plant is a donkey tail succulent, large plant is a snake plant (both from Lowe's), planter basket is Ikea, ceramic planter is from Anthropologie, art print is by Siiso, frame is from Target, rug is 30 years old and belonged to my parents, wood and leather chair was found on Craigslist. we use a mac mini for watching TV and movies via the Internet instead of cable, hence the mouse and keyboard on the coffee table.
so awesome.

April 15, 2013

This past weekend was the most productive one I have ever had. WE GOT THE HOUSE LOOKING GOOD. My list was long. And maybe a little too optimistic. But we nailed it and then some and I am so grateful for my parents for their knock-it-out attitude and energy.

Last time they were in town there was so much work to do just to get the house to fully-functional. We had to raise the dishwasher. We had to fix the heater vent. We had to remove doors and bolt bookshelves into place. We had to hook up the washer and dryer and then cut a hole in the wall to vent the dryer. It was necessary work, but hardly glamorous work. Both I and the house desperately needed the help and I was so grateful. But after this weekend, I want to just look around sob with excitement.

Yes, yes, magic took place. I can't wait to share more photos from our projects over the coming days and weeks. We replaced the totally dead postage stamp of grass lawn in front with brown mulch and white rocks and eventually we'll add drought tolerant plants to the front that will really thrive in our area. My dad (on a whim!) patched the backyard fence.

We re-potted and hung plants. We got curtains up in the master and the baby's room. And WOW do they make a difference. I am well on my way to creating the spa like paradise I so want in our bedroom.

We build baby girl's crib and started to hang some art. I love that my flamingo has a home in her space. We got the stroller put together and oh man, Paul, did we make the right choice with that stroller. It pushes like a dream I couldn't keep the grin off my face. (thank you, Stephanie & Paul!)

We reorganized furniture in the bedroom and now I have a bedside table that is big enough for a lamp and a glass of water (plus a plant and art)!

But the biggest & best project of the weekend was the media cabinet. I saw a photo on Instagram and something clicked. The media cabinet of my dreams could not be bought (at least not for what we could afford) but it could be built. Above is a sneak peek and I am so excited to take photos in better light and share it on the blog tomorrow. I conceptualized and my dad built the most magic cabinet and it elevates the room (and maybe my life) like I didn't know possible.

It was an awesome weekend. My house is becoming a home and I am so grateful. After a difficult March this new month is really looking up. I'm not asking for smooth-sailing, but it's wonderful to remember that my boat is large, well-built and able to get through whatever comes. Seriously, M & D. Thank you.

Relevant links to the products and projects shown above : West Elm round bentwood pendant lamp, tissue paper (more info on those flower balls coming soon), pink lanterns from the dollar spot at Target, baby art is in 16×20 frames from Aaron Brothers and from left to right : Kal Barteski, December Baby, The Paper Nut, curtains and curtain rod from Ikea, planter from Anthro, rope hanging DIY here, Babyletto crib, DIY flamingo art, baby triangle quilt, DIY xoxo art, that self-portrait is from this project I did in college, plant is a donkey tail succulent, art print is by Siiso, frame is from Target, DIY ampersand string art, media cabinet tutorial coming tomorrow.
project life 2013 : week 14.

April 14, 2013

It's week fourteen and I love this project.

click the photos above to enlarge for a somewhat clearer image.

Week of : April 1 – April 7.

What happened this week? I was back at home after a week in Sacramento. The tomato plants started producing and my blood sugar got a little wonky for a few days (reminding me just how much stress is a factor in this whole thing). I spent Friday-Sunday in Palm Springs with some girlfriends celebrating a bachelorette party.

Anything special in the spread? Just a three 4×4 photo insert to share some Palm Springs instagram photos. I didn't take too many so I used the front of the insert to break up a 12×4 photo of some palm trees. Sort of different and highlights the trip in a fun way.

Techniques this week : When I add stitching to a photo or card, I always try to work it in a few different places. I figure if I go through the (small) hassle of turning my machine on and changing out thread I might as well get more use out of it.

Here I wanted to stitch the file tab to the insert and ended up adding more stitches to an embellishment sticker and a border around a photo.

Overall thoughts : Keeping it simple & focusing on the photos is helping me so much this year. My favorite part of this spread are the four #onmywalk photos. I am back to daily walks and am tagging them on instagram.

Ratio of iPhone photos to "real camera" photos : 12 to 3.

Ratio of photos taken by Elise to photos taken by Paul : All Elise plus a few from the girls on the trip. We'll get Paul worked back in soon – no worries.

Supplies used : Seafoam core kit, Studio Calico Project Life kit (brown arrow), Paislee Press calendar card, Kelly Purkey for Simon Stamp letter stickers, circle badge & journaling cards (love list & wood veneer), Chic Tags journaling tags & patterned file tab, Paper Source label and XOXO sticker, Martha Stewart & Avery labels.

Tools used : Design A pocket pages, photo pocket pages, Fiskars corner rounder, Zig Millenium pen, Rotatrim paper trimmer, Office Depot date stamp, staz-on ink. All photos were printed at home on my HP Photosmart 2575 printer on Office Depot semi-gloss photo paper.

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. You can see all the posts from 2012 here and 2013 here. Do you have a question about how I am tackling this project (including anything about the photos)? Check here.
around here.

April 12, 2013

I feel like I have a normal routine worked out in this new house. That is so nice.

I spent most of this week organizing and working on getting ahead of the game with little projects (like painting onesies and playing with tissue paper) and bigger projects (like printing wedding programs for a friend and recovering our headboard). My parents are coming down tonight to help out for another weekend and I don't want to waste a second of the time they are here. Some of our to-do list items include a small landscape project in the front yard, building a media cabinet, hanging curtains and putting together baby room furniture. I'm more than a little excited to make progress in so many different spaces.

It's frustrating to not really be able to do much home set up work on my own so I am very grateful when I have 48 hours of help. We'll be packing 92 hours in for sure.

Have a wonderful weekend.
@ 31 weeks.

April 11, 2013

photo processed with Afterlight for iPhone. dress from Nordstrom.

I have become a little…emotional. Things that make me cry in no particular order: seeing newborn baby photos on my instagram feed (and there are approximately one million these days), whenever anyone mentions how much they love their mom, noticing my finger tips have bruises from finger sticks, 80% of the dances on Dancing with the Stars, not knowing what I want to eat for dinner, almost every TV love scene, that horrible Excedrin commercial where somehow the dad didn't realize his wife was having quadruplets until they were all born.

But the worst was last week when we were planning dates for when Paul could come home. I have truly made peace with him not being here for the end of the this pregnancy. I have made peace with him getting back a bit late and missing the birth. I know it will be okay.

On this conversation though, we were scheduling for the other end, the day he'd return to deployment a little over a week after arriving home. I have talked with my provider and know how far past my due date I'll be able to go before we start talking induction. If we make sure Paul is home for the potential (though hopefully not needed) induction date, then we guarantee he will at least not miss meeting the baby. (Because surely that would be the most lame…to get him all the way here and then have baby girl plant herself for 10 days.)

So with that day in mind, we counted forward and I realized, surely not for the first time, but for the first time in this emotional state, OH MAN, he'll be leaving us. And my heart broke. It broke for him, having to get back on a plane after falling in love with a tiny human he helped make. It broke for me, having to watch him go, this time with the overwhelming task of caring for a newborn. It broke for all families who go through this hot mess that is deployment and especially the ones who are not blessed with the ten days together we are so lucky to have.

Paul, who knows the drill, sat quietly on video chat as tears ran down my cheeks. He didn't ask if I am okay (because of course I am and of course I am not all at the same time). He didn't say it will all be okay (because of course it will be and of course it will not all at the same time). I smiled and wiped my eyes and he smiled back.

"I know, babe." he said.

We are 31 weeks deep. In nine weeks plus or minus, we'll become parents and the real journey begins. I couldn't ask for a better partner on this adventure.
i love april.

April 10, 2013

Architec barewood cutting board, DIY succulent wreath, West Elm bamboo laundry hamper, The Paper Nut giraffe trio print, Land's End hammock, Three Potato Four goodlife keytags, Hitch Design iPhone case.

Lots of wish list items this month. (Is it just me or are product designers getting better at their jobs?!) That giraffe print & cloth hamper will be going in the baby room and I really hope to try and make a succulent wreath soon.
super excited about granola.

April 9, 2013

I have been maintaining a gestational diabetes diet for about three weeks and will have more to say about it later, but so far, I have enjoyed experimenting with some new recipes to see what will help keep my blood sugar low but still fill me up. This is one of the first and I have a feeling it may have opened a whole new "adventures in bulk bin shopping" chapter of my life.

I followed this recipe from Delighted Momma for Grain-Free Chocolate Granola and it was pretty rad. I picked this recipe because I love cereal or granola for breakfast but due to the extra carbs it's probably not ideal right now. This batch has nuts (filling but no-carb!) and coconut oil (good fat!) and is not too sweet.

EDIT : I have been making this with about 1/3 C of coconut oil instead of the 1 C the recipe calls for and it's even better. 😉

After shopping the bulk bins for hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, flax seed and shredded coconut, I made up a batch on Sunday night and tried it yesterday morning with milk. I learned that a little goes a long way. While normally I pour out about 3/4 C of cereal, I was totally content with just a 1/2 C (or less!) of this. It was also very chewy, but totally delicious and I was thrilled to check my blood sugar an hour after breakfast and be in the clear.

Totally recommend, regardless of your dietary needs.