Project Paint Update

This weekend, we finished painting, scraping, and cleaning all 11 windows!!

Once the windows were finished, it meant we were ready for shutters.  Yesterday, they were installed  and they look beautiful!!  Thank you Tom & Joanne for buying them for us!!

We have also put two coats on the trim in Brad's office which means we are done in that room except for the 2 doors.  Now, onto the other trim...

Project Paint

This past weekend, we began "Project Paint."  It's a big project and we still have a long way to go but at least we are underway. 

The Oser's generously offered to buy shutters for our upstairs bedroom windows.  Thank you!!  There are 11 windows.  I decided that I do not like our creamy / off white / yellow trim with any wall color except the Barcelona Beige that we have on most of the walls downstairs.  With any color, such as blue, green, or pink for the nursery, the creamy trim ends up looking yellow.  So, it was with great hesitation that we  decided to re-paint all of our creamy trim bright white.

We started Saturday by purchasing the paint and other necessary supplies.  With Emily's awesome help, we were able to get the first coat on 8 out of the 11 windows.  Yes, I said first coat.

On Sunday, we continued and put the second coat on the same 8 windows and the first coat on the other 3!  Thank you Emily and family for your help this weekend!  We could not have done it without you!!!

Brad and I finished up the second coat on the remaining 3 windows tonight!  Now, we just need to scrape all the windows before next Tuesday when the shutters arrive!

Then, all we have left is 2 coats on all the baseboards in all 4 rooms plus the bathroom as well as 10 doors.  Oh, and crown molding if we decide to add that in any rooms! 

Think we will ever finish?!?  Wish us luck!

"L" is for Lynlee

This Saturday, I helped host a baby shower for Sabrina!!!  She is due with Lynlee Faith in September!  I absolutely cannot wait for her to arrive!!!!

I had so much fun doing my part for the shower and working with all of the other hostesses!  I was in charge of the wreath for the front door and making the breakfast casserole!   I had seen a friend make a moss covered wreath for her friend's baby shower so I decided I would try it.  I was very nervous that it would not turn out since I am not really all that crafty!  I was also not convinced that it would stay together until the shower was over and it survived!  Ha!  Sabrina and the others really liked itso I think it was a success!

I started with two rectangular foam shapes from Hobby Lobby.  I cut the corners off of the rectangles with floss (which worked great!) so that it would not be such a big letter.  

Then, I used a knife and cut a slit through one of the forms for the pink ribbon.  Next,  I glued the two shapes together to make an "L."  I first tried glue that is specifically for glueing styrofoam together.  It did nothing but drip on my counter.  So, then I moved on to hot glue which worked great! 

Finally, I hot glued reindeer moss from Hobby Lobby onto the entire form all the way around.  I was surprised that I did not even need 3 full bags of moss!  Here is the final product hanging at the shower!

The only thing I would change if I make another one is to use a stiffer ribbon, maybe with some wire in it so that I could make a bigger, prettier bow!

Here is my breakfast casserole along with all of the other food at the shower!  All of the hostess did such a great job with their food so everything tasted delicious!

As a gift for Lynlee, I wanted to make an outfit since I have been learning to sew!  I made the Taylor bubble in turquoise and white checked fabric!  I picked this fabric since it is not pink and since she may have red hair like her Momma!  It is not perfect and I made a mistake with the snaps, but overall, I think it turned out well!  I want to make so many more things for Lynlee!

Here are a few more pictures from the shower!  Katie has a beautiful house in Homewood that worked perfectly for the shower!  We had a great turnout and Sabrina recieved so many wonderful gifts!!  Now, we just wait for Lynlee to arrive!

Double Knockout Rose Bushes

Brad just learned that our neighborhood garden club (which we are not in) gives out a "Yard of the Month" award for the best yard! When he found out about this he said, "What, why didn't you tell me?!?! " and then followed up with, "Game on!"

He was only half serious about the award, but in all seriousness, we have been wanting to slowly add some plants to the edge of our house where things look a little bare. So with a little motivation for the yard of the month award and in an effort to make a little progress, we bought 5 Pink Double Knockout Rose bushes. (I know there are only 4 in the picture...we had to buy one more later to fill up the space!) We already have 5 of these that were planted to hide the air conditioner units so we decided to just add on!

Roses in front of the ac unit

New roses and dirt

The Double Knockout Roses are EASY! They do not require a green thumb and its a good thing because neither of us seem to have much of one! According to the tag on the roses, they are hardy, disease resistant, pest resistant, drought resistant, low maintenance, self-cleaning (?!?!), repeat bloomers from spring through the first frost, and beautiful!! This is my kind of plant! They will reach full maturity after a season or two.

After lots and lots of digging in our horrible clay / gravel yard, we were finally able to plant the roses!

Before

After

We will see how they do!