29 weeks

Just checking in to share a bit of progress on the nursery.

This is the room we started with....

It was previously occupied by two young boys and some bunk beds.

Turquoise carpet, sea-foam green walls and a whack of teddy bears.

Before we found out we were pregnant we painted the room a stone color

 to keep things neutral and cover up the dirty hand prints.

Not sure the name of it, but it is basically just greige.

We wont be finding out if we have a boy or girl until the actual birth 

so for decorating we had to go with gender neutral.

Something about the idea of pastel greens or yellows wasn't inspiring me, 

so we went with basic brights instead.

Mostly red, orange and yellow with a bit of green and grey.

Here is where we are at so far...

I've laid out the crib sheets and curtains

 just to remind myself of what colors to pick up.

The giraffe picture was from Homesense

 it is kind of what started the whole rainbow of colors idea..

Some details  

We have some shelves and curtains to hang, 

as well as a DIY mobile idea I'm going to tackle.

It's all coming together,

 just two more months and I can add the final touch....

a baby.

Step up

This might not be the most exciting post, 

but it has been a long time coming..

This is what we bought, 

This is what we lived with for 2 years, 

And now, this is what we have!

The top of the stairs looks like the gates to heaven, 

and right about now that is how it feels. 

Like a gigantic sigh of new soft sweet relief.

That green beauty wasn't just on the stairs,

 it was in all three bedrooms and the hallway too!

Removing it was on the top of our to-do list from day one.

It just kept getting pushed back, 

two years later we still can't believe we waited so long.

With a baby on the way the reality sunk in...

while our faces might be a good 5 ft above dirty dusty carpet level

our small child should not have to crawl around on that!

You might notice that we also put in engineered hardwood in the dining room area,

that happened about a year ago.

The carpet was right up to our front door and far worse than the upstairs stuff.

With the amount of dirt getting tracked in it just made sense to tackle that area first.

We knew we wanted to stick to carpet on the upper level for a few reasons;

We find it warmer, this is personal preference but we both agreed that carpet in a bedroom is just that extra bit cosier than a hard option.

Cost was a big deciding factor, carpet was a third of what it would have cost to put in the hardwood, not to mention that there are 9 stairs in total and stairs are always extra.

Maintenance. Again this is personal preference, but I find carpet easier to up keep. 

To vacuum as needed and spot treat when its necessary is far more appealing to me than the constant dusting that hardwood takes. 

 I'm told my children will stain it, this is true, this is life.

With a white dog my dining room has to be dusted every other day, 

the floors are beautiful but they require a lot of work to look that way.

 Life is too short my friends.

If you like close up shots of carpet, 

here you go.

Textured pile, I'm told it is made in Canada from recycled pop bottles.

I'm convinced it is made of clouds and unicorn hair.

Fade to black

Here is another small update I was working on over the holidays...

Remember this 'before' shot?

The bathroom I affectionately call 'His'...

Here is where we started.

We painted it a different shade of blue, 

more grey than baby..

We then added the usual new shower curtain and towels, 

some framed etsy prints and a new light fixture.

This is what we were left with.

Oh, and of course, we lightened the grout!

Forgive the blurry photo,

Something still wasn't quite right though.

Check this out.....

Ahhhh... much better!

I had debated painting the vanity for a while.

I was held back wondering how durable latex paint could be on something used so often, 

and in a bathroom of all places.

Would the steam from the shower make the paint peel?

Would the paint chip or wear off from cupboards being opened and closed so often?

There are more than enough posts just like this one out there,

 showing 'how to' paint a vanity/dresser/kitchen cupboards.

Very few posts on how well these projects hold up.

Mine will be no different.

I lightly sanded all surfaces, 

wiped them down with vinegar and water, 

let them dry (15 min)..

Used a small foam roller and paintbrush with THIS paint.

It took 2 good coats, 3 in some areas.

I chose not to do a coat of poly for now. 

We really like the matte finish.

If I find that it isn't wearing well I will touch up and add a coat of sealer.

I'll also report back to let you know.

Sometimes sharing failure is just as helpful as sharing success.

For now, we look at it as a victory.

It's just so pretty

Floored

This update made a huge impact for very little work.

WARNING! Multiple pictures of tiles coming up!

This is thrilling stuff...

Before...

After!

See what we did there?

Hopefully I'm not the only one noticing the huge difference.

Pretty, right?

These tiles are in both bathrooms and the kitchen.

They have been there since 1990, and it shows.

Lucky for us they are a fairly neutral beige.

While creeping the blog world,

 I came across a product called Polyblend Grout Renew.

Unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember who had the original post, 

but there were a few success stories.

So out to Home Depot I went.

This is what it looks like, pretty sure it was around $10.

Maybe $20? 

Honestly I don't know, but it was cheap!

You can find it in the section where they sell actual bags of grout.

When all was said and done

 I only had to use a third of the bottle to finish two bathrooms!

Snow White is the color I chose.

White is white.

Basic instructions:

Paint it on, 

I used a tiny paintbrush not much wider than the grout line.

Did one coat on the whole bathroom, starting in one corner and working out.

Duh....

Once that was dry, which took all of 15 min, I did a second coat.

I guess this all depends on how drastic of a color change you are going for.

My tiles are glazed and shiny so once dry the excess scrubbed off easily.

Can't speak for other textures but I'm sure you could test in a small corner. 

I just used a small rag and basically washed the floor.

Try to avoid water getting directly on the grout.

Since this is a grout sealant it is fairly water resistant, 

just give it a week or so to be safe.

Essentially it is as easy as painting your grout!

Tedious, but two bathrooms took half a day and I think the transformation is worth it.

The floor looks cleaner and really brightens the room up!

Can't comment on longevity.

In our case we are hoping it will last a few years, 

just until we can replace the flooring.

Considering how hard it is to dig up tile, I'll take the $20 update!

Some more eye candy...

Bathroom #2 before...

and after!

If you can have a favorite picture of tiles, grout and a toilet, this is mine...

BAM!

For the kitchen I bought a separate bottle, 

more of a sand color...

Here it is in progress...

- cell phone pictures, not as pretty...

It really is amazing in person.

It's the small things friends....

Tin Roof Rusted

We're having a baby.

I'll start like that in hopes that it explains my terrible inconsistency with blogging.

I've been lucky, 

no barfing!

Hallelujah!

Overall I feel really great, 

I'm beyond scatterbrained though...

and so that is what makes it hard to focus.

Taking pictures of my living room

and assembling them in some sort of cohesive post 

seems like an impossible task.

I have only just mastered the art of waking up and going to work!

Somewhere in this mess of a brain...

sits a whole lot of gratitude.

Waiting and wishing for a baby has been the most humbling experience,

and that is without complications.

Proof from the world that you can't plan everything.

We are due May 24th, 

which makes me about 17 weeks, or 4 months.

I've slowly been planning a gender neutral nursery,

but have yet to pull the trigger on anything.

Pictures will follow, I promise!

Names and gender will be locked away, 

at least until we meet the little babe.

For now.. 

I'll show you a few small projects that we have been working on around here,

and probably vanish for another month!

Until then I'll be rubbing my belly, 

praying, smiling and waiting...

The loo

Wanna see my toilet?

This is what the main bathroom looked like when we moved in.

Harlequin.

Romance.

Here she is now...

We painted her up, 

Lakefront by CIL

The blue really helped tone down any yellow in the tile/sink/toilet.

Pink WAS NOT helping in that department.

These pictures were taken at different times, 

like I said before there truly isn't an 'after...

For example; 

that nasty yellow shower curtain rod in the picture below....

yum - o

in the first shot you will notice it has since been dumped for a nice shiny silver one.

it's the small things friends.

$10, get on it.

The black wire basket is from Homesense, 

same with the purple towel.

It was sold as a throw, 

it is in fact a Turkish bath towel.

Fancy.

Google those, they are wonderful.

I'm actually looking for one to use as a throw/blanket...

you win Homesense.

As much as I loved the brass Hollywood vanity light...

it had to go. 

This really helped to direct the light up, 

which in turn brightens the whole bathroom.

Happy accident really, 

I just thought the light was pretty.

Let's pretend I did it on purpose though, OK?

The first tray has been switched out for this pretty silver one.

This picture has since been turned on it's side..

Not too sure what to do with this, 

It's very handy, also very yellow.

For now it stays.

Originally this little display was to the left of the sink, 

one day I looked at it and thought

'oh hell no...'

I pitched half of it to other rooms in the house 

and now all that remains are the pink flowers.

Too harlequin.

too cluttered.

There was no real plan in here.

Just get rid of the pink and fill it with pretty things.

Half cottage chic half bright and shiny is what we ended up with.

I'm going to paint out the vanity white and go from there.

I'll leave you with this pretty picture of hand soap.

What more can I say about a bathroom?

This is where I shower and poop.

and sometimes, 

this is where I read romance novels.

Seeds

It's been a while.

 I still need to organize photos of our house to post. 

First I need to take said pictures so that could be a while.

We put in a new garden, I forgot to take pictures.

We painted the spare bedroom, again no pictures.

I have a secret board on Pinterest...

full of ideas and beautiful things to share, and it just sits.

That's OK.

 My eyes have been opened to how incredibly hard it is to maintain a regular blog.

When I check my feedly I have a new appreciation for the work of those I read daily.

I was panicked for a while, thinking the 'blog thing' was failing.

But why add a schedule to something that is meant to be an enjoyable expressive hobby?

Why force it? 

I'm going to take my time....

 that's my schedule.

At least I'm trying.

HOomen

Back to the garden...

Our house was built 20 years ago...

when someone decided to drop a subdivision on acres of old farmland.

In terms of a garden that means no more than half a foot of dirt before you hit clay.

So my husband built up borders, and I filled them with bag upon bag of black soil.

My parents and friends so kindly passed on cuttings...

 the standard hostas, day-lilies and tall grass.

Now, with next to no moisture in the ground combined with a two week heat wave,

everything looks pitiful.

Seriously, I have gone through 4 hanging baskets, 

flowers for dummies!

No amount of attention seems to keep them.

Could be my erratic watering habits but I will blame it on the weather.

At least I am trying right?

Luckily most are perennials.

HOWEVER..

during a trip to the nursery I found some marigolds.

Thinking they would add color and fill a few bare areas I bought two pots.

They took off.

With little attention and very little water they have grown 4 times their original size.

Crowding out the yellow and brown burnt lilies that sit beside them.

What is it called when a smell can trigger memories?

Olfactory memory.

Google that, it's fascinating.

One night while taking the dog out I bent down to admire them and the scent startled me.

I had forgotten for so long, the smell of a marigold.

My Grandmother and mother are avid gardeners, 

and likely the reason my standards are so high in the landscaping department.

As a little girl I remember trying to help in the garden.

My ever patient grandma taught me;

if you dead head certain flowers you will receive more blooms,

 if you save the seeds for later, then nothing goes to waste.

I couldn't tell you how old I was, 

but I will never forget walking around with a ziploc bag and filling it with seeds.

At whatever age, I had entire afternoons free and open.

I spent them outside picking and playing away.

Impressive enough, so did Grandma.

Every other day or so I try to get back there, to the brightest spot in the garden.

It might only be 5 minutes after work, but I try.

I usually have something 'better' to be doing, but I like to remind myself....

"you have time..."

So I sit and pick and play with the flowers. 

I sit in the quiet and think about how important it is to just pause.

I understand now why the ladies in my life spend time in the garden. 

Slowly, I'm getting it.

I had to pause.

We work and eat and clean and rush right over these open opportunities...

we put unnecessary pressures on ourselves to keep up and to keep going.

Sometimes the most important things to do is to just be quiet. 

I guess what I am saying is that I have realized something important.

We need to try, 

but we have to pause, 

and we should always save the seeds for later..