Bah Humbug!

That is EXACTLY how i have felt this holiday season. After Belle's birth everything seemed to be off to a great start so i really dont know where it all fell apart. I think it might have started with Noah's difficult behavior due to all the changes. So many people have asked how he is adjusting and if he is having a hard time with the new baby, and i really cant say whether or not his behavior is linked to Belle. His behavior started a few weeks BEFORE i had belle, and it could just be your typical 2 1/2 year old "i want to be in charge" phase, but it is EXHAUSTING. You tell him "no", he smiles and will do whatever it is again, you ask him to do something, he deliberately does not do it. So it's pretty much been a 12 to 14 hour day of constantly staying on him because Lord knows we dont want to lose the reins as parents right now. He'll be walking all over us by the time he's 16!

George and I both have made a point to give Noah and overabundance of attention because the first thing we heard was that he would be jealous of the attention Belle gets. Well maybe it was too much, because now i feel bad for not spending as much time with Belle. My time now has to be divided in so many directions and it just gets SO exhausting. Even if i'm lucky enough to get 6 hours of sleep, which is rare, i'm still so worn down. I do have to say that this second time around i am MUCH more patient and trying to enjoy it all as much as i can. I know a year will go by in a blink and Belle will sleeping in her own room all night, Noah will be even more independent, and i will long for a little baby in my arms again; but until then i want to have the freedom to be a scrooge!

Christmas has come up SO DANG fast that i feel like i havent even been able to enjoy this season, much less the holiday coffees at Starbucks! I want to push a pause button for a second, take a long shower, decorate the way i want instead of throwing everything out, and cuddle with my love to watch some Christmas movies. But this season i'm lucky if i even get out of my pajamas and i even did ALL my shopping online. How boring huh? Basically what i'm trying to say is life with 2 little ones close in age is BUSY and i just dont have time to pencil Christmas in this year!!

I just wanted to let everyone know i am alive (barely), and i will be amazed if i actually pull off Christmas dinner this year. With 2011 right around the corner there is so much to look forward to, but so much more to be thankful for. Hopefully i will be back to my old self in no time flat, Lord knows i miss running and the pile of projects i have for the house just keeps getting bigger. Here's to a new year and all it has to offer. At this point, nothing surprises me and i am just hanging on for the ride!

Merry Christmas!

Our birth story

I can't believe it's taken me 2 weeks to finally sit down and write Isabelle's birth story, but i would hate to forget the little memories that so easily slip our minds in the weeks to follow a child's birth. I had the WORST nerves regarding this birth for several reasons. I had EXTREMELY high expectations with Noah's birth and just like everyone told me, everything flew out the window when it actually came down to it. The only thing i can say is that i was thankful Noah's birth didn't result in a c-section. Not that having a c-section is bad or wrong, but for me i was deathly afraid of any type of intervention more than the actual birthing itself. It wasn't until ALL the complications came with having Noah that i realized i SHOULD HAVE had a c-section and am thankful i survived that birth. He was too big for me and for my first child it was an AWFUL experience.

So going into this birth i didn't want to get my hopes up. I still had this vision of what i wanted to experience and to be honest with you i prayed for that. A long time ago someone told me that there is NOTHING we can't ask God for. Doesn't matter how ridiculous or trivial, it never hurts to ask God. He knows our hearts and thoughts and sometimes all He's waiting for us to do is take the time to sit down and simply talk to Him. I remembered that when i first found out i was expecting and i remember asking God for something most people would be embarrassed to pray for. I asked for a little girl. My whole life all i wanted was a son, and i never really thought about how my life would be if i had all boys or all girls, and it wasn't until someone told me i would NEVER have a daughter that it got me thinking. I wanted to experience having a little girl and after that person told me that, i couldn't help but panic and think that i would never get to experience life with a little girl. So what did i do? I asked God, and to this day i know he answered my prayer.

SO anyways, here i am getting off target, back to the birth story. So there were many nights i would lay awake and ask God for the birth i wanted with Noah. I wanted a fast labor, i wanted to do it naturally, i wanted to experience it all. I wanted to hold my baby after, for as long as i wanted, without having her whisked away to the nursery, and i wanted to nurse her right away. Like i said, i didn't get my hopes up because i knew that with childbirth ANYTHING can happen and after my first experience i was expecting the WORSE to happen.

George and I got to the hospital at 7am on Monday November 8th. I was SO nervous as usual, and hardly slept the night before. I got changed in my gown as the nurse started setting everything up for my IV. She got me comfortable with all the monitors and IV, and then called my doctor. He told her he would be in at 7:30 am to break my water and i immediately started to cry. George of course was laughing and asking why i was crying; i guess it just hit me that this was really happening. Like i said before, i couldn't help but think and compare my 1st experience to everything that was happening this day. I remembered when my doctor had broken my water with Noah, that was when the painful contractions started that i couldn't bear, and everything was such a blur after that point. I guess i felt like the same thing was going to happen and that's why i started to cry.

The doctor came in, he broke my water, which wasn't a gush that i had with Noah, but a slow trickle that would last throughout my labor. So already things were going differently. The nurse kept asking me if i needed any pain meds as my contractions picked up and became a regular 3 minutes apart. The contractions weren't bothering me at all, and i told her i was fine. George and I joked and talked and i even texted my mom around 8:30 am and told her i thought it would be awhile till Belle was born. About an hour later around 9:30 am the contractions got a little stronger so i asked for my ipod and retreated into my happy place in my mind. I thought about running, i thought about my grandpa who passed away last year, and my cousin Lucy who passed away this August. The contractions were bearable and as long as i kept breathing through them i felt like i could definitely have a natural birth. About 30 minutes later around 10 am is when they became REALLY uncomfortable.

I asked the nurse to check me to see how far along i had progressed because my whole idea was that if i was close to a 10 (maybe a 7) then i would just get through the pain someway somehow, but if i was barely a 5 then i would probably need an epidural because i didn't know if i could last hours with this pain. She called my doctor, got his permission to check me, my doctor is amazing by the way and VERY particular about nurses checking his patients. After she checked me she told me i was about a 4 or 5 and that's when i asked for the epidural. I was disappointed that after those few hours of contractions, i hadn't progressed more! She called the anesthesiologist and said it would be about 30 min till he got there. This was around 10 am and my parents had just gotten there. I had pretty much curled up in a ball with my eyes closed and tears falling down my face. I couldn't talk, and just wanted to be left alone to get through each contraction that kept coming stronger and stronger. I remember my mom coming in and rubbing my back. I didn't want anyone touching me, and then i saw Noah. To be honest, i didn't want him in there and my parents had him kiss me and took him out. I was just in too much pain. My dad came in and kissed my cheek and then the anesthesiologist showed up so everyone including George had to leave.

The nurse propped me up on the bed and anesthesiologist told me it would take about 30 minutes for him to do the whole epidural. This was around 10:30 am. If it wasn't for the painful contractions i would have been a HUGE mess over this epidural. My epidural with Noah was one of the most traumatic things that has ever happened to me. It resulted in me having a spinal headache due to the anesthesiologist hitting my spinal fluid. I eventually had to go back to the hospital so they could go into my spine and put a blood patch on the leaking hole. It was a DISASTER and this time around i was MORE scared of getting an epidural than giving birth. Luckily, i got an amazing anesthesiologist who understood my fear and talked me through everything.

All i remember from this was having a pillow in my lap as i leaned forward and kept biting down on it from the pain of the contractions. They were SO powerful i couldn't even think, i could barely talk. I remember when he said he was putting the catheter into my spine i felt some nerves shoot down my right leg and then that was it. I thought that was weird and remember thinking that is probably where the medicine is going to go. He finished my epidural at 10:50 am and told me it would be about 30 to 45 minutes till it fully kicked in. He laid me down and brought George back in. This was about the time the commotion started.

As soon as they laid me down the contractions were coming so strong i was pretty much going crazy. i kept asking the nurse, "When is this going to stop!!!" I was moving my legs and head around just trying to escape the pain. NOTHING could get rid of it. During this time the nurse put on her little head covering and mask and started setting all the delivery tools out on the table. i knew EXACTLY what this meant, but was SO confused because she hadn't even checked me, and an hour ago when she did i was only a 4 to 5. Her eyes caught mine and all she said was, "I have a feeling." Two of the most painful contractions went by and suddenly i looked at George and said, "I have to push." The nurse was to my right, by the phone, and shouted, "Do not push!" But i couldn't help it. I started moaning and i think she knew what was happening. I heard her on the phone with my doctor saying, "She has to push," she set the phone down, ran over to me, lifted the sheet, checked me, ran back to the phone and all i heard again was, "Her cervix is gone, the baby is coming." At this point i don't remember this, but George said she opened the door to my room and shouted to the nurses station, "I need help!"

As she came back she told me to pant through the contractions and NOT to push, she said, "You don't want to have this baby without Dr. McDonough here!" I cant put into words what i felt, all i know is that i was making noises that i had never made. Somewhere between all that i told her i had to puke and she looked at George and said, "It's from all the pain. It's her body's way of dealing with the pain." LUCKILY i didn't puke. George said it was about 2 minutes after she called my doctor that he came walking in dressed in scrubs and ready to go. He peaked under my sheet and i heard someone say, "There's the head!" The nurse grabbed the iodine to put on me and the doctor said, "Just dump it!" I remember the cold sensation hurting and pretty soon he was asking me to push. My very first push i was pretty sure it was the head i felt coming out, but kept thinking to myself there is NO WAY this is happening, there is NO WAY that is the baby this soon.

I pushed with Noah for 2 and a half hours, and this time during my first push i could hear George saying "there she is! there she is!" The pain was unbearable and i stopped pushing while her head was coming out because I considered trying to bring her back in because of the pain. Something inside of me said no, the faster you get her out the faster this pain will stop. The second push i gave, her head was out. The doctor said, one more small push Brooke, i gave one small one, opened my eyes and he was holding her right in front of me. At 11:15 am, 25 minutes after getting my epidural that didn't have time to catch up with me, and only 3 pushes, i gave birth to Isabelle Morgan Merritt.

George went over to the nurses who cleaned Belle off and took some pictures while the doctor took care of me. My nurse also hurried and took my epidural out because she didn't want it to kick in and then i would be numb AFTER my baby was born. The doctor said i had no tears and would heal perfectly fine. I was still in shock from how fast and amazing that all was and how much EASIER it was then with Noah. With Noah i had an episiotomy and stitches which made recovery unbearable, on top of other complications from pushing for so long. This time around it was like my body just knew what to do and went RIGHT back to normal after. The nurses brought Belle to me and told me i could hold her as long as i wanted and nurse her. My parents came in and so did Noah, and it was so nice to just have her in my arms. It's amazing how all that pain immediately goes away when you hold that baby and all i kept thinking was how amazing that whole experience was and how my birth wasn't perfect, but it was exactly what i had wanted with Noah.

I feel SO blessed to have 2 healthy happy children. Belle has been such an angel and Noah loves her so much already. Our friends and family have been so great and showered us with so many kind words. George and I couldn't be happier.

Breathing through a contraction. I didn't even know George took this picture.



One of the happiest days of my life. Isabelle Morgan Merritt 7 lbs 6 oz, 20 in long

Can't leave Noah's big boy room out!

I haven't posted Noah's finished big boy room and i would hate to leave my lil man out. Noah's room was our VERY first project in the house. We decided to start in his room so that way we could move his old furniture out and into the nursery which we planned on being our second project. I really just wanted a place that was fun and reflected Noah's bubbly personality. I've had SO much fun decorating kids rooms that i am kinda sad now that we are done with both his and Isabelle's room. Here are some pics of the room before, after, and then the total cost of the makeover.

Noah's room before was very plain since we had just moved in about 6 mos before starting on it. It looked very similar to how it was set up in our town home, and i really didn't want to dive into it until i looked around and started getting some inspiration.

I originally didn't want the color to be this bright, but it has really evolved and goes well with the blue bookshelf and blue in his bedspread. I think it turned out fun and perfect for a 2 year old boy!

I loved his dark nursery furniture he had, but wanted to do something completely different for his big boy room which is why i chose lighter wood for his bed.

That train table is one of my favorite things in there because it really makes it a boy's room. Not to mention train tables happen to be a HOT item for little boys and really pricey but i scored ours on Craigslist for $50! And it came with a TON of wooden train pieces. When i called the lady she said she had gotten SO many phone calls from people, but that i was the first that wanted to buy it and pick it up THAT day. Thank God we did!

His art work shelf is another one of my favorite items in his room because i feel like it really makes the space his.


The alphabet banner was something i had seen done online in a few different rooms and think i even talked about it in one of my other posts. Noah has a ton of number and letter flashcards and i had some leftover ribbon from another project so all i needed was some clothespins. Noah LOVES singing the alphabet and George and i show him all the different letters. It worked out perfect since i didnt have a clue what to put on that big empty wall at first.

Both that bookshelf, mirror, as well as the furniture can be seen in Belle's new nursery and i absolutely love how much money we saved moving all his furniture from one room to another. I guess just another perk of having our kids so close together! :)


Those green hanging bookshelves (there are 2) looked funny against his green walls, and we had bought some red ones for Belle so at the last minute i suggested to George that we switch them and it ended up looking FABULOUS! The green complimented her curtains in her nursery and the red tied in his little storage ottoman and red train wall peg i repainted.

So one of my favorite things to do since i am such a bargain shopper is keep track of every little thing as we make over a room to see the grand total of how much we spent. So here is the lowdown on Noah's room:

Bed: George’s parents for Noah’s birthday

New twin mattress: My parents for Noah’s birthday

Headboard for bed: $130

Wall cubicle shelf: neighbor

Standing lamp: neighbor

Frames and prints: $12 Ikea

Hanging cubicle shelves: from neighbor

Paint: $36 Wal Mart

Toy Story bedding: Great grandparents for b-day

Blue bookshelf: $100 Ikea

Train table w train: $50 craigslist!

Art Shelf: $14 Ikea

Hanging mesh rocket: $7 Ikea

Red storage ottoman: $17 Wal Mart

Painting: done by me!

Closet crates: $9 Wal mart

Closet clothes organizer: $13 Target

Shoe rack: thrifted $2

Alphabet banner: had flashcards/clothespins $1.50 Wal Mart

Train w/ pegs: garage sale (repainted w/own supplies): $0.25

Total: $388.75

That's about $100 less than Belle's nursery!!! Not too shabby if you ask me. Some of the things were given to us from our neighbor (a perk we get for living near someone with a little boy 2 years older than Noah), were gifts for Noah's b-day, or found at garage sales, thrift stores, or on sale. I love the way it turned out and i hope Noah knows how special he is and how much time we took to make his room so extra special.

Now that the children's rooms are completed we get to *gasp* actually start working on our own space! We are finishing up a few small projects in the living room that i will be blogging about soon, and then next weekend it's paint time in our own room! It felt weird yesterday as i looked at paint swatches for our room to actually be choosing something George and I will both like, rather than what our kid's will like. I cant wait to blog as our room comes together!! We have lots of ideas in store!

And then there was a chalkboard

I cant help but DROOL everytime i see someone painting something with chalkboard paint in all the blogs i follow. Walls, cabinets, lamps, baskets, you name it. I have been dying for a chalkboard in my house, but like most things i either forget or start on something new. I'm learning to address the small things that annoy me in my house and once i do, i find that i love my house SO much more than i did before.

This little wall has driven me crazy since we moved in. I really didn't know what to put on it so i stuck a painting i did about 4 years ago in hopes that it would be a good entrance into our kitchen. But it wasn't. And that table! It KILLS me. Not only does it need to be re-done with some new hardware i never knew what to put on it as well. So it caught 2 random things that i had no where else to put: a picture and a candle.

I always knew i wanted to put a chalkboard there i just wanted to actually find or make one. Everytime i went to the Goodwill i searched through all the frames looking for the right size or the right one that i could paint and turn into my beloved chalkboard that would solve all my problems. No such luck. Until one night after looking through some chalkboard inspiration i looked over at George and said, "We should paint that entire WALL into a chalkboard." He said, "The whole wall??? NO." And continued doing what he was doing. He then said what i had been planning before, that we could just make a chalkboard and hang it up there. It was one of those things that i knew would NEVER happen unless the perfect frame or chalkboard jumped out at me.

So when i woke up tuesday morning i knew EXACTLY what i was going to do. I had to run to Lowes anyways to return some extra hardware we had bought for Belle's dresser and i thought to myself, if i BUY the chalkboard paint then maybe that will speed this process along. George is finally starting to learn throught this pregnancy that once i get an idea in my head, it aint going anywhere till it's completed. i figured George wont be able to say no once the paint is sitting in our garage. So i set out to get the paint and saw this. It was then i KNEW i had to not only paint the whole wall but i had to make it a magnetic chalkboard as well. That wall was destined for so much more and i was going to help it reach it's purpose. So after throwing the primer in my basket i got my chalkboard paint and a few other things for a mirror i'm working on and headed to the checkout. I waddled out to my car and decided right there and then, i'm not going to wait on George, i'm too excited.

Ok, so let's freeze a minute, i know most of you are thinking that George probably had a heart attack when he came home and found a chalkboard, but let me tell you, i called and warned him first. Well maybe not warned, but basically blamed everything on my pregnancy and told him don't worry he is going to love it and to trust me. So i headed home and that is where my 9 month pregnant self prepped and primed my little devilish wall with magnetic primer. I couldn't stand the excitement and as soon as i woke up Wednesday morning i prepped and coated the wall with chalkboard. And here is the final product. Loving it is an understatement and George has complimented me on it about a dozen times as well. I am so proud of myself and now i'm thinking i might have to add some of this chalkboard upstairs for Noah and Belle because after all this is MY chalkboard not theirs.

Dear little table, i have plans for you dont you worry but for now you hold our keys and mail and smile and be happy.

The nursery is FINALLY done!

Well it took us exactly 6 mos since the day we started taping the nursery to be painted for it to be completed. I honestly can say i had no idea it would have turned out this way, but i am SO SO happy it did. It really reflects mine and George's personality and we had such a good time working on it together. I really have to give him most the credit because although i came up with the colors and most the decor, he did the labor such as painting the stripes and redoing the dresser we scored on Craigslist. So here it is!

LOVED the poms poms in this nursery, which by the way is my dream nursery come true, so i had to duplicate them. I have received so many compliments on them that i here is the tutorial i followed to make them: HERE

Isabelle's shelves are pretty empty for now but i like them that way because i know how quickly babies and kids can accumulate gifts and what not from friends and family. I would rather have space to add stuff to then no space at all. I'm in love with that little white ceramic lamp though that is SO old and i scored at the Thrift Store for $5! The details on it up close are beautiful.

That is a poster i had hanging in my own barracks room in texas when i was in the service. I had NO plans of putting it in her room and was going to attempt a different theme until i found it in our garage. After that the colors of the room kind of came off that one poster. And there is the dresser that my husband redid for me as a changing table!

THIS my friends is the before shot of the dresser. I found it on Craigslist for $30!!!!! I had been looking for an old dresser we could use as a changing table because i figured we could still use it once Belle gets potty trained in the future. I thought it had lots of potential.

My husband chose the colors which i immediately LOVED and i chose the hardware which has such beautiful detail up close and will be perfect for a little girl. This was our FIRST big project and it has now started an obsession with us and a hobby that we both enjoy. I am excited for the other projects we are currently working on!

The big brother playing with something in there. He has had so much fun playing with her things and helping me set up. He is such a good helper. That is actually his old toy box and of course his old crib and dresser are also in there as well. I will have to do a post on his new big boy room. It is just as amazing as Belle's nursery.

I initially bought Belle those green bookshelves in red and those green ones were in Noah's room but then i suggested to George that the green would go so well with her curtains and the red would actually look GREAT in Noah's room so we did an old switcharoo. That little lamb swing was another one of my great Craiglist finds. It was only $50 which saved us about $70! I love Cragslist.

So here is the total of the entire room makeover that we worked so hard in. This is the best part, seeing how much it cost us and how much we've saved doing it ourselves:

Paint/paint supplies: $115

Crib: had

Dresser: had

Crib mattress: had

Changing table (refurnished an old dresser): $30 for dresser $45 for supplies TOTAL: $75

Curtains (made myself) fabric/supplies/had rods: $70

Bookshelf: had

Wall Art: ABC $20 Clearance TJ Maxx, poster had, frame $15 on sale at Joann’s TOTAL: $35

Mirror: had

Heart peg shelf: thrifted $3

Closet tags: $5 Wal Mart

Closet crate: $3 Wal Mart

Light fixture: Ikea $40

Red bookshelves (traded with Noah’s green ones): $12 Ikea

Little Lamb Swing: $50 Craigslist

Toy Box: had

Fluff ball mobile: tissue paper $3

Organic sheets: $20

cribskirt (made myself): $1 for fabric at Yard Sale

Total: $432!!!!!!!

That's not so bad if i dont say so myself!

So now we wait for our little girl to arrive and although she wont be sleeping in her room for awhile once she is born, i am still excited she has a room to call her own. I cant wait to see her in it playing with her big brother and really making it her own. Now George and i are off to tackle more projects in our home. I started one today which involves chalk :) Let's just say i've been drooling over certain chalkboards i've seen lately and just HAD to have one before this baby is born.

Happy birthday to the Merritt Casa!!!

I get a little emotional when i think that just a year ago all our dreams came true and we moved into our first house. I dont think alot of people realized how much we had struggled since i had chosen to get out of the military and be a stay at home Mama. We spent many sundays driving around looking at houses and talking about the day when we would have a yard to play in, and could take on as many projects as we wanted to to make our future house a home. Looking around all i can say is the God is good. I give him all the credit because George and i worked hard, stayed optimistic and He not only blessed us ten fold when George landed a great job that he LOVES, but He also blessed us with a wonderful home.

We had no idea that 5 months after moving in we would find out we would be expecting another baby. Alot of house projects were put on hold as we prioritized other things, specifically getting Noah settled into a big boy room and deciding what we wanted and needed for the new baby. This pregnancy has been different because with Noah we didnt have the luxury to be picky with baby things, we got what we needed and most everything else was just something we figured one day we could get with our next baby. And you know what, Noah turned out just fine, so i have to keep reminding myself that when i tell George i NEED another double stroller now haha.

I thank God we never jumped into mistakes like most couples do with little money and start racking up more debt. We already had a little and thankfully got rid of it when God blessed us with our home. We were going on 4 years of marriage and knew there were more important things then the NOW phase of racking up debt. So the past year we have slowly taken our time getting things for our home, most of which has been for Noah and Belle and i have to say we learned 2 VERY important lessons since moving in.

1. Don't rush. When we first moved in, George and i both had SO many ideas of what we wanted to do and buy and paint and colors and all that jazz, but i thank God other things got in the way and we took the past year to really live in our house to get a feel for it. I cant tell you how many times our minds have already changed since the day we moved in, and i do agree that people should live in their house for at LEAST 6 mos before deciding on what they want to do. Houses that are rushed to be put together end up looking cheap (unless they rack up tons of debt which will be in my point #2), or they end up hating it and wanting to change it by the end of their first year. I think we are FINALLY starting to see and learn what we really want our home to be and i am excited to see it all unfold as we take our time on projects.

2. Dont accumulate ANY new debt for your home. This one i am STRICT about since i started following Dave Ramsey last summer. And this SIMPLE little step has opened a whole new world and hobby that George and i LOVE! Re-furnishing furniture! More into that in a second. Staying debt free in regards to your home kinda go hand in hand with my first point because it gives you time to save up for big ticket items and that time makes you see if you really want it or not. It gives you time to research certain brands and products and make sure you're getting your bang for your buck. These 2 things George and I have pretty much lived by the last year and i couldn't be happier that we did!

As we take on more projects in our home i cant help but DIVE into reading and researching anything and everything on interior design. My all time favorite are DIY blogs. I have a ton that i follow and they inspire me much more than those pricey interior magazines. I've always been OBSESSED with thrift stores, antique stores, and yard sales since i was younger and both my grandmothers would take me. I have a deep appreciation for things that are old and i cant say it enough, that they just don't make things the way they use to! I hate the newer cheap stuff that LOOKS like wood but is the furthest thing from it, and plastics instead of glass and ceramics, it really is terrible. So the last few months alot of blogs have inspired me to get out there and start hunting and anything is possible! i have found some of the BEST deals and with some sanding and painting we're giving Pottery Barn a run for their money because the old pieces we have found are SOLID wood and instead of $100's or $1000's try under $20 for most of it.

So as our house celebrates it's 1 year birthday, George and i celebrate a new hobby that will not only bring us closer and give us joy, but help us build our house into a home that we love and have created ourselves.

Thriftin' and a craftin'

I know i'm one of a kind but my obsession for Thrift Stores and Yard Sales has come to an all time high and I think George is confused. Let's rewind because George didn't know me back in Junior High and High School. From about 8th grade till about 11th grade i would ONLY buy my clothes at Thrift Stores. My best friend Christine and I were obsessed. My mom tells the funniest stories of how she always thought i would never grow up to be "normal". Whatever that may be. So now that i have this beautiful house to fill, and a itching crafting heart the ideas are endless! On top of finding inspiring blogs and DYI sites everyday, i just cant keep up! Here are a few of my treasures i found this week and i'mlooking forward to so many more. How come when you find something unique, different, AND cheap it means more to you then something usual, typical AND expensive? Just something to think think about.

With fall around the corner i'm bringing in some more neutrals and darker colors into my kitchen. I scored these green place mats at the Goodwill for a whopping $1.25! I absolutely love the texture it adds to the table and then i found the cute little wooden circle with engraved flowers at Target on clearance for $4! Changed the look of my kitchen completely! And of course, that is Noah being cute and showing me his breakfast before school in the morning.

This is a little train peg shelf i scored last weekend at a Yard Sale the Navy threw outside of base. I got it for $0.25! I instantly knew it would go amazing in Noah's room with a little paint.

Here it is primed and painted. Ready for fall where it can hang his sweaters!

For now it is hanging the, oh so true, sign that i got Noah in Texas for 50% which came out to be $2. Noah's room is full of little treasures i've been finding for the last few months.

This is a little jar i found just this past weekend at a Yard Sale where the old lady was selling the most amazing antiques. I instantly pictured it on my window sill with some wildflowers in it. For $0.50 i couldn't pass it up. And then one of my friends recommended that when i'm not using it for flowers to use it as a money jar for Dad when he says bad words and then mom can go shopping. More Yard Sales here i come! What a fabulous idea!

Ok so my biggest project has been Belle's nursery. I've been trying to find cheap easy treasures to make her room come together much like i did Noah's, but it's hard when you have no idea which way to go with the nursery. I started off wanting an old fashion hollywood theme but after months and months of looking at inspiring nurseries online i was LOST on what i really wanted. It wasn't until i found an old vintage military poster that i use to have in my barracks room that the ideas started coming together. So here are the curtains i made for her room Labor Day weekend which tie in the colors from the poster perfectly. I followed the post from Young House Love ( which i LOVE) and it turned out SO easy! On top of that i originally had different curtains picked out from Urban Outfitters which would have cost me $120 total but with Joann's Labor Day sale i scored the fabric for these for $50! I saved $70!

So my next project was making Belle's crib skirt which again i followed the lovely Young House Love (their tutorials are SO easy to follow)! I was mostly stumped on the fabric i wanted to use. I KNEW i wanted a dark shade of blue to compliment the curtains and possibly some SMALL detail to not override the flowers on the curtains and stripes on the walls. So at the SAME yard sale that i scored my little mason jar i found THIS fabric. Can we say PERFECT?! It was almost like it was made to go in her room! For $1 i got about 4 yards and only needed 1 1/2 so i will have to find something else to use the yards for. Maybe pillows?

The colors coordinate a LITTLE too perfectly.

Coming along pretty good!

My main source of inspiration at this point :)

And for your viewing pleasure, here i am at 30 weeks pregnant. What would a little thrift store shopping be without some fashion? Like my outfit? I received more compliments on it then anything else in my closet, and it cost me a total of $7! Gotta love the Goodwill. The funny part is that my $40 sandals cost more than my whole outfit! And the BEST part is that i'm still not wearing maternity clothes!!!!!

They've decided to retire.

I spoke too soon like i knew i would. I swore i would run my whole pregnancy and i really did put up a tireless effort. You don't realize how many things you SWEAR you're going to do when you're pregnant and the second the line turns blue and the aches and pains set in you throw in the towel. Well i didn't throw in the towel until now at exactly 7 mos pregnant. I ran the LA Marathon while i was 2 mos pregnant although i hate to even say i even ran it. My time was HORRIBLE and at this point i'm just glad i made it because the sharp pains i had in my lower abdomen would have been enough to scare anyone to stop. But i made it, took a month off, checked in with my doctor that it would be ok to continue running, and then i continued. But at 3 mos pregnant i had to use some very tricky methods in order to get me in those running shoes. All i wanted to do was lay on my couch and eat Top Ramen like i did my whole pregnancy with Noah. So the first thing i did was make a STRICT schedule on when i would run. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday's worked best for my schedule so i literally had to co-erce and make myself go those days. And i did. I have to say i did not miss a beat! And I always felt like a million bucks when i would finish a 30 minute run. I didn't even set mile goals for myself anymore, i told myself 30 min of running and that is it. So whether that amounted to a little over 3 miles or 2.5 depended on what type of day i was having and whether or not Belle wanted to cooperate with me.

So how come now that my running shoes have retired and my body has told me enough is enough do i want to run more than i have ever in my life? Probably because when i started running 2 years ago there was a distinct reason that has stayed with me today. Alot of people don't know why i started running, but i can remember the day like it was yesterday. Noah was 3 mos old and i was sad. Very sad. I spent my days crying all day and i didn't know what was wrong with me?! I was trying to adjust to this new life as a stay at home mom, and after 3 years of being on the go and working in the Air Force it was a big adjustment. Suddenly i started thinking maybe this is what people called post-partum depression. I never once had a bad thought towards my baby, if anything he would make me stop crying when i would see his precious face, but i just had this overwhelming feeling of sadness. I remembered one of my good friends telling me how she was a runner and practically ran everyday. I figured i needed to get out of the house and i really wanted to start exercising again so what a perfect opportunity. I called her up, asked when her next run was, and vowed to meet her there. I can still remember that run as clearly as i am typing. It was at the good ol Savannah Rapids, next to the river, and i told her i didn't think i could go far, but i ran 2 miles that day. I cant describe the feeling i felt all i know is i had to come again. And again, and again. By the end of the week i was on 3 miles and i will never forget as we were doing our cool off walk my friend looking at me and telling me that she could already see a difference in me. That meant the world to me because i felt like a whole new person. After that day i couldn't stop. There was the Georgia marathon, and then the LA marathon, and here i sit 7 mos pregnant dreaming of day when i can race again once this baby is born.

So i've come to realize that i am an emotional runner. I run when i'm sad, when i'm mad, stressed, overwhelmed, you name it. Its a place i can escape to and the miles keep going by and all my thoughts can rearrange themselves. Another run i can remember clear as day was probably about 10 mos ago when i found out my cousin Lucy was about to start chemo treatments. The sadness i felt couldn't be expressed as i laced up my shoes and headed out. Tears fell down my face that entire run. And here i sit wondering how that was just a short 10 mos ago and now my cousin is dead. The pain and sadness makes me want to do one thing, but its something my body wont let me do right now. I want to run. The last 7 mos i've had to manipulate and lie to my body to get those shoes on and right now all i want to do is escape to my running place.

My cousin Lucy was such a beautiful person and i could go on for days on what an amazing mother she was, but all i know is that God wanted her home with Him. So thats where she is at, and i cant wait for the day when i can head out again on my familiar paths because i know now that i will have a guardian angel looking over me. I will no longer be alone with just my thoughts, but she will be there with me also. So maybe my running shoes aren't retiring, but rather taking a leave of absence. They will be back and so will i.

Fall=winding down or starting up?

Every year around this time i feel like a deep breath in is needed as the summer comes to an end and everything winds down. But theolder i get, and more kids i pop out, i realize that the summer IS me winding down for what is yet to come in the fall. Fall semester has officially started for me and i am in my first block of classes in my education program. Not only am i taking my very first FULL load, ever, i also have to do 120 hours in a classroom outside my school work. I'm looking forward to the challenge and the strange looks i have gotten from all my professors when they see my 7 month belly hasn't deterred me!

Noah is talking more and more everyday and George and i just LOVE it. He has also started potty training :/ I have officially refused to change, or put diapers on him while he is at home, so he has basically started his very own nudist colony here with Chloe. He goes easily in the potty at school because he sees the other kids, but here at home he has been very weary. Today was day 3 of no diapers and for the first time he went in his potty. Of course i danced for him and offered him some fruit snacks so i'm hoping he'll start catching on better before Belle makes her grand entrance and then that will mean double diaper duty if he hasn't caught on by then.

I am going to need EXTRA discipline when i am at home and supposed to be studying because not only do i need to maintain my 3.0 gpa but my mind is constantly wandering to the fact that we're still not done with the nursery! Belle will be here in a little less than 3 mos and me being the systematic person that i am, i do not want to dive full force into finishing her room until Noah's is completely done. All we have left are some wall prints to hang and install his ceiling fan, but the ideas keep turning in my head. Do i want to just go the easy way out and buy some cute, fun art or prints or do i want to indulge in my inner Martha and make and or create my own? I think i'm leaning towards the latter.

Here are a few pics of what his room looked like when we first moved into our home last winter.

Here was the beginning of the big boy transformation. Besides moving the crib into the nursery, i was SO excited to find Noah this train table for his room on Craigslist for $50! And it came with the train which has many more pieces than what you see here.

Our little fam took an ikea trip about a month ago to stock up on some big boy items for Noah's room. As you can see, he left the decisions on what will go in his room up to us.

Here is the beginning. We've painted since and i've hung up a few things but you can slowly start to see a lil man room emerge!

Here is my inspiration right now. Noah has a ton of alphabet cards and i found this picture online and i am debating whether or not i want to re-create it somewhere in his room. Will keep you posted on what i decide!

And here is how Belle's room has been left. Until Noah's room is done i am swearing off of it. It shouldn't be but a few weeks and then i can start on all the fun projects i have for this one!

Will post Noah's big boy room fully done hopefully next weekend! :)

Sometimes all you need is a power outage

In this day to day life we all get so caught up in what seems like a million different things. With the current condition of my cousin who has cervical cancer my mind has been turning with so many heavy things. The loss of sleep from staring at the ceiling hasn't hit me yet, but i'm sure the tiredness will kick in any day now. When you're faced with something as heavy as dying, you cant help but analyze the cracks and crevices of your own life. I hate the pace i've been running this life lately, and it makes me sit back and think whose pace am i trying to keep up with? There's not a day that goes by that i don't think "There is just not enough hours in the day!"

Well last night God decided to take matters into his own hands. We had an amazing storm, and i say amazing because we don't have storms like that where i'm from in California. The wind was causing branches to fall all over the neighborhood, big ones, the rain was coming down so fast and strong it looked like a wall. And of course, our power went out. George instantly got nervous and started pacing. He was irritated and you could tell just nervous all together that the power MIGHT not be back on soon. I couldn't help but laugh. I found everything humorous. Noah was having the time of his life watching the storm outside and my first thought was "This is going to be SO fun!" No tv, no computer, no lights, maybe we need this. Just me, George, and Noah. Making memories in our new home. It wasn't minutes later that George and i both sat there on our phones getting online and texting our friends when the big picture suddenly became clear. We as adults get too consumed to enjoy the little things in life. Here was a perfect opportunity to have such a good time creating new memories and George and I were already bored!

I watched my son start to use his imagination while playing with his cars and i thought this is EXACTLY what i need during this difficult time in my family. As my cousin's days are numbered i know she would wish she had more electronic free time with her kids. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Why are we making our lives so busy that we cant even enjoy a few hours of silence with just our family. I know i'm guilty. I'm learning so many new lessons everyday from my cousin's story. Life lessons.

I was planning on letting Noah take a bath in mom and dads big ol tub that night because there was more light in our bathroom due to the window, but wouldn't you know, after 3 hours the electricity came back on right in time for bath time. I thought, well if we didn't get to have a candlelit slumber party i can still at least let Noah enjoy our big tub. So with some toys he splashed around and i'm glad we got to end the night enjoying the small things. Next time i hope it wont take a power outage for me and George to slow down and spend some quiet time as a family.

Extreme Nesting, new sport?

So if it's not bad enough to move into a brand newclean slate of a house, why did i have to get pregnant 4 mos later? Last night as i bombarded George with all my ideas for the nursery, and Noah's room and our room and the kitchen he finally said something that hit home. "You overwhelm me, and this nesting thing has got to stop." Well to be honest, i didn't sleep all night. When i did i dreamed of paint swatches and should we get Noah a tall dresser or a short dresser? Should we get one that matches his new bed or go against the matchy matchy rule. When did all this obsessing start??

I'm big on being frugal, we've had to live on nearly nothing for awhile and really stretch our means so now that we live comfortably my frugalness is even more extreme. I don't want to spend a dollar more than i should, so every morning its off to Craigslist for me. On top of that i want detail. That was the second eye opening statement from George last night. "Stop with all the details!" I love character. I love old things that have character and can almost tell you a story. Yes its nice to graze through a Pottery Barn catalogue, but when i comb through Craigslist and find oldvintage pieces with beautiful woodwork i see a diamond in the rough. So this weekend i have learned 3 things about myself:

1. I love detail. And that will never stop. I'm not going to cut myself short by spending too much on a brand new item that does not make me happy. As i dive into Noah and Belle's room i want to work hands on every piece that we plan on bringing in there.

2. I not only overwhelm George, I overwhelm myself.

And 3. It's called Extreme Nesting. Maybe i should talk to my doctor about this.

Next weekend we're taking an Atlanta trip where we plan on picking up a few more items for the nursery and Noah's room. I cant help but draw inspiration by pictures and blogs. Here are a few that have me drooling and the wheels in my head turning.

Alot of these were taken from Ikea, but there are a few that i saved from blogs. I don't remember which ones in particular, i know they are in my blog list so please if they are your pictures let me know so i can add the appropriate link to your blog.

Weekend lovins

This weekend was SO relaxing, and let's just say these were a few of mine and Belle's favorite things:

I think it's safe to say say Belle LOVES the sweets almost as much i do. But this week we will be loving:

At 23 weeks pregnant i have continued running and this pregnancy has been a CAKE WALK compared to my last. I just cut down to 3 miles 2x a week because i've also been taking an hour long yoga class on Monday's, and the whole family has been taking walks in the evening when it cools down. The running has kept me from having any back pain and overall i just don't feel pregnant. I will write more about my pregnancy running journey soon, but until then i hope everyone had a great, sweet, relaxing weekend!