New Look

You  may or may not have noticed that I, once again, switched up the look of Bean In Love.  Why?  For kicks and because it's like decorating...for FREE!  I absolutely love making backgrounds - they're like fabrics to me that I can use without paying for - headers, and just changing up the color scheme to reflect my mood, the season, or even a color fad.  Honestly, if I had time, which many moons into pregnancy and then nursing two might afford me in a couple of weeks/months, I'd put a new face on the blog every week.  So we'll see what happens. 

In saying all of this, which you probably don't care about anyway, I was thinking about posting a little itty-bitty tutorial on web design and then got cold feet about it.  I'm no pro by any means and just putting up this little facade I've got goin' on now took me a good six or so hours of work only because I ran into a few glitches I didn't know how to fix until my genius-in-web-design brother-in-law swooped like a knight in shining armor and helped me fix them.  So, I realized I probably shouldn't write about how to do something like web design that I still am so rusty with myself.  So, I'll just pass on some good places I've found to go if you'd like to learn more.

• For a TON of free background patterns that you can change to any color you desire, http://www.patterncooler.com/ is the place to be.  All you have to do is find a pattern you like, switch up the colors and/or size using their background editor, save it to your computer, and upload it as a background in Blogger's template designer.
• For thousands of cool and free fonts, check out http://www.dafont.com/!
• To make your own header or blog graphics, especially if you don't have access to Photoshop or other computer software, http://www.pixlr.com/ works just as well.  We do have Photoshop but lately I've found myself using pixlr more often because it doesn't take my old computer as long to launch and use it.  Pixlr even uploads all of the fonts you have saved on your computer so you have access to all of those cool fonts you've downloaded from dafont...bonus!
• For really great tutorials on everything from the basics to the more advanced ways to make your blog more attractive, a few good websites are http://www.bloggersentral.com/, http://www.puglypixel.com/, and http://www.makincuteblogs.com/.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment or to email me and I'll try my bestest to answer you or to at least point you in the right direction as regards web design.  But remember, I'm faaaar from being a pro.  Also, like I mentioned above, I love creating headers and backgrounds and I'm going to have lots of relaxation time in the next couple of months before the twins get here so, instead of making myself a new header everyday with all that spare time on the couch, I'd love to help whip up some headers for anyone looking to get a new one.  Of course I'd do it for free - heck, you're doing me a favor by a) giving me something to do while I rest the weight of the beanettes on any surface that'll have me and by b) giving my blog a design rest.  Just send me an email with your ideas and I'll get my pixlr on.

Anyway, I need to get off my tush and go wrangle the chaos that is currently invading our guestroom.  I hope to be back later today with a post of my progress so, if you're in the virtual neighborhood, stop by.  :)

Twins: 27 Weeks

Feelin’ it in my bones people.  The past two mornings it’s taken me approximately seven minutes to roll over and out of the bed and once I get to the out part, the weight of our two little pretties makes itself fully known to my hips and knees.  Oh the joys.  :)  

Hey Shorty

Among the plethora of hand-me-down maternity garb I was given were some snazzy white bermudas…only they took their name pretty seriously… 

…in that they were close to the size of Bermuda on mwah.

After much deliberation, I decided to tighten them up a little by putting an extra seam down the side.  You see, taking in the inside of the legs just wouldn’t remedy the loose situation but taking in the existing seams meant working with/eliminating the pockets I liked having.  So, first I pinned them, making room for my new seam directly in between the existing one and the back pockets,

and then sewed to get these more fitted shorts:

I like the stripe detail created just by sewing in an extra seam.  :)

As for the house and our diy crazed minds, we’ve got nothing going on but a little bit of a mess.

We’ve managed to start the process of converging the guest bedroom and office to make way for the nursery during our spare time.  So, right now it looks like a twister blew in a storm of baby stuff in one room:

 

and just a plain ‘ole case of unorganization in the other.

So, I apologize for the lack of interesting posts lately but am afraid to say that I might be a boring blogger for the next couple of months at which point the twins will come and liven things up a little.  I’ve got a ton of projects on the horizon but they’re all low on the priority list after de-cluttering and organizing the craziness we’ve got going on in the two rooms above.  However, I will keep on keepin’ on with the belly bump posts so you can continue to watch the twins grow on the inside.  :)

Have a great Saturday everyone!  I’m off to tackle the clutter!

Twins: 26 Weeks

Well, the belt worn in the above pic is actually a "former" hip belt...it's now graduated to a new level, quite literally, that of "waist belt" courtesy of an ever-expanding rib cage and midsection...which is actually courtesy of the two twinlets.

Other than that, not much has changed except for the excelling stretching and enlargement of the belly and babes.  I am really and truly blessed to feel pretty darn good at this point.  :)

Just for kicks, here's another timed shot:

It actually isn't too too bad and you wouldn't know unless I told you but as I was taking it a vehicle carrying real people was passing by and I took my eyes off the lens for a split second to stare at them and think "they must think I'm an idiot, standing in my driveway whilst holding my bulging midsection and smiling at my car"...obviously my eyes didn't make it back to their focal point before the timer went off and the camera shot.  Yes, the point and shoot itself was resting on the hood of the new Twinmobile, unknown to any passersby.  Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

 

Speaking of the new money hog, here's she/he is (I'll have to convene with Anthony on that one):

Regardless of my frugality, I'm so excited to have it and to put some miles on it with two baby girls in tow.  It's what I'd like to think of as a diy buy because we got it for $4000 less than it's Kelly Blue Book value all because it was a little dirty inside (which I already took care of courtesy of a toothbrush, a rag, Pinesol, and some Resolve) and had these two unflattering stripe decals (one red, one silver) along each side which we peeled off at the dealer before we bought it.  We walked away with a steal of a deal, so much so that I actually felt like we were cheating the dealer...but not bad enough.  :)  I guess the main point is that when you know the Big Guy, He pours down His blessings even in the form of SUVs.  :)

 

Over and out!  Hope to see you Saturday!

Money, Money, Money

Sorry peeps!  No interesting post today.  I had all the plans to write one up for ya but bright and early this morn we went SUV shopping (twins + Toyota Corolla = impossible), found an SUV, and drove 'er home and now I'm completely brain dead after searching, searching, talking, bargaining, and finally writing a big 'ole check to top it all off.  Frugal Franny here gets very overwhelmed spending this kind of money.  I even opened my mailbox to reveal a glossy, new Better Homes and Gardens awaiting me when we got home but upon opening it and seeing all of it's glorious inspiration, got nauseous thinking about what that inspiration could make me wanna buy...so anyway, you get the picture.  I just can't think right now so I can't write.  I will say though that we've got a sweet ride that we scored an excellent deal on - Merry Christmas twins - in our driveway that I'm quite happy about but that has given me a little sticker shock/bank account wound which will hopefully pass once I lay my curly head down on my satin pillow tonight.  :)  Adios!