Going .com

Goodbye .blogspot.com and hello plain ‘ole .com!  If I’m going to do this whole blogging thing, I’m really going to do it and for one thing that means going dot com.  In my mind, it makes our little blog here a little more official and makes us/me a little more motivated to keep it updated on the regular.

I’ve been researching a teeninsy bit about going .com for a few months now and everything I’d start reading about doing so made me a little nervous about taking the step because it all seemed way beyond my web knowledge.  Well, then I found this little sweet spot of info from Spice Up Your Blog.  What’s awesome is that they included a little video in the post they wrote on going .com with Blogger that walks you through the super-simple process.  After going step-by-step with the video, we were up and running in 15 minutes and all I had to do was click a few buttons.  It’ll cost us $10 a year to have our own domain which is just perfect for this cheapo and her fam. 

If you’re blogging with a platform other than Blogger or if the domain name you want is already taken, this tutorial unfortunately won’t work for you.  Sorry.  We originally wanted to go with beaninlove.com but somebody’s got it and it would’ve cost us at least $60 to get GoDaddy.com to research who and possibly obtain it for us.  No thanks.  Adding “blog” to the end of our domain didn’t bother us a bit even though Blogger was kind enough to offer these options:
 
Well gee thanks but I’ll leave legumes for the next bean and I’d rather dance with love than hate so beaninloveblog.com is just peachy.

Anyway, I had planned on revealing the freshly painted nursery dresser to y’all today but it’s not quite done.  It is painted but, after a few minor happenings, needs a little buffing and one more coat.  I’ll have it and a little tutorial on it up this week, promise.  Hope to see you then! 

I Slit A Sheet

Three sheets I slit.  Three common sheets I slit. 

And that’s how curtains became a part of our bedroom oasis.  I cut three twin sheets in half, cut them to the length I needed them, hemmed all cut sides, and hung them.  And, it only cost me $15. 

When we moved in to this house, I was dying to get our master bedroom together and in some semblance of “our space”.  So, after slapping up some paint (BM’s Heaven on Earth color-matched to Olympic low-VOC paint), moving in furniture, and making the bed, one of the first things we did was hang some curtains.  On a free whim, I used what we had which was one pair of extra-wide toile curtains from IKEA.  I cut each panel into thirds (we have three windows in our room) and we hung them on some cheap curtain rods we got from Big Lots.  I think the rods were $5 each or something like that.  Cheap.  Well, the rods were great and did the job but the curtains were a little to sparse…scratch that, they were just plain ugly:
 
Looking back makes me cringe…do you ever have those what-the-heck-was-I-thinking decorating moments?  Lesson:  Free decorating is not always better.

So, months later after I came to my decorating senses, I snatched up three flat twin sheets (Target brand) from Dirt Cheap for $5 each, slit ‘em and hung ‘em a little higher, and the room magically looked 100 times better. 

Sometimes I wish I would’ve spent an extra few dollars and bumped up to queen-size for thicker curtains but for now, we’ll just continue rolling with the twin theme. 

We have even bigger plans on the back-burner including a curvy, padded headboard, new pillow covers all around, a transformation of the existing bed skirt, a diyed slipcover for the raspberry elephant in the room, some chunky lamps (currently on the thrifting hunt), raising, painting, and spicing up (think mirrors!!) the existing nightstands, a coffee table turned bench for the foot of the bed (said coffee table is currently in hiding underneath the bed), some picture hanging, and whatever else pops into the dome piece by then.  Like I said, all of this is on the back-burner and all of it will be on the very cheap, per the usual.  The padded headboard WILL be done before #3 gets here so this mom has a comfy place to rest her back during those middle-of-the-night feedings?  The rest though?  Who knows.  Eventually.  :)

What I (We) Wore Sunday – On Repeat

It’s another outfit post…look out.  I’m still not sure what’s so fun about taking pictures of what I’m wearing and posting them for the world to see.  But, it is.  Maybe it’s the success of finding something “new” to wear from old clothes.  I don’t know.  I usually try to include an alteration but my alteration of the week is in the laundry.  It’s a maxi skirt and it’ll be coming your way next week.  Wait for it…wait for it…

So back to the outfit selfies.  I love Fine Linen and Purple’s What I Wore Sunday link-up because it’s all about dressing up for the Big Man.  Growing up we always dressed up for Sunday Mass (a rule in our house) and, while I know God doesn’t really care about what you’re wearing (unless it’s inappropriate in which case I think He does care because He loves you and wants you to respect yourself – whole ‘nother convo, whole ‘nother day), it’s important to me to forgo the norm yoga pants/t-shirt combo and put a little pep in my normal mundane step for Him.  Soooo, back to business.

Here’s what I wore yesterday:
  
What?  It’s the same thing as the last WIWS post?  Pshaw.
If you wanna know but you probably don’t:
Top:  Thrifted (altered)
Sweater/Cardi:  Callie’s Closet (as in, my friend Callie was purging and gave me two bags full of clothes and this was in one of ‘em)
Skinnies:  Tarjay
Pointy Toes:  Famous Footwear (I think?)  from back in my college days

And, BONUS!  I roped in a couple of my cutest-ever homies to participate.  I don’t think they fully knew what they were getting themselves into but look, here they are:

We’ll call them Linda and Bessie…I’ll keep they’re real names secret in case any stalkers emerge cause they’re that cute.

Lindsey (left)…I mean, Linda… -  her cardi is from AT Loft, her tank from Old Navy and very old therefore very short and in which case her skirt from Target pulled up high came to the rescue (so smart that girl).  You would never know!  All is bottomed-off with super-stylin Lucky shoes from Belk.

And Blakely (right)…uh, Bessie…is totally hobo-chic in her cardi from Anthropologie, top from Academy, BCBG skirt from Dilliards, and Converses covering up some super-cool wool socks that I can’t even remember the name of but which remind me that I need to ask her why the heck she was wearing wool socks when it was 1000 degrees outside.  Also, can you believe this is her second outfit?  She spilled something or other on the first and so put this together quick.  My second outfit is usually on because a spit-up incident and is always way not-cute because I don’t have the motivation to try again…

Envious?  You know you are.  I wish I could throw on outfits half that good.    Teach me your ways girls, teach me your ways.

Oh look!  It’s the three of us:

(Something’s off about this pic but I can’t quite put my shoe on it…….)

Per the usual, I’m linking the three of us up at Fine Linen and Purple.

.           .           .

P to the S – Did you notice we’re a for real .COM now?  We are!  -beaninloveblog.com-  Super, super easy process.  I’ll spill the deets on that diy later this week!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Well I finally mustered up the motivation to get on painting the girl’s dresser when as luck would have it, it’s pouring rain in my workshop…zee backyard.  Good thing it took me all week to gather my wits and make those painting plans for today.  Also a good thing that I put a little extra pep by way of an extra scoop of grinds in this morning’s joe because I’ve got all the energy in the world and a little bit of a shake to go with it.  Sorry sweet babe in my utero, that caffeine high you’re currently experiencing will wear off, I promise.  It probably doesn’t help that I ate some leftover chocolate lava cake for breakfast this morning with a side of a bagel and two eggs (which I waaay overcooked).  So, in a nutshell, chocolate, extra coffee kick, and a rainy day make me one nervous wreck.  The girls are fast asleep and I’m not sure what I’m going to do.  Our house is immaculate so there’s nothing to clean and Anthony is away at work so there’s nothing to pester him about.  Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, twiddle, twiddle, twiddle, shake, tap, twiddle, shake………….

I know, I’ll tell you of our living room plans because I know you all just love to see photo-shopped plans and not actual projects…

First, the fabrics involved:

1 – Dena Nadia Green Tea.  I found this on a random trip with both girls to JoAnn’s.  It was a newbie hanging on their “special order fabric” rack and it was just what I’ve been searching and hunting for for the coffee table going ottoman.  Anthony wanted something colorful and colorful it is.  (P.S.  It looks so much better in person than online.) 
The only drawback?  It was $50 a yard.  Too much for a cheapo like me.  Howev, this particular week all fabric was 50% off AND I had in my stash an extra 15% off coupon.  I needed 1.5 yards and with the sale + coupon, my price would be around $32.  Not fantastic but desperation and ending my months-long search got the best of me so I skipped to the check-out line where female employee #2 dashed my dreams and told me “We’re not taking any special orders because we’re moving the store.”  “It’s okay”, I thought and told her “Oh, okay, well I’ll just come back after you’ve moved.  When do you move?”  “The end of August”, said she.  This was the beginning of May.  Should I have been upset?  Their big move (down the street mind you) is four months away and they wouldn’t order 1.5 yards of this fabric for me?  What a joke.  Well guess what, I went home and hunted the net only to find the same exact fabric on eBay for $11 a yard.  I bought three yards and am planning a roman shade for the front door with it along with the ottoman.  I’ll keep my expletives in for JoAnn but she sure lost out.

2 – Unfortuntely I don’t have the designer, name, or anything on this fabric.  I can’t even find it online.  I got it over a year ago at Five Gold Monkeys on super clearance for $5 a yard.  It’s going to be sewn into pillow covers and, if there’s extra, maybe a pouf or two.

3 – This is a fabric napkin from Target that I found for 50 cents at Dirt Cheap a long while ago.  I have four and I’m planning on maybe making a pillow cover or two with them.

4 & 5 – These are samples of Robert Allen's Velvet Geo.  It’s up in too-expensive alley and until I can find it for cheaper (when and if), it’s just along for the ride.  The idea of making poufs out of this is enticing since it’s a nice, thick upholstery fabric.  Other ideas include recovering a couple of lounge chairs (which we don’t have but I love to add in the room as seating) or even just the seats of the loungers.  We’ll see.

Last, there’s this fabric I recently purchased from fabric.com in graphite (they don’t seem to have it in stock anymore!):

I love it because it’s bold and we need a little boldness up in here.  It’s going to cover a pillow or two as well.

In case you’re wondering about the in-depth details of this future ottoman I spoke of, here it is:
The plan is to paint the base white, remove the glass and replace it with wood, add some cushy padding, staple the aforementioned fabric to it, add some tufting by way of buttons, and put our feet up.  This pregnancy is going to thank me when we finally get it done.

The wall above the couch will be tweaked a little.  I really am dying to paint the frame around Greece (Italy?) white and then add some mirrors on each side to reflect more light around this room.  The living room is the darkest room in the house except in the morn when Sun Rise shines through, so adding mirrors to reflect more light will greatly add to my natural light loving attitude.
 

Then there’s the big, empty, peaked wall. 
 
We really need a system for storing our modem and for stashing/hiding all the cords from the electronics loitering in the area so our idea is to install shelving to the left of the chimney just for this purpose.  A gallery wall of sorts is also in the works.  Also, if I ever find those lounge chairs mentioned above, they’d go here…the swings just aren’t cutting it and I’m tired of trying to get out of them once I’m in.  They’re just way to small for my liking.  ;)

Behind the sectional we have this little catch-all area which we’re thinking of turning into a little office space.  That plan’s not set in stone but something is going to be because right now it’s home to a laundry basket I call my “going to Goodwill” collection, a bookshelf the girls repeatedly ransack, and a few frames begging to be hung.  We need more function.
    
The hutch will stay where it is because that’s the only place it can go in this joint.

Other little things include finding some new lamps via thrifting and getting a new, bigger rug (thought I had one…plan fell through and now Rugs USA is on my bad list…another story for another day).

And that’s that.  Once I get this darned dresser painted (Oh look!  It stopped raining!), I’m on to whipping up an ottoman and some pillow covers with zippers (eek…a little nervous about the z word).  Here’s to hoping these boxes will all be checked before #3 comes.  :) 

The only other thing left to say is “Stay Tuned” or “I’ll be back”…you pick.

Oh, and have a great weekend!

Bean Sprouts: 10 Months

Before I dive into the last month of the twins’ lives, I just want to give a big hug and thank you to you all for your sweet words of congratulations on the upcoming number three!  It’s such a joy to be surrounded by people who love life rather than those like the dude in Wal-Mart who, after seeing the twins and asking if they were in fact “twins?”, told me “You better not have anymore!”  I got the pleasure of telling him that we were in fact expecting our third around Christmas to which he mumbled something and gave me a raise of the eyebrow.  I just gave him a smug smile and went about my merry, hands-full way.  :)

 

So, it’s been 10 months since the birth of the two we once thought was just one.  Actually, we’re coming up on 11 months and momma over here is a little late on her posts.  We’ll blame it on the lack ‘o motivation that is known in this household as first trimester laziness.


[In case you didn’t notice, the only ham in this house resides in the fridge.]

Both girls are crawling, crawling, crawling and are now more interested in any room other than the room where all of their colorful toys live…the rooms that have bookcases, drawers, and lots of other things that really aren’t “child-proof” yet.  We really, really have to get on that.  Can anyone recommend some child-proofing gadgets for drawers and doors by the way?  We haven’t the faintest idea.

Seraphia:
Her new thing is to point or just throw out an arm with an open hand just for kicks.  She did it this morning circa 4:30 when she just needed to be out of her crib and she does it at other random points throughout the day.  We haven’t the faintest clue what she means by it but it sure is funny bordering weird.  She learned how to say “mama” two days before Mothers’ Day which melted my heart into a little red puddle but has since forgotten…  Compared to her courageous sister she’s, as Anthony says, a “little wuss”.  She’ll pull herself up on her knees but to her feet she wouldn’t dare.  She’s very careful to keep herself safe at all costs, which I guess is good for me.  She’s very sensitive and if she’s in any sort of foul mood, Cecilia just touching her will set her off into a fit of tears.  She listens when I tell her “no no” and immediately seeks out some other form of entertainment than the forbidden but only after letting me know her feelings were hurt.  She’s still the runt of the two, with my narrow profile and crazy long legs.
   

Cecilia:
She celebrated her 10 month birthday by cutting her first tooth.  It’s still her only tooth to date.  She’s my little cuddler.  She loves to cuddle with mommy and she’s very much a momma’s girl.  She’s a wild child though with frequent outbursts of loud noises and a care-free attitude which leads her to crawl wherever she pleases.  It doesn’t matter how stable the object she’s holding to stand, she’s determined to pull herself up on it.  Once again, we really need to child-proof.  She sings/yells to the tune of Scuttle on The Little Mermaid.  Heard it?  It’s ear-wrenching but cute all at once.  We’re pretty sure baby tylenol has the same effect as a large dose of sugar on her because it sends her to the moon and back, giggling all the way.  She eats almost anything I try to put in her mouth except avocado.  Her and S have no taste for those healthy things.
 

Both girls are now eating almost anything, which means that our lives are so much easier in the feeding department because they can eat minced versions of whatever we’re eating and on top of that, they’ve learned to pick up their own bits of food and feed themselves.  I’m still nursing them three times a day and we’ve starting supplementing with formula at night due to the depletion of milk the bean in the oven has brought on.  Cloth diapering has saved us roughly $900 to date (and that’s based on the price of Target generics)…holy wow…and I haven’t the faintest how much making our own baby food has saved us but it’s probably not quite that much.

If you stopped by, this is what our living room would probably look like these days:

and last week both girls wreaked havoc in our closet among my shoes, belts, and purging pile:

I have yet to clean up from their little excursion.


[Quick!  Look the other way and maybe she won’t know we did that.]

Speaking of things I still have to do, the dresser is going two-tone as soon as I can build up some energy and spend a nap time not napping with the tots.  Also on the list are the coffee table going ottoman, two gallery walls, and a ton of pillow covers that need to be sewn for the living room.  Here’s to hoping that “nesting” thing kicks in soonish.