Happy Two You!

Can we just take a moment to acknowledge the fact that I actually used to update this blog quite regularly? And now? Now, look at me! This is ridiculous.

Anyway, since we last talked, my kids grew up. The end.

Kidding, kidding. Here's the scoop (you'll get the pun in a bit):

Chapter One: 
I have big kids. Two of them. I really can't believe it. Their birthday was a great day. We both took off work to spend time with them. We had breakfast as a family and then took them to Build A Bear for the first time. I think they were a bit too young for the process still, but it was adorable to see them dragging their new Dogs ("Dog" and "Hop") around in their Dog houses.

During naptime, we did the unthinkable.... we turned the girls car seats forward facing!  I felt very strongly about waiting until they were two to do this and was pretty proud of myself for sticking it out. I'll tell you what though, I'm SO thrilled we turned them. Life is SO much easier when you can actually address your kids' needs in the car!

 

After the girls (and their dogs) woke up from naps, we took them to the local pumpkin patch and let them play in the kids area.

[Side bar on this "kids area:" Can you say rip off? Seriously, it was $3 a kid for: a pile of dirt, a couple Little Tyke swings, a play shed, and some random balls. I'm not kidding.]

After spending 17 hours in the kids area to make sure we really got out monies' worth, we went home, ate a random dinner and had cake! It was such an easy day and was so perfect. I loved every second!

 

I spent my post-bedtime free time prepping for the big bday party to be held the next day. See Chapter Two of this epic update for details on this...

Chapter Two: 
My big kids love ice cream. Love. So, we decided (as a result of their sweet tooth and the fact that this is likely the last year I'll have any say in the theme), to throw an ice cream-themed birthday party!

I had a blast planning it! The invites were inspired by a set I found on Etsy and my very talented friend brought them to fruition.

The largest project was sewing and hanging a stupid fabric awning in the dining room (what was I thinking??). It was truly a labor of love (read: PITA!), but as long as you didn't really get up close, it didn't look half bad! The Ice Cream Co. sign was created by yours truly and printed by Chris' sign guy. I was SO thrilled when 1. I found out how easy it is to download free fonts and 2. that it turned out so adorable! We had a large one for above the awning and a smaller one for the front door. 

 

 

I tired to think of everything I've ever loved on ice cream for the sundae bar. You name, we had it (and still do. So stop on by for some sweets!).

 

And can we cake a quick second to note the ice cream flavors? Van-Ellie?? Choco-Charlie?? Straw-Blandy?? Thank you to another brilliantly-talented friend for thinking those gems up! 

The party itself was a blast! We ordered a bounce house and the adults enjoyed it just as much as they little ones. We were lucky to have it at all because the weather was VERY uncooperative (me... planning an event... with bad weather... noooo.) Thankfully, the rain stopped and my ILs lent us a very large outdoor rug to get folks from the patio to the bounce house. Crisis averted!

 

Tell me these aren't the faces of happy kids??

And then this happened.... Don't worry... I'm married to MacGyver.

Happy birthday, sweet love bunnies. You are my everything! 

Master Makeover: Part Two

Well, the makeover is about 98% complete, so I'm officially calling it done. Here's a few pics to to peak your interest. And if you still want more, there are details below.

For those who really want to humor me and act interested in every explicit detail of this redo... thank you, and here you go:

The headboard was a labor of love, but I'm really thrilled with the outcome. I found instructions here and they really did an excellent job of detailing the process. The only tip I might add is to use a powered staple gun instead of an old fashioned one. It was impossible for us to get the staples flat when tufting the headboard and we ended up hammering each one down. That's three staples per each of the 28 buttons for a grand total of 84 hammered staples. This took..... a long time. And was further complicated by the fact that it had to be done once the girls had fallen asleep. (Thank you, ladies, for being sound sleepers!).

All said and done, it took three evenings to build, upholster, tuft, and connect to our current bed frame. All that's left is the nail head trim along the wings (Eventually...).

My only other note is to know the difference between 1/2" and an 1". The instructions call for 1" thick foam which is what I thought I was purchasing....Come to find out, I purchased 1/2" foam (clearly the reason I was below budget). It's not the end of the world, but I'll forever know that the headboard 1. isn't perfect and 2. could be even more comfy.

{Progress}

We were lucky that our current bed frame was in great condition and deliberately built the headboard to fit perfectly within the existing space. All that was needed were a few scraps of wood to attach the two together and voila. I have grand plans to upholster the bed rails in the same fabric as the headboard to make it look like one piece.

After all the blood, sweat, and cursing, it gave me great joy to see an exact replica of this headboard on Amazon for close to $500. Grand total on ours? <$150.

The other major change in the room is the dresser. I made mention of it in my earlier post, but never included a picture. So, I'll start with my inspiration: 

I don't know from whence this image came, but it's been in my mind as the most perfect dresser. When I found this posting on CL, I was thrilled with the similarity.





It's definitely a bit smaller in person than I hoped, but I still love it. The question remains: to paint or not to paint??

  

And that about covers it, I guess. The biggest change has really been the "feel" of the room. It's just much more relaxing now. It's also been very motivating to keep the room clean now that I love the space.

Master makeover

We've been in the house for almost four years now and I feel it's a good time for some change. I satisfied this urge in the living room last year by re-covering my pillows and ottoman.The kitchen received a refresher when we installed our honeycomb back splash a few months back. And the dining room recently saw an update when we added our new, beautiful pedestal table.... And now... I'm focused on the master bedroom, in a major way.

Here's a couple before shots:

I've never hated this space, but I've also never felt like it was put together the way I wanted. The room itself has tall, tray ceilings, a huge double window, and is a great size. Basically, it's shell is perfect. The rest just needs a bit of love. My general concept is fresh, calming, and romantic... after all, it is a master bedroom.

What's staying: 

We currently have a Queen bed but want to upgrade to a king when the timing is right (financially). For now, I'll make due with my current mattress.

I love my white textured duvet and matching king shams. Those will stay.

The white dresser has been with me since I was two and isn't leaving now. Eventually the girls will inherit it, but that won't be for a couple more years. 

Our nightstands are different but related and match the dresser well, so they'll also stay.

What's going:

The dark dresser pictured is going, going, gone. It was a great bargain several years ago from Pier One, but is too dark and too small. I've already moved it to the loft to act as our filing cabinet. It actually looks quite nice up there. The IL's gave us their old dresser to replace this one. It was a much better scale for the room, but was also dark, so it was a good temporary replacement until I found a new-to-me second-hand dresser to replace it (more on that later).

Not pictured is our Queen headboard/rails. It's the same color as the dresser and -again- way too dark for the room.

The curtains were great but over time I grew to hate them. They're way darker and heavier in appearance than I want and sort of sucked the energy out of the room. Same with the standard shams. I imagine something a little lighter and brighter on the bed. 

The current artwork and most other nick nacks will also find a new home.

The plan:

I have my sights set on stencils. I really love the idea of a metallic or shiny stencil on the bed wall of the room, mimicking wallpaper. My original plan was for a California white or off-white. Then the stencil will be either a glossy version of the wall, or a metallic paint (still deciding).

Ideally I'll incorporate watery blues and greens and other metallic tones. My inspiration piece is a beautiful pillow I snagged from West Elm. The background of the pillow is my ideal wall color goal and it includes a blue/green pattern which ideally will appear again on the dresser and my side lamps. Speaking of... I like the shape/pattern of my current lamps, but need to update the color. I plan to spray the base and finial of the lamp in a hammered metallic finish. The remainder of the lamp will get a coat of glossy blue/green.

I love collage walls right now and want to incorporate one above the bed.

The progress: 

So, Sherwin Williams can thank this room for keeping them in business because, I've had major issues deciding on a color. Per my original plan, I wanted California white with metallic wall accents.... We tried, we didn't like, we tried again. The walls are now a few shades lighter than the original wall color- a soft blue/grey hue called Olympus White. I really love it. It's soft and relaxing- just what the room needed.

We've also since completed the stencil wall and I love, love, love it. Chris selected the pattern which is sort of a trellis pattern (I typically do not dig), but it isn't harsh, so it works. The process was tedious and painful, but the outcome is super cool:

1. First you paint the background color- cream in our case. It seems completely.... backwards, but that's the way.
2. Next you find dead center of the wall and work from there- don't start at one end or another bc your pattern won't end evenly.
3. Find some adjustable adhesive spray. I found some by 3M at Home Depot. It isn't labeled as adjustable but the instructions tell you how to make it so.
4. Spray a light coat of adhesive onto the stencil and let dry for about a minute, then place the stencil on the wall making sure to smooth it out completely.
5. Paint on the top coat using a small, foam roller.
6. Before you peel off the stencil, take a look for markings on the stencil and make sure to pencil these in. This is to keep your pattern going. So basically, you line up the markings each time you move the stencil.
7. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'll warn you- it's a LONG process. It took us two days between 9:00 pm- 12:00 am, but the result is pretty nifty and it's certainly a feeling of accomplishment!  

The pictures aren't great, but it really does look good in person. Also, ignore the awkward space between the picture frames and the headboard in these pics. We have plans to upholster a headboard complete with nail head trim, like this one, which will be a bit taller.

I've also replaced the hardware on my dresser and our nightstands and love it! The nightstand hardware is from Anthro and my dresser is straight from HD. Finally, I added a three-frame collage above my dresser in the same champagne metallic tone as the pics above, and added some mercury glass accessories. I'll call that area complete.

Next steps:

I'm tirelessly looking for a nice club chair with nail-head trim, like this one, to add to the room. But I can't afford.... anything really. So, I'll keep stalking Joss & Main and Overstock and Home Goods and Wayfair until I find something dirt cheap.

Also, as previously mentioned, we're planning on building a headboard. I have the fabric (a tanish/greyish linenish material) that I got for $15 at Joann's- score! So now I just need to order the nails and then we can get to work.

I'm also coveting these ottomans from Target. I'd like to buy two and put them at the end of the bed; however: 1.) The legs aren't the right color and 2.) The number after the dollar sign isn't low enough. So, I suppose I'll just keep an eye out for something similar.

Finally, I need to decide what I'm going to do with our new dresser- paint or leave as is. Right now it's a light maple but not too orangey and is in excellent condition. It makes me sad to think about painting over perfectly beautiful wood; however, I really love this look and think it might help tie this dresser to the other one and to the nightstands.

I suppose that's enough for now. I'll update later with pictures once I un-bury the room from the chaos that is life right now.

20 months

If the length between posts is any indication of life right now, you can see it's been crazy! Work, travel, and twin toddlers have been making for a very fast half a year.

In summary:

April contained a girls weekend in Nashville and a boys weekend in San Fran. May contained a whirlwind work trip to San Fran immediately followed by a much needed family vacation to Myrtle Beach. And so far, June has included a short stint in Raleigh and upcoming trips to Chicago and Vegas. All the while battling ear infections, sinus infections, toddler tantrums, and general exhaustion.

Let's start with April:
Brittany had hopes to go to Nashville... alone. Um, no. So her friend, Michelle, and I piled into her super sweet Jeep and make the trek to the Music City (or whatever it's referred to as). Our hotel was on Vanderbilt's campus and was a really cool part of town. Sort of a hispter, college vibe. I could dig.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately hit the town. We restaurant/bar hopped until we crashed at the wee hours of..... 10:00 PM. Welcome to 30. We got up bright and early Saturday in the hopes of finding some unique shops/restaurants just outside of Vanderbilt. Oh, it was unique all right.... Google Maps- you suck and you're a big, fat liar for telling us the place to be was only 1 mile and a 20 minute WALK away. LIAR! Three miles, one UTI, and one scene out of "8 Mile" later (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit- but, damn was it a sketchy part of town) we arrived at a local library where we called a cab. When the cabbie was like "where are you??" and then "we'll be there in 20 minutes," we decided to test our luck a bit more and just walk the rest of the way. The clincher? WE HAD A CAR THE WHOLE TIME. Google Maps, I seriously SERIOUSLY hate you. Anyway, the shops were super cute, the restaurant served Jeni's and we cabbed it back to the hotel. The end.

That night we went Downtown to music row and I have to say, I much preferred the Vanderbilt bars. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the half marathon I'd walked that morning, or maybe I'm just not a country music fan, but either way, if I went back again, I'd stick to Vanderbilt and call it a day. All in all, it was really great spending time with Brittany. We so rarely get to these days and it was also nice to experience a new city and have some "adventures."

May: 
May was a bit nuts. I found out last minute that I was to attend a meeting in San Fran. And not just any meeting. A meeting with my boss, his boss, his boss, his boss, and his boss.... Um yeah. Talk about nerves. It was, without question, the single-most important and high-profile meeting I've ever attended. I will say that at dinner that night as the only female in a room with about 20 men, when the President of my division said I had "moxie," I officially considered the meeting a success. Now, I just hope to god I don't have to do that ever. ever. EVER. again.

I traveled out to San Fran on a Weds, met up with Ryan and had dinner, had "the meeting" on Thursday and was home by 2:00 PM on Friday in time for a work happy hour. The next day we attended a 1st b-day party for the cutest twin boys we know and then hit the road for our family vacation to Myrtle Sunday morning at 4:30 am. How I can recall any details from that week is beyond me...

Myrtle was just what I needed. It helped "reset" me and was so nice to have no agenda and no due dates. And if you're ever looking for a way to feel completely spoiled, try heading to the spa while on vacation. I almost felt guilty for being so spoiled...almost. The girls had a blast. Ellie enjoyed eating the sand while Char enjoyed collecting sea shells (except for the sea shell that was still attached to a live hermit crab- yikes!). The weather was a bit unseasonably cold (seems to be a theme for me this year) so we had to find non-pool fun to keep us occupied. This meant a trip to the Ripley's Aquarium, a minor league baseball game, and a trip to an Easton-like mall. Aside from the morning we left to head home*, it was a pretty calm, relaxed week.      

* The following all occurred before 12:00 PM: broken mason jar filled will collected sea shells (excluding the hermit crab- he stayed home); emptied bottle of lemonade on carpet/tile that turned into a toddler splash pad; loose-poop filled used swim dipe immediately followed by a bath; Dawn dishwashing soap in.... the dishwasher (thanks, husband)- all while attempting to pack a family of four and load the car before check out.

June: 
Seriously, it's June?! This month is all but over for me. I just got back from a day trip to Raleigh and am heading to Chicago next Monday-Thursday for a strategy meeting. Then I'm heading to Vegas for our annual trade show the following Thursday-Sunday. At some point in there I'm throwing a bridal shower and attempting to sleep... we'll see about the latter. The good news is, once I return from Vegas, I have no work travel planned until early October- and I'll try my darnedest to keep it that way!

And now for the important stuff: 

How old are babies: Almost 21 months!
How much do they weigh: Char 22; Ellie 26?
How long are they: Ellie is still a bit taller
Clothes: 18-24 for Char; 2T for Ellie. 

Diapers: Size 4, day and night. Charlotte told daddy that she "poopied" the other day. I wonder if this is the start of an interested pottier? Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...  

What are they eating: There is plenty of cheese consumed in my house. The girls love Mac & Cheese Please, cheese cubes, grilled cheese and any other cheese concoction. They're also big into fruits. Char can't get enough! They like chicken nuggets (or maybe the ketchup they're dipped in), depending on the day they'll eat lunch meat, and they still love avocado. Char enjoys eating salads with Mommy- particularly mac salad. But she'll eat a garden salad too. That's my girl! They love ravioli and lasagna right now and even eat Chipotle from time-to-time. They love eating yogurt and ice cream, but only if they can feed themselves from their own bowls. Big girls!  

How are they sleeping: Char was battling an ear infection for three rounds of antibiotics. Now that that's finally cleared up, she's been sleeping a bit better. We were noticing last night how different of sleepers they both are. Ellie now sleeps with a full-sized pillow.... and a small one... and another big one.... and her lovie... and her squirrel, Swarley... and her raccoon, Rico.... and her fox, Michael J.... and her magnifying glass (yes)... and her sippy cup... and her thin blanket (the thin one. not the thick one. how dare you even offer  the thick one.)... and her Elmo book. And Charlotte? Charlotte sleeps with Charlotte. Not one other thing. I just love them. 

Milestones: Now that they are older and are really just developing cognitively more than anything, I don't feel like there are any major milestones to speak of. I'll highlight their increasing vocab below. One thing that has changed is their ability to climb up and down the stairs with ease. Many times I'll even walk away and let them tackle them on their own. They're actually pretty careful in how they approach the stairs. Up next.... removing the baby gates. Can you even imagine?!  

Major events: We moved schools at the beginning of the month. We'd always intended to move the girls to NA and the director notified us that there were a couple openings, so we took them. It's a bit more expensive each month, but it's way closer to home/work and we know the director, personally and that goes a long way. 

Appearances: They're both a little sun-kissed these days and their hair is lightening up too. Char sports a pony tail every day and I pull her bangs back with a bitty hair clip. Ellie doesn't exactly love her hair being played with, so we stick with half/up to keep her hair out of her eyes. She's so cute when it's down to watch her push it out of her face like a little person. 

Personalities: So... yeah... toddlers, man. Phew. Wowza. Ellie is most certainly Alpha Twin. She is very sure of what she wants and how she wants it, unfortunately for all of us, she can't always articulate that. Char is very laid back and is super easy breezy. Sometimes she'll attempt to be fussy but it's so fake you can't help but just smile and give her a big kiss. They are both loving Elmo these days. Everything is "Elmo?" "Elmo?" I even have to fast forward saved episodes to the parts where Elmo appears. The funny thing is they have an Elmo stuffed animal and kinda want nothing to do with him. Anyway, it's pretty adorable to sit and watch Sesame Street with them and watch them dance in their seats to the Elmo's World theme song. Whoever doesn't recommend TV until two has clearly never seen their child's face light up at the sight of a furry, red monster appearing on screen... 
 

Words: Get down, thank you, Mommy, Dada, Pappy (they struggle with Grammy for some reason), Mimi, Grandpa (pawpa), MurMur, uh-oh, cracker, Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar, Ernie, Bert, Amber, Brittany (nitney), Ellie, CharChar, Sissy, more, uppa, owl, no, yes, please, I love you, cookie, ice cream, milk, wa-wa... (They'll really attempt anything you ask them to. Some words are just clearer than others); Animal noises- dog, cat, fish, cow, snake, monkey, lion, owl, elephant. "Cat" = "Meow," "Dog" = "MurMur" 

Mom and Dad update: I sort of covered my updates earlier. Chris has been kind of status quo. His job has been fairly regular lately and softball started back up. My brother became a Boozer this year and from what I hear seems to be enjoying it.

Next doctor visit: ??
     

17 months

{17 months}

Remember these girls?!

{30 weeks}

How old are babies: 17 months (for about three more hours, at least)  

How much do they weigh: I really have no idea. I'll guess 24 and 20 lbs.  

How long are they: Ellie is a smidge taller than Char. Again- no clue how tall they actually are. Mother of the year over here...  

Clothes: 12-18 pants are a bit too short on Charlotte and depending on the brand, 18-24 are a bit too snug on Ellie. Big girls.  

Diapers: Size 4, day and night.  

What are they eating: My girls are officially picky eaters. They typically have waffles or pancakes for breakfast with a banana and milk. Lunch includes a pasta, grilled cheese or sandwich of some sort, a fruit and milk. Dinner is bites of whatever we're having or more lunch items. They are big into snacking these days, so pretzels and cereal are a must. They have milk before bed most nights, unless we ate dinner late, then it's straight to bed.

How are they sleeping: Poor Ellie has incisors coming in so she's had a tough time sleeping. She ended up in bed with us a couple nights ago which hasn't happened since she was wee little. While I hated the lack of sleep I got, I wouldn't trade it for the sleepy toddler that crashed on my chest.  

Milestones:They are really getting into the swing of school. They are pretty adorable at pick up because they immediately go and grab their coats and bags when they see us walk in.  

Major events: The month went by so fast, it's hard to think back about major events. The only thing that comes to mind is that we moved them from taking baths in our bathroom to using their own. It's way smaller and more cramped for me and Chris, but it's pretty exciting to finally use "their" bathroom. Swim lessons also started back up last week. It's so fun to see how much they've changed since this time last year. I am sad that Amber and Jacob aren't in the same class as us this year. Hopefully we can find another way to spend time together on a regular basis.  

Appearances: I can't believe how long Ellie's hair is. It is just days away from fitting completely in a ponytail. Char's is still long in the middle and short on the side. She rocks a half ponytail quite nicely. They are both simply beautiful. I still can't believe I got two little blue-eyed girls.  

Personalities: I'm not going to sugar-coat things.... this age is TOUGH. Like really tough. They have wants but can't verbalize them, they know how to push buttons but don't grasp discipline, and they are down right bullies to one another. I was actually afraid daycare would call CPS on us bc her back had so many welts from Ellie biting her. I think it'll be so much better when the constant whining is replaced with specific requests and they finally listen to "no" and understand the concept of time outs.  

Words: Get down, thank you, mama, dada, uh-oh, cracker (Ellie), Big Bird, Elmo (Ellie), more, uppa; Animal noises- dog, cat, fish, cow, snake, monkey, lion  

Mom and Dad update: We're both pretty exhausted. Work has been draining for both of us. My board meeting is next week and I will be so glad when it's all over. Chris' is finally slowing down a bit as they've hired a new special events manager. It's been nice to have him around more. I feel like this year is full of travel for me. Savannah next week, then I'm heading to Nashville for the weekend with Brittany, followed by a three-day trip to San Fran. When I get back from San Fran we're off as a family to Myrtle for a week. Finally, I'm headed to Vegas at the end of June for our annual trade show. I think I'll get a bit of a break until September when we plan on taking an anniversary trip somewhere and then I'll have my final board meeting of the year in Oct/Nov. It's going to be hectic, but I'm really excited for all of the mini-adventures this year has to offer.

Next doctor visit: Early-April

16 months

How old are babies: 16 months

How much do they weigh: E ?? C 19 lbs.15 oz

How long are they: ??

Clothes: Charlotte fits comfortably in 12-18 months but Ellie is definitely fitting better in the 18 month range.

Diapers: Size 4, day and night.

What are they eating: Some days are better than others but they generally eat pancakes and bananas and milk for breakfast; pasta, avocados, apples or melon and milk for lunch; crackers, pretzels, apples or melon for snack; and pasta, grilled cheese, cheese cubes, and fruit for dinner. Before bed they have a little bit of milk.

How are they sleeping: Ellie is a sleeping champ! I don't think she even stirs at night anymore (knock on wood). Charlotte has been a different story lately. Her first week of daycare gave her a lovely gift of a cold complete with high fever and faucet nose. The poor thing has clearly been miserable and hasn't slept much in a week. I took her to the doctor (just to make sure it hadn't made its way to her ears) and they told me it could last 10 days. So, I guess we wait...

Milestones:Their intelligence just astounds me. The other day Ellie picked up a piece of trash. I said "that's trash" and she walked over to the trash can, lifted the lid, and threw it away! Hide your keys and other valuables, folks- all is fair game. 

Major events: It's been a big month for the girls... they officially started daycare. Our amazing nanny, Crystal, got a job in her field and had to leave us. We are so sad to see her go and instead of trying to find a new Crystal, we decided it might be time to give daycare a try. Our rationale was: 1) trying to find a new nanny in a short time frame was not going to happen- it's just not something I'm willing to rush into 2) I love the socialization of daycare so the girls can get used to playing with others 3) I love the education aspect of daycare and can already see them doing things they've clearly learned at "school" 4) It just seemed like the right time to try. They're at a great age for it and I can finally wrap my mind around the concept of it. So, they're officially three days in (they missed a day due to Char's fever) and so far, so good.

   

Appearances: They are officially toddlers. Their hair continues to grow and grow. I pull their hair back with ponytail holders now. These poor kids are going to be so sick of me playing with their hair, but I can't help it.Char is very slender without an ounce of body fat while Ellie has typical toddler-build with an adorably-pudgy belly and chubby cheeks. Perfectly opposite.  

Personalities: I'll just sum it up by saying I have a gymnast and a stand-up comedian.I'll let you guess who is who.

Words: Words- get down (complete with hand gesture), thank you (sometimes), mama, dada, uh-oh, cracker (Ellie), Big Bird (Ellie) & Elmo (Ellie); Animal noises- dog, cat, fish (it's not really a sound- more of a kissing motion), cow, snake

Mom and Dad update: Work, work and more work. Chris has been putting in about 60 hours a week, not getting home to midnight or later some nights. I think those days are mostly behind us....or, I hope they are. I'm gearing up for my board meeting in Savannah and am working on launching an intranet in our office which I'm pretty excited about.

Next doctor visit: Early-April