Quick Decorating Project

I spent a couple days last month helping my mom do a quick change to she and my dad's bedroom. My parent's had recently put in new carpet and new paint. She didn't want to spend a lot more- just update and refresh the decor and maybe help make their small bedroom feel larger.

I love doing projects in my parent's house because I can do most of the shopping among my mom's existing stuff. She has lots of cute accessories and furniture that can be moved around. This project only cost between $200-$300.

Before:

These pictures were actually taken after we'd done some purging of old stuff and moving in some furniture from other rooms.

After:

We saved money by using most of her same stuff - bedspread, curtain rods, curtains, and headboard. We just needed to add more volume to her current headboard. To do that we layered her current cream sheers with these red and white striped panels (and matching bedskirt). We flanked the headboard with two solid night stands, new lamps, and of course new pillows on the bed to create a stronger focal point.

I also worked on Les's sister's bedroom last month. I'll post some pictures of that project very soon.

Watch for him to throw the drumsticks in the air and catch them again.

So sorry that you can hear me singing in the background.

My Very Educated Mother Just Saw Uncle Nick (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)

One of our favorite places to take Gus is the Planetarium at the Gateway. We had sweet cousin Tessa with us a few weeks ago and it just so happened that they had a treasure hunt event going on. They made bracelets, made and launched rockets, and met some guy dressed up in a spacesuit (who happened to be about 5 feet tall) Free entertainment.

Gus and Tessa get along really well. Tessa is 6 months younger but they are the same height. She didn't say much of anything the whole time she was visiting and then on the way home from the Planetarium she laughed for about 5 minutes straight until Gus asked her to be quiet.

Here is Tessa doing crazy eyes.

And Gus trying to steal the attention away from Tessa.

Thank you preschool

Gus has been really good at writing his name for a while -as long as I draw dots for him to follow. But a few months ago he came home from preschool with this on his paper. No dots. I know, the G is sort of upside down, but who cares. This is quality work.

When you go to bed at 6:00 am...

Last night I couldn't bring myself to put my book down...so I went to bed at 6:00 am. Very bad. Here's what I've learned happens when you go to bed at 6:00am.

-You can't possibly find the energy to pull yourself together for the day-catch up, shower up, clean up.

-Your kids will eat fruit loops for breakfast, fruit loops for lunch.

-You wake up from a short nap on the couch at noon to find your baby watching "A Baby Story" and your 3-year-old pouring himself a bath.

-You wake up from another short nap on the couch covered with fruit loops.

-You have to admit to your 3-year-old that you made a bad choice and you are paying the consequences.

-You spend the day living partially in the dreamland that is your book.

Through Gus's eyes/lens

Gus's photography debut

So often it's not what you say but how you say it that matters