Hello Newman's!

Multitasking

2012-03-04T07:09:00.000-05:00

Christopher, can you watch the kids for a a little while?

And yes, of course that means you can take a nap WHILE you play with them.

This is multi-tasking at its finest. Love.

All jokes aside, Christopher is a wonderful father who truly invests in his children. I just couldn't help laughing when I walked in the playroom and heard him SNORING Saturday morning.

Shoo Flu

2012-03-02T15:14:00.000-05:00

Chase was diagnosed with the FLU on Wednesday.

And the answer is no. He did not have a flu shot.

I just couldn't bear to let him get ANOTHER shot in the midst of the seemingly millions of vaccines they get during their first few months of life.

His pediatrician announced that Chase was his first confirmed flu case of the year. Ummm...gee...thanks? Glad it was my kid.

He said his partner had only seen a couple of cases. Probably because all of the other good mothers who go to their practice got their kids vaccinated. Oops.

He has been doing much better today. He was actually laughing at Ashlyn this morning and his fever is pretty much gone. I have loved the extra cuddle time the last few days. So sweet.

Kitchen & The Things They Put in Their Mouths

2012-02-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Weekend! Both kids are napping and the house is clean - figured now is as good as it gets to snap a few pictures of the kitchen. We have really loved our new countertops, backsplash and the window shelves.

And a quick story. At 1pm today (nap time for both kiddos) I could not find Elmo. UH-OH.

I was frantically looking all over the house while Ashlyn "helped" me. Chase was crawling around on the carpet. I finally found Elmo next to the toilet (perhaps he is potty training instead of Ashlyn?). I gave him to Ash and asked her to get in bed while I laid Chase down.

As soon as I picked Chase up, he started coughing. And kept coughing. Then the gagging started. I started to panic because it sounded like he was choking but thankfully he threw up.

Sweet potatoes (all over the white duvet in his room) and a LEAF. I guess it was on the floor and he ate it?

Potty Training

2012-02-21T14:59:00.000-05:00

I need to start soon. I have been highly unmotivated mostly because our conversations about the potty go like this.

Me: "Ashlyn, do you want to use the potty like a big girl and get an M&M?"

Ashlyn: "No, Mommy, NO POTTY! No M&M."

What two year old says no to M&M's?

So let me tell you what has happened. I have eaten them. Almost the entire BIG bag. Not in one day but over the course of a week or two. Christopher ate some. But I think I had the majority.

Lesson learned - don't buy anymore M&M's until I am ready to actually start potty training. And even then, I think I need to get a small bag. Was I really planning to give my toddler over a pound of candy for going to the potty?

Kitchen Window Shelves (and a few other things)

2012-02-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks after giving birth to Chase, I ordered these tablecloths and made them in to curtains for our kitchen.

I still like them a lot - but don't know what to do with them now BECAUSE...

I decided to repaint the kitchen this weekend. I like it so much better. And after taking the curtains down to paint, Christopher and I both agreed it felt more open without them.

He built some shelves out of leftover MDF boards and put them up over the window frames. I love them and can't wait to figure out what else I want to put up there.

We also got our new counters installed last week. And Christopher put up the backsplash. This is the cleanest part of our kitchen counters right now so here is a picture.

Oh yeah. We also started repainting the space above the cabinets. I don't know why. I really don't.

We painted it white. Again. Then we painted a stencil over it. And did not like it.

So now we are left with some craziness going on above the cabinets and are not sure what we are going to do. The stencil was not bad - it's just not what we were going for.

Whew. Today is our day of rest.

Ashlyn has been with my parents this weekend in Gatlinburg. Swimming, riding go-carts, going to Dixie Stampede. She probably likes them more than us. ha. This is why we have had a little more free time the last couple of days.

Once we decide what we are doing over the cabinets, and finish caulking and getting everything cleaned up, I will post some more pictures.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Seven Months

2012-02-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

My dad calls him "Spike." Which is perfectly fitting since his hair sticks straight up.

He turned seven months old last week. My sweet boy.

I hope he asks me to be his Valentine tomorrow.

It's Mine

2012-02-10T06:35:00.003-05:00

After reviewing what I found to be a fairly comprehensive list with our two year old, Ashlyn asked that the following be added:

11. If it is Mommy's phone, it's mine.

And lastly,

12. If baby brother Chase is playing with it, then it's (no question, without a doubt, 100%) MINE.

Happy Friday!

Baby Dedication

2012-02-05T20:54:00.003-05:00

Chase's baby dedication was today at church. Such a sweet time to be reminded of our calling to keep Christ at the center of our home as we raise our children.

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Proverbs 22:6

What a gift these little ones are.

Hugs from Sister

2012-02-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

"Ashlyn, will you please give Chase a hug and let Mommy take a picture?"

Tell me I am not the only one who laughed.

He survived the chokehold.

Happy Weekend

2012-02-03T11:11:00.001-05:00

It's Friday! I am so looking forward to family time this weekend with our sweet babies. I always wonder what in the world we did on weekends before we had little people living in our house with us.

Cool shades little lady.

You make your momma laugh every single day.

Have a great weekend!

A little bit of life lately

2012-01-31T10:00:00.001-05:00

Chase has been sick. Croup. Not fun. But he is feeling much better.

On a happier note, he LOVES taking baths with his sister. She gets so mad at him when he splashes or tries to take one of her toys. "STOP CHASE."

Ashlyn treats Elmo like he is her baby. She puts him in "time-out" and rocks him and feeds him. This picture makes me laugh. I love that she is talking on the phone while feeding him. I guess she has seen her momma do this a time or two.

What we like to do

2012-01-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

I had lunch with one of my dear girlfriends on Monday. We were talking and eating and crying and laughing - you know, all those things you do during lunch at Chick-fil-a with a sweet friend you have not seen in a while.

She asked me about how Christopher and I were doing. And I started telling her about our Friday night "date" this weekend - working on our cabinets in the kitchen. I say "date" because we love working on things. It's a hobby - something we both enjoy. We love doing things TOGETHER. Not because we are on a quest to have the latest and greatest "home renovation" project - believe me, someone is already out there coming up with the next latest and greatest thing. There is no way you can keep up.

We just enjoy sketching out plans on scraps pieces of paper, measuring, re-measuring, going to Home Depot, dreaming of ideas together, searching the internet for "how-to's" and inspiration photos - WE JUST LIKE TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF.

And there are lots of times we would rather spend $50 on wood, crown molding and paint than to spend $50 going to the movies and dinner. Of course, we have those kind of dates too from time to time.

We just like hanging out together. And we get all giddy when the kiddos are napping or in bed for the night and we know we have something to work.

That's us. And I love our little "me + him" team.

I also love sweet baby faces that melt my heart. I just can't bear to think that my little guy is going to fall in love with another girl one day. hehe.

Be sure and check out a my guest post over at Designs by Sessa about our dining room. You can see it here! Have a fabulous Wednesday!

Adding Height to Kitchen Cabinets

2012-01-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Christopher and I are making a few changes in the kitchen. The first project on our list was to add height to the kitchen cabinets and extend them to the ceiling.

We started off by finding studs in the ceiling and nailing in several pieces of scrap wood squares for support.

12" wide strips of MDF nailed to the wood squares in the ceiling.

Then came the molding along the top.

A few coats of primer.

The original plan was to leave it white. But it just look a little washed out once it was all painted white. So we went with leftover gray paint that was sitting in the garage (Ashes by Behr - same color as in the office). We are going to re-paint the kitchen - I am thinking a lighter shade of this paint.

And excuse the backsplash disaster going on below. We removed the original tiles and are going to change it up a bit once the counters are replaced.

Here's to checking off project #1. Happy Sunday!

All Better

2012-01-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

I am so glad that our sweet girl is feeling better. She was diagnosed with Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease. Now, I know this is a fairly common childhood illness. But could they not come up with a better name? It just sounds horrible.

All is well in the Newman house right now. Praying little man does not get sick too.

In other exciting news, Christopher and I are getting ready to start a few projects in our kitchen. Its been too long since we have worked on something together - and since we have so much free time between working full time jobs and taking care of two little people in diapers we thought now is as good of time as any. haha.

On our abbreviated "we-have-a-sick-child" anniversary date Sunday night, we came up with our kitchen game plan. I'm excited.

7 Years!

2012-01-15T15:39:00.001-05:00

Christopher and I have been married seven years today. We have been blessed beyond measure during our years together. We have shared five different addresses together. Which means lots of moving. I think we will stay a while in the house we are in now. The biggest blessing has been the addition of our two sweet children. Love our life together as a family.

To celebrate, we stayed up nearly all night last night with our 2 year old who has been feeling terrible and cried every 45 minutes. All night long. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Half Birthday

2012-01-10T16:19:00.002-05:00

My lil man turned 6 months old on Saturday. Happy "half" birthday Chase.

He weighed 17 lbs at the doctor yesterday and his two bottom teeth are both coming in. Bananas are by far his favorite food. We have started letting him and Ash take their baths together at night which is so much fun. He loves his big sister. As in, his whole face lights up when he sees her.

He makes me want to have one more.

Maybe.

It's A New Year

2012-01-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

I meant to write this post a few days ago but time just got away from me. Happy 2012. We started the new year off by hosting our annual New Year's Eve Party - Casino Night Style. So much fun.

Once upon a time, we worked on projects around our house. Maybe we will do something soon. I am having visions of new countertops and some open shelves in the kitchen. Possibly inspired by this picture.

Here is what my husband made this weekend. Out of playdough. Thanks to Aunt Marci for Christopher's - uh, er, I mean Ashlyn's fun Christmas gift.

I started Chase on solid foods a few days ago. He has had bananas, sweet potatoes, squash and rice cereal. I did not follow the "wait three days in between new foods" rule. But so far so good.

He loves to eat. And drool and smile and watch his big sister run circles around the living room.

Hope your new year is off to a great start!

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

This is by far my favorite 2011 Christmas picture.

And I love this one too.

And could this be any sweeter? Ashlyn loves her "Da-dad" so much. It was supposed to be "Granddad" but she has made up her own name for him.

We had such a great time celebrating the birth of our Savior with family and friends.

I love how excited she was to open presents.

Ashlyn's "bean box" from me and Christopher. Who knew that a bunch of dried beans in a plastic container could be so much fun?

Hope your Christmas was merry & bright. We have so much to be thankful for.

Santa

2011-12-22T17:54:00.000-05:00

Christopher's grandmother invites us to the Palmetto Club each Christmas for pictures with Santa.

Chase was a little unsure at first, but he was happy to sit with Santa.

Ashlyn was ok for about 17 seconds. Then she flipped out. I got a couple of pictures before the hysteria.

One more attempt to get her not to cry and both of them to look at the camera at the same time. Chase was not interested in participating.

A big thank you to Christopher's mom for getting their sweet Christmas outfits.

Chase with his great-grandmother, Frank Frank.

Cookies

2011-12-21T19:41:00.002-05:00

We are loving life and enjoying time with our little people who are getting big really fast. One of Ashlyn's favorite books right now is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie."

I made sugar cookies over the weekend. In my mind, I pictured me and Ashlyn decorating them together and then taking them to our neighbors.

Lovely thought. I threw all the ingredients together and realized as I rolling the dough that I used baking soda instead of baking powder. Oops. They did not turn out as wonderful as I had imagined. And we did not even have anything to decorate them with. Ashlyn and her daddy still ate them though.

She loves to shove the paci back in Chase's mouth when he spits it out. She also takes it from him and then pretends she is helping him so she does not get into trouble. Look at that face of innocence.

Bows & Baby Blues

2011-12-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

Ashlyn NEVER wears a bow. I have almost given up with even trying. But this morning she let me stick one in her wild and curly hair and snap a few pictures. Our sweet friend Ashley made these adorable Christmas pants for her.

I love this silly face.

Sweet baby blue eyes. I know they may change colors, but they look just like his daddy's right now which I love.

Celebrating at Preschool

2011-12-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

Ashlyn's school Christmas party/program was Friday. So cute watching a bunch of two years olds try to figure out why their parents and grandparents and aunts were hanging out in their classroom (Thanks, Mimi and Aunt Jaime for coming). They sang the Christmas songs they have been learning (more like their teachers sang) but it was still fun to watch.

She did not want to wear anything I picked out. Including leggings with her dress. But it was 72 degrees yesterday so who cares.

Miss Independent likes to select her own clothes from the closet these days. I have been telling myself it does not matter as long as it is weather appropriate and clean.

We love our preschool and are so blessed to have such wonderful teachers who love children. What a fun first half of the school year!

Baby Food & BIRCHBOX

2011-12-15T17:32:00.001-05:00

I am thinking about making some of Chase's baby food. I did not make any for Ashlyn - so this would be a first in the Newman house.

Is it weird that I am kind of sad about starting him on solids? And I think the main reason is because I have been his only source of nourishment since he was in my belly - and it makes me a little sad to think that he will want and need more than just me. And that he will probably be excited about it.

I guess that sounds kind of silly. I just love my little boy. And I love taking care of him.

And on a totally different note - have you ever heard of BIRCHBOX?

My sister got me a 6 month subscription for Christmas. I mean, how much fun is it getting a little box filled with fun beauty samples in the mail each month? I got my first one Tuesday. LOVE.

My Santa

2011-12-12T08:03:00.000-05:00

One of Ashlyn's favorite things right now?

"MYYYYYYYY SANTA."

Everything is "MINE" with a 2 year old, right? Which is why I am glad their Mimi got Chase his own Santa :)

Freezer Cooking

2011-12-11T07:46:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love friends you can call at 9:30 in the morning and say "Why don't you come over today and help me destroy my kitchen while we make a million meals for the freezer?" And they agree with little to no hesitation?

Ashley and I cooked yesterday. We ended up with a kitchen that was a complete disaster area along with a few meals including:

2 crockpots filled to the brim with Chili

4 pans of Cream Cheese Baked Spaghetti

20 Egg, Cheese & Salsa Burritos

32 Pizza Wraps

24 of Rachel Ray's Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

6 freezer bags of Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Not bad for a Saturday afternoon.

And did I mention that the boys were playing golf?

And we had all four babies at my house?

five months

2011-12-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

Chase will be five months old on Wednesday. He can sit for a little while unassisted before toppling over. And he also loves to be held. Ashlyn definitely keeps him entertained, and I love watching him watch her as she runs all over the place.

Nursing is still going well. I think I will wait until next month to start solids. For a couple of reasons. ONE - he seems to be doing fine with just milk. TWO - I have been reading articles about waiting until 6 months to introduce solids. THREE (and maybe this is the biggest reason) - we are already really busy with a baby and 2 year old. The craziness usually starts around 5pm. It's already a hectic time of day - home from work, dinner, baths, pajamas, stories, bedtime. I am not overly eager to add another item to that agenda. So we will wait another month.

I love rocking him at night before bedtime. He just stares at me with those sweet, innocent eyes and smiles as he is drifting off to sleep. Melts my heart. What can I say - I'm in love.

Here is Chase at 5 months.

And Ashlyn at 5 months.

Sweet friends

2011-12-04T07:36:00.001-05:00

I took Ashlyn to the zoo yesterday morning with Ashley and Ava. It seemed like we were the only people there. Maybe because it was 40 degrees outside and we were the first people through the gates when they opened at 9am.

It was so nice to leave Chase home with his daddy and have a few hours with Ashlyn.

Love that these girls are such sweet friends (just like their mommas).

Maybe it's Maybelline?

2011-11-28T19:40:00.001-05:00

Maybelline's SuperStay 24 Lip Color.

It's amazing and stays on forever. "NO OTHER LONGWEAR LASTS LONGER. Period."

It's kind of like she colored on her face with a permanent maker.

Thanksgiving 2011 Part 2 - Fun in Atlanta

2011-11-26T17:13:00.000-05:00

Friday morning after Thanksgiving we went to the Georgia Aquarium. Ashlyn loved it.

Crawling through the "penguin tunnel" with her daddy.

She loved trying to touch all of the stingrays.

We ended the morning with a trip to visit Uncle Gene at work. He took us on a little tour of the Georgia Dome and Ashlyn had a blast running all around the field.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T21:19:00.001-05:00

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving in Atlanta with my family and my sister's in-laws. So much fun. And so many things to be thankful for.

My little boyfriend

2011-11-14T15:45:00.001-05:00

My guy is 4 months and one week. He weighed 15 lbs & 5oz at the doctor last week. I have not started him on any food or cereal even though the doctor gave us the green light. Maybe at 5 months? He is sleeping well and gaining plenty of weight so I don't feel any rush.

Everyone says he looks just like his daddy.

Maybe that is why I have the biggest crush on him???

Big Sister, Baby Brother

2011-11-06T08:04:00.000-05:00

My aunt got these sweet shirts for Chase and Ashlyn. How cute. Thanks, Aunt Cathy!

Four Months

2011-11-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

Little Chase will be four months old tomorrow. He loves to smile and has started laughing out loud. We moved to a four hour eating schedule a few weeks ago which has been so nice. Nursing is still going great. My pump and I are best friends during the work week. Oh the joys of packing a cooler and all the little parts and pieces every morning on my way out the door. But it's totally worth it. And it's still working for both of us right now.

He is growing and growing and growing. I feel like I am constantly going through his clothes to see what still fits. He is trying to figure out if he prefers his paci or fingers. He kind of goes back and forth between the two. Today he started sucking his first two fingers. We shall see.

Halloween and All Things Elmo

2011-10-31T19:51:00.000-04:00

So yesterday I said I did not have a Halloween costume for Ashlyn. And last night, Christopher made this. Out of ping pong balls from the garage and a piece of felt. He even glued one of her hair bow clips to the back.

I had lunch with a dear girlfriend today and when I told her what he made, she said "That is a daddy cherishing his little girl." I couldn't agree more.

She was not so sure about it as a clip in her hair.

Then we tried it on a headband but I don't think she liked that too much either.

Chase even got in on the Elmo action.

We finally clipped it to her hat without her seeing it.

And our Halloween costume this year - Elmo PJ's, rainboots, "Big Elmo" (the balloon), "Baby Elmo" (the stuffed animal), and her Elmo hair bow clipped on her hat.

I mean, does it get any better?

My boys

2011-10-30T09:46:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the scratch marks on Chase's face. I have been trying to keep his nails super short, but he still manages to draw blood from time to time.

Although they do make him look like a tough guy with his gangsta' toboggan, right?

We had a nice Saturday. Christopher helped me prepare LOTS of meals for our freezer which make dinners during the week so much easier - especially on days that I am traveling for work. We watched football last night with our neighbors while Christopher's mom took Ashlyn to "Boo at the Zoo."

Is it terrible that I don't have a Halloween costume for her this year? I feel like I have totally let it slip through the cracks this year. I started looking for ideas online and then felt overwhelmed thinking about trying to make her something cute and creative. I guess we can always go with old faithful - the South Carolina Gamecock cheerleading outfit. I am not sure why little things (like a Halloween costume) stress me out - yet I will make 20 freezer meals in one Saturday morning like its no big deal.

Ashlyn's Birthday Celebration

2011-10-23T15:34:00.001-04:00

We had a sweet and simple birthday celebration with our family this weekend. Ashlyn loved being the center of attention, opening presents, and spending a wonderful afternoon playing with her BFF Ava.

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to." Because what 2 year old party would be complete without a few tears over having to share balloons?

I love this one of the girls. They were sitting on the grass talking about the "boo boo" on Ava's foot. They are learning early an early life lesson - the cutest shoes are usually the ones that hurt your feet the most.

Happy Birthday to my sweet and funny two year old.

Rocking Out with Elmo

2011-10-20T19:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you Aunt JuJu and Uncle Gene for Ashlyn's birthday present.

She loves it.

Christopher and I may end up taking the batteries out in about 2 days.

My little guy

2011-10-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!

2011-10-19T14:11:00.003-04:00

I am not sure what has been harder for me to believe this week - that I turned 30 or that my baby girl is 2 years old?

She has brought more joy, love, and laughter into our lives than I ever thought possible. Some of her favorite things right now include Elmo, cookies, playing outside, animals, books, and all four of her grandparents. I sometimes thinks she likes them more than me and her daddy.

I visited her preschool today with fruit kabobs (thank you to my sweet husband for making them) and Oreos. It was such a treat for me to spend the morning with her and her classmates.

Happy second birthday to my sweet Ashlyn.

Turning 30 & A Gift from Lowes

2011-10-16T10:45:00.002-04:00

Hello, friends. I am entering a new decade tomorrow. The big 3-0. Gulp. But hey, 30 is the new 20, right?

To start the "30" celebration a little early, we had dessert for dinner last night - My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler. Ummm...it was deliciousness in a bowl topped with vanilla ice cream. Ashlyn would describe it with her favorite expression "OHHHH MY!" In fact, she may have said it a few times after licking the batter spoon (don't worry Mom - there are no raw eggs in the recipe).

You should make it. It is easy and wonderful. I have no baking skills at all and it still turned out yummy.

Christopher took Ashlyn to the zoo Saturday morning with the Hong's while Chase and I relaxed at home. What a guy. He loves spending time with his little girl.

We also went to Lowes yesterday, and I spotted a rug in the clearance section. It was super cute - so naturally I was trying to figure out why a 5 x 8 rug was marked down to $34. While I was inspecting it, a sales person came up to me and told me I could have it for $15.

$15! What?!?! SOLD.

He made me feel like I was doing him a favor by taking it off his hands. Maybe he knew my birthday was tomorrow. Or that I have been looking for an entryway rug since we moved in this house over a year and a half ago. Whatever the reason, I was happy to take it out of the store.

Happy Birthday to Anne.

xoxo, Lowes

Hope your weekend has been wonderful. I wonder if I will wake up feeling extra old tomorrow?

Saturday at the park

2011-10-09T06:49:00.003-04:00

We spent a fun Saturday morning at Finley Park with our dear friends the Hongs.

Baby Anna and Baby Chase were so excited about their date that they could hardly keep their eyes open.

I love that these girls are such sweet friends.

Three months

2011-10-07T16:53:00.000-04:00

Baby Chase is three months old today. I cried a little last night when I laid him down in the crib. He just looked so BIG. Those newborn days that seem so long and tiring when you are in the middle of them really do just fly by. I have really been trying to savor every little minute I get to hold him and snuggle with him and drink in that delicious baby smell.

He has been a great baby and sometimes makes me think we should maybe have one more. Maybe.

I love my sweet boy. I love when he forgets about nursing halfway through because he is too busy smiling at me and I have to remind him what he was doing. There is nothing sweeter in the entire world.

Love this sweet boy

2011-09-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

I can't believe he is almost 12 weeks old.

23 months

2011-09-23T14:16:00.002-04:00

Ashlyn is one month away from turning TWO! She has learned so many new words and is starting to put some two and three word sentences together. Her favorite expression is "Oh, my!" She says it a lot - especially when she is excited about something. It can also take the place of "Yes." For example, if I ask her if she wants some goldfish, she usually responds with "Oh, my!"

She also likes to tell me, "Ooohhhh....mommmy! Baby crying." All of the time. Even when he is not crying. I think she just likes to say it.

Preschool is going great. She loves her teacher and is so excited to get out of the car in the mornings. "Bye, mommy, bye!" She can't wait for me to leave now. Amazing what a difference a week or two makes.

I love when I pick her up from school and hear her singing as we drive home. That is, when she is not telling me that the baby is crying. Because he usually is. I feel like every time I go to pick her up, its either time for him to eat or I have to wake him up from a nap. Add that to the fact that he does not seem to like being in his car seat, and I usually end up with a crying baby.

Can't believe it is almost time for another birthday!

Closet Vanity

2011-09-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

We had a great weekend. My parents came to visit from Tennessee and love on sweet Ashlyn and Chase. And Christopher and I finished my closet vanity. Remember this?

Here is the desk that we used.

So glad this is finally finished - and just in time for me to start back to work in 8 days. Since I will actually have to fix my hair, put on makeup and wear something on other than running shorts and tank tops. Typing this made me realize how sad I am to only have one more week of maternity leave. I have really enjoyed the past couple of months being home with my babies. It is so hard to think about going back to work right now. So let's just move on to some pictures before I get teary eyed.

I guess this was several little projects in one. I found the lamp on clearance at Target for $8 and just recovered the shade with fabric I had. We spray painted the mirror frame white and added some ribbon around the middle. The makeup board is a piece of $4 sheet metal from Home Depot covered in fabric.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

What we are working on.

2011-09-14T13:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a little glimpse into our master bedroom closet. Since there is not a place in our bathroom for me to sit down, put on makeup and fix my hair, Christopher created this little "vanity" in our closet with a piece of plywood. It has served its purpose well, but we (well, mostly me) are ready to change it up a little bit.

My husband actually suggested searching "closet vanity" on Pinterest. I wonder if he secretly looks on there and just does not tell me? Probably not, but it is kind of funny thinking about him perusing the latest fall fashion and home decor ideas.

Anyway, this was the first picture that popped up. How cute is this little closet vanity that Liz Marie created? Oh joyful inspiration.

The sweet hubby already found a desk at a local thrift store. Two babies equal projects taking longer than they used to. But that's ok because there is nothing sweeter than time spent with them.

Clean babies

2011-09-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

They always smell so good right after their baths. So sweet.

Let's Cook Giveaway!

2011-09-12T11:13:00.001-04:00

If you live in or around Columbia, SC - head over to my dear friend Kitty's blog to enter for your chance to win a free cooking class from Chef John at "Let's Cook." How fun!

They learn so young...

2011-09-09T05:10:00.002-04:00

Our nap time routine has gone like this the past couple of days.

Me: "Ashlyn, do you know what time it is?"

Ash: "NAP??" (she knows because she is already getting sleepy but does not want to admit it.)

Me: "Yes, sweetheart, let's go pick out a book to read before your nap."

Ashlyn then proceeds to pick out the longest book we have ("Big Words for Little People" - thanks, Danielle, for selling this to us at your yard sale). We read it. And then she asks me to read her favorite page again. So I do.

And then I say, "Ok, its time for your nap."

And Ashlyn looks at me, says "Oh, Mommy!" and then runs to the bookshelf to return with...

Her BIBLE!

And she says "Bible?? Peeeeaseeeee, Mommy."

Seriously. I mean, what do I say to that? Sorry, dear? We just can't read the Bible today? It's like she knows she can use it to stay up a couple more minutes. So we usually read one quick story, and then its off to bed.

Yeah, she gets me on that one. But how do you say no to the Bible and this sweet face?

two months.

2011-09-08T06:19:00.004-04:00

Sweet Chase was two months old yesterday. He had a great doctor's appointment weighing in at just under 13 lbs. He is happy almost all of the time except when he is awake in his car seat. I can't figure it out. I thought all babies love being in their car seats. Not this little guy.

I love those sweet cheeks, and I hope he never gets tired of his momma giving him lots of kisses. I just can't help it.

A $5 mini makeover

2011-09-07T05:44:00.001-04:00

Our main entryway has always been so dark at night because of a terrible light fixture, but we did not want to spend a lot of money to replace it.

Amazing what a little black paint from the garage and a $5 thrift store light fixture can do.

My husband picked this baby out all by himself. And you can't beat $5.

Labor Day 2011

2011-09-06T05:31:00.003-04:00

We spent a wonderful Labor Day weekend with our dear friends the Prikazsky's and the Burns in the mountains of North Carolina. Lots of laughter, games, football, and of course, yummy food. The six of us adults ate entirely way too many cookies. I am slightly embarrassed about it. 2 rolls of Pillsbury cookie dough and an ENTIRE tub of Tollhouse cookie dough in a little over 24 hours. Today is not the day to see how close I am to fitting back into my work pants.

This was our 5th Annual Trip. So fun. But maybe not quite as relaxing as previous years. I guess that could be because we now have 3 toddlers (14, 18, and 22 months) plus an 8 week old baby between the 3 families. Crazy. But still fun.

Here are a few pics of my sweet family before the South Carolina kick-off on Saturday. I was proudly wearing my Tennessee t-shirt prior to Chase spitting up all over it. Such is life with an infant.

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-05T13:54:00.001-04:00

Ashlyn's first day of preschool was not exactly what I had hoped for. She cried. You know, that hysterical crying with big tears rolling down her cheeks. It broke my heart to leave her in the classroom so upset.

At our preschool, the teacher calls the parent if the child is inconsolable after 20 minutes. I left her at 8:50am.

Tick...tock...tick...tock.

Once 9:10 came and left without the dreaded phone call, I breathed a sigh of relief. When I picked her up, she looked so happy and kept talking about the "cookies" that they had for a snack.

So we survived Day One. Hoping the drop off Wednesday goes a little smoother.

Saturday

2011-08-28T08:10:00.000-04:00

Ashlyn went to visit my parents for the weekend. We took full advantage of not having a toddler running around the house yesterday and cleaned out our laundry room, linen closet, master bedroom closet and bathroom.

In between nursing my baby, I also cooked. Like a madwoman on a mission. I now have 14 meals in our freezer - all kinds of yummy Rachel Ray recipes. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I have chopped fresh garlic and cilantro. It felt so nice to actually cook with real spices and seasonings. I even watched a YouTube video to figure out how to deglaze a pan. Don't you love the internet?

Meanwhile, my husband played dress up with Chase. Gamecock football kicks off next Saturday, and Christopher needed to make sure that his son had adequate attire. Dress up day with Daddy. While I was sweating it out in the kitchen. He pulled out all the stops - and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

Like me, you may be wondering if the toboggan is a necessary part of the outfit? It is August in South Carolina. But if you know the Newman clan, you know that no detail is spared when it comes to USC football. My poor son. Sorry little guy. This was all your Daddy's doing.

Lucky Number Seven

2011-08-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

Chase is SEVEN weeks old today (born on 7/7). I can't get enough of this sweet little face. He has started to smile which makes my heart melt absolutely every time. Aren't those gummy newborn grins just the cutest things ever???

I feel like the newborn fog is slowly lifting. A couple of weeks ago, I went 5 straight days without leaving the house. 5 days.

Then I realized I was reaching the brink of craziness. I have now been trying to plan activities every day to either go somewhere or invite someone to come over to our house. I feel that I am starting to master getting two babies in and out of the car by myself (somehow managing not to let Ashlyn run off in the parking lot).

Chase is sleeping great at night which means momma is feeling much more rested. For the past couple of weeks, I only have to get up once to feed him. Joy.

The Chore Door

2011-08-24T16:25:00.002-04:00

I am so unorganized when it comes to cleaning our house. Yesterday, I got together with a good friend of mine, Stephanie, to create a "chore chart" in hopes of keeping track of what we wanted clean each week. My goal is for Christopher and I to spend 10 or 15 minutes each day so we don't have to spend an entire Saturday morning cleaning the house. We will see how long this lasts.

We recently discovered that our kitchen door leading to the garage is magnetic. Actually, Ashlyn discovered it when she started sticking magnets on it. So I decided to use it as my "chore door."

I painted it black using an interior satin paint that we had in the garage. Painting it black has absolutely nothing to do with anything other than I thought it would look cooler than the plain white door. I used scrapbook paper to make little flags with the days of the week on them.

The chores are on little magnets that Stephanie and I made - I can just stick them on the day of the week that I want to complete them.

So that's my little arts and crafts project for the week. I probably could have had the house cleaned in the time it took us to make the little magnets.

But that wouldn't have been any fun, right?

Master Bedroom Wall Stencil

2011-08-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

I was so very excited to win an Olive Leaf stencil giveaway hosted by Amber over at Simple Dwellings. After lots of contemplating, I chose the Damask No. 1 pattern for our master bedroom.

This really is a terrible before picture (and yes, we did let our toddler sit on the bed and watch Elmo while my husband and I got ready to paint - it was almost time for her nap, haha!)

The stencil came rolled up in a tube, so I laid it on the ground with heavy books on top for a few hours so that it would be completely flat. We used Elmers spray adhesive to lightly coat the side of the stencil that would stick to the wall, and then a few pieces of frog tape to keep it secure.

I honestly cannot take any credit for this project. My husband did the ENTIRE wall. I kind of sat around, fed my baby, and cheered him on from the rocker in the corner of our room.

We re-sprayed the adhesive about every other time. They stencil was super easy to use - you just have to take your time and not expect to finish an entire wall in 3 minutes. Christopher is a perfect "stenciler" - he is oh-so-patient and very meticulous.

And here it is all finished. I would love to find a fun mirror to go over the bed!

22 months.

2011-08-19T14:31:00.000-04:00

My oldest "baby" is 22 months today. Ashlyn is so full of life. I love the sweet time she and I spend together while Chase is napping in the mornings. Just us girls.

It is hard to believe we will be celebrating her second birthday in just two short months.

My sweethearts...

2011-08-16T07:47:00.001-04:00

Primitive & Proper Guest Post

2011-08-12T05:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! Today I am over at Cassie's blog - Primitive & Proper. Hope you will stop by to say hello!

Maybe we should have...

2011-08-10T05:15:00.002-04:00

...saved it for Christmas?? haha :)

One Month

2011-08-08T12:57:00.000-04:00

My little guy turned a month old yesterday. What a joy it has been having him as a part of our family.

Ashlyn's Play Kitchen - FINISHED

2011-08-05T10:13:00.001-04:00

We finally finished Ashlyn's play kitchen.

With a small labor of love, we turned this...

into this...

So here's the breakdown. I will try not to make this too long and drawn out, but there were quite a few steps involved. We purchased the entertainment center at a thrift store for $25. My husband says they should have paid us $25 to take it off their hands. Cut the top piece off, removed the doors and primed it.

We thought it would look better turned the other way - so we just removed the back piece and flipped it so the fridge would be on the other side. I spray painted it (outside of course) with a can of Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze. And Christopher added refrigerator doors using some leftover beadboard from our master bathroom.

For the oven - we used one of the original doors and some clear plexiglass from an old poster frame for the door - and hotglued 4 coasters to a painted gray square on top.

The sink is a dog bowl purchased for $7 on ebay and an old faucet we got at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $6.

For some of the girly details, I used a couple of Shelley's tutorials from her amazing blog The House of Smiths - somehow I managed to sew the ruffled skirt in front of the sink by using this tutorial and make the little flowers for the fridge door by using this tutorial. Thanks, Shelley!

And here's the finished product. Christopher and I had a blast working on this together while Ashlyn has been in TN with my parents this week.

We had some of the supplies we needed on hand (like the beadboard for the fridge doors, fabric scraps, primer, coasters)

Cost breakdown:

Entertainment Center - $25 (His House)

Spray paint - $4 (Home Depot)

Yellow Fabric - $8 (Hancock Fabric)

Sink faucet - $6 (Habitat for Humanity ReStore)

Sink bowl - $7 (ebay)

Fridge/oven handles - $18 (Home Depot)

TOTAL - $68

I think that's about it. What do you think? Ash is with my parents until Sunday - I am so excited for her to come home and see her surprise! I ordered some IKEA kid pots, pans & utensils from ebay so maybe they will be here before she gets home. Hope she likes it!

Guest Post - All Things Bright and Beautiful

2011-08-02T06:36:00.020-04:00

Today I am over ay Aubrey's incredibly funny, cool and inspirational blog - "All Things Bright and Beautiful". I was so excited when she asked me to write a guest post for her "How to Make Your Home Your Own" series.

Be sure to head over today to check it out!

Play kitchen & some family pics

2011-07-31T15:34:00.001-04:00

We got started on Ashlyn's play kitchen this weekend. One of my sweet readers, Kelly, emailed me an idea she saw on Giggleberry Creations - making a play kitchen out of an entertainment center. Thanks, Kelly!

Here's what $25 gets you at His House Thrift Store. It is coming along quite nicely - and I will definitely have some more progress pictures soon.

We also had one of our sweet friends, Daniel, take a few family pictures with our newest addition. Here are a few of my favs...

Tummy Tub Time

2011-07-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Tummy Tub was a gift from my mom before Ashlyn was born. I admit, I was skeptical at first - but she never cried during bathtime. In fact, even as a brand new baby, she loved her baths. I think it really helps being able to fully submerge them in the water.

Here is Ashlyn during her first bath.

We finally gave Chase his first bath last night. I realized he is almost 3 weeks old and we had yet to bathe him. Oops.

He loved it. No crying. He just moved his little arms and legs all around in the water. I have to say that after 2 babies, I'm officially a Tummy Tub believer.

And here is Chase. What do you think - could they pass as brother and sister??? :)

Silly faces with daddy.

Her sweet face...

2011-07-26T05:26:00.006-04:00

melts my heart...

Kitchen Tablecloth Curtains

2011-07-24T17:10:00.000-04:00

We changed up our kitchen curtains this weekend. I think I was a little bored with the plain white.

I ordered these pretty tablecloths from Target.com. By the time they arrived, I had almost forgotten that I had ordered them (don't you just love online shopping at 3am while up feeding a baby?) Dwell Studio has several super cute tablecloths available at Target - I used another print in our dining room a few months ago.

There is really not much to explain which is the beauty of using tablecloths. They were a little long and a little wide - so I just cut them down tot the size I wanted and used a stitch witchery to "hem" up the edge that I cut.

I did use my sewing machine for this little project so I could make a pocket on top for the rod to slide through. Just a simple straight line across the top.

Sorry about the flash in the pictures. I just cannot figure out how to take a picture facing into the window. Would love to hear any tips :)

2 weeks.

2011-07-22T16:01:00.000-04:00

My sweet little man was 2 weeks old yesterday. He weighed 7lbs 14oz at his doctor's appointment - which is just a couple of ounces less than what Ashlyn weighed at her 2 MONTH check-up. He is quite the eater :)

Love him. To pieces.

The "I am..." Blog Series

2011-07-21T05:11:00.001-04:00

First of all - how fun is this logo? Love.

My friend Whitney of The Meade Feed invited me to participate in her "I am..." blog series. Today, we are celebrating all the amazing attributes that make up who we really are instead of focusing on our flaws and imperfections. And as a tired, busy, full-time workin' wife and momma - it is usually way easier for me to focus on negative things (if only I were a better cook, a better wife, a better friend....) instead of the positive ones!

Feel free to join in on the fun and celebrate TRUTH! Here we go with my "I am..." list.

1. I AM a daughter of our Most High King.

2. I AM a loving wife to the most amazing man in the world - he loves and cherishes me despite my imperfections.

3. I AM a great mother to my precious children - they truly are the sweetest gift from God.

4. I AM slightly OCD about things being neat, clean and organized in my home - AND am working to find freedom when things in my house are not perfect.

5. I AM a lover of all things sweet - gooey chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, brownies, ice cream, Sonic double stuffed Oreo blasts, ect.

6. I AM creative and love to think of new projects for Christopher and I to work on together.

7. I AM a multi-tasker (for example, right now I am nursing a baby, watching The Nate Berkus Show and typing this post all at the same time).

8. I AM blessed to be able to call so many amazing women my friends. Real friends. The kind who tell me the Truth and love me for me.

9. I AM exited to start exercising again and work on getting back into pre-baby shape.

Thanks, Whitney, for asking me to participate in your series. Here's to celebrating TRUTH today and everyday!

21 months

2011-07-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

Happy 21 months to Ashlyn!

I think the last 12 days have definitely been an adjustment for her - but she has been such a sweet big sister. She loves to give Chase kisses, touch his feet and "help" him with his paci (aka "force it back in his mouth if it falls out").

She has so much personality...loves to giggle...laugh...be silly...and dance. She is head over heels for any and every kind of animal and loves to make animal sounds. She makes Christopher and I laugh every single day.

I tried to take a few pictures but she was not too happy about it. This face cracks me up.

My mom has been here helping out this week since Christopher went back to work. She brought Ashlyn her own baby doll and stroller. Seriously, she could not have brought a better gift. Ash loves her "baby". She rocks her and strolls her all around the house.

So sweet to see her taking care of her baby while I take care of this little guy.

Purple??????

2011-07-17T14:59:00.001-04:00

I am not sure I should be allowed to make paint color decisions 9 days postpartum.

Let me explain.

When we saw this cute little piece on the side of the road in front of a thrift store, I thought it was begging for a little color. And for $15, how could I say no?

I am sure some of you have seen this photo on Centsational Girl. So very pretty, huh? I saw it around 3am when I was up with little man and thought, hey, I should paint something a bright and bold color too. Crazy post-pregnancy hormones.

So while both of my little people were napping Saturday afternoon, I spray painted our thrift store find.

Purple.

I am not sure why I didn't take a nap instead.

I still don't know why I picked this color. I mean, purple is pretty. And I bet there some super cool houses out there with purple furniture and it probably looks amazing.

Christopher saw it and started laughing. Because it goes with NOTHING else in our house. And then I almost cried. But laughed instead.

So then, I re-primed it, and painted it a half/half mixture of Ashlyn's dresser paint and our dining room paint.

I just laughed again looking at the purple picture above.

This works a little better for us. Now this cute little piece has found a home in my office. I think I will probably leave the color alone for now. And go take a nap.

Guest Posting at The Mustard Ceiling

2011-07-15T07:36:00.018-04:00

I am so excited to be guest posting today over at The Mustard Ceiling. Elizabeth is a super talented designer and DIYer - and has a fun series running this summer called "The Summer Side of Life."

Be sure to head over today and check it out! Happy Friday!!!

One Week

2011-07-14T07:57:00.000-04:00

Happy One Week Birthday to my sweet baby boy.

I had a friend tell me once that having a son was like falling in love all over again.

After meeting this handsome guy last week, I couldn't agree more...

Family of Four

2011-07-12T08:36:00.001-04:00

We are starting to adjust to life with two little ones. Chase has been super sleepy the last couple of days - he is in a light bed right now for jaundice. Poor little guy. Hopefully he will just have to be in there for a few more days.

Here are a some pics from our first days together.

Granddad & Grandmom

Aunt Juls & Uncle Gene

Uncle Hamp & Aunt Jaime

Mimi & Pop

Chase Hampton Newman

2011-07-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

My water broke last night after dinner around 7:45pm - and we welcomed Chase Hampton Newman into the world at 2:03am on 7/7/11.

He weighed 7lbs & 12oz.

We are so very blessed by this sweet gift from God.

Sssshhh...don't tell my doctor

2011-07-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

He "strongly encouraged" me not to go to the beach this weekend. But I highly doubt he reads my blog so it's probably safe to post a few pictures.

I think Ashlyn's face says it all.

"Ummm....Mommy - did you remember you are 38 weeks pregnant and we are 3 hours from home?"

"Are you sure it's ok for you to be here?"

"What if your water breaks on the beach?"

"Well...if you really think its ok, we might as well enjoy ourselves. Goldfish, anyone?"

"I am so glad we decided to come - I LOVE the beach!"

We really had a great couple of days. It was so nice having lots of people to help out with Ashlyn - and I am so glad we were able to spend a sweet weekend together before Chase makes his arrival.

38 week belly!

Ash loves her cousin Grayson...

Lake Day

2011-06-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

We spent a wonderful Saturday morning on the lake this weekend with Christopher's parents. Ashlyn loves the water and riding on the boat.

She has been making some of the funniest faces lately - I love seeing her personality develop. She reminds me more and more of her silly daddy every day :)

Do I hear wedding bells?

2011-06-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

I have the sweetest friends who hosted a little brunch last Saturday to celebrate me and my best friend Ashley's soon-to-be born babies (we are due five weeks apart this summer).

Is is so sad that Ashley and I have already talked about how great

Chase & Anna Newman

sound together? Their monogram would even be the same as mine and Christopher's -

ANC

I mean, theses poor kids don't even have a chance. We will probably be designing wedding invites before too much longer.

A little kitchen update

2011-06-21T16:08:00.000-04:00

In keeping with the trend of ripping things off walls rather than organizing and washing clothes for my son's soon-to-be arrival, I decided our kitchen chalkboard needed to be a little bigger. Ashlyn sometimes has trouble staying within the "boundaries", and I thought it would be nice to give her an a little more space.

So I ripped off the picture frame molding we put up last year - and painted the entire wall with chalkboard paint.

Before.

And here is the finished result.

I know my hormones are a little wacky right now. For example, I cannot bring myself to go through bins of boy clothes that sweet friends have let me borrow or start pulling baby gear out of the attic, but I find the energy to do totally random and unnecessary projects around the house.

I seriously just asked my husband if he would build this (see pic below).

He asked me if he could just draw a play kitchen on the chalkboard wall. Should I assume that is a "No" for now?

The Crafting Chicks

Where it all began...

2011-06-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

Christopher and I met at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. He was the blonde cutie on the baseball team, and I played basketball there.

We went back to Florence for a wedding over the weekend - and thought it would be fun to take Ashlyn to the place where our little love story began.

Our first "date" was a Subway picnic lunch on this bench overlooking the pond. It is hard to believe that was nearly 9 years ago. We spent countless hours by the pond just talking and getting to know each other. Such sweet memories.

Ashlyn giving Chase a "kiss." 36 weeks today.

Happy Father's Day to the love of my life and my best friend. Ashlyn and Chase are so blessed to have you as their daddy and role model.

Ashlyn's Big Girl Room Finished

2011-06-17T16:30:00.008-04:00

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of Ashlyn's new room all put together! I have had so much fun working on various little projects for my sweet pea's space.

Always like to remember where we started:

Let me preface the following pictures by saying this is probably the cleanest, most put together this room will ever be. By the time you add guard rails to the bed, an almost 20 month old who loves to drag shoes and clothes out of her closet, a fan, baby monitor, books, ect - it will not look so nice and neat.

But at least I will always have a few pics of the day her bed was made and all the clothes were put away :)

I realized that I am terrible at trying to applique anything - but the flower on her pillow still turned out kind of cute minus all the crazy mistakes I made while sewing it together.

Amazing what a little fabric and hot glue can cover up :)

And there you have it. The cleanest toddler room pictures you will ever see at my house.

Hard to believe...

2011-06-15T06:58:00.000-04:00

that we will have two little ones in less than 5 weeks. I have been feeling some mixed emotions (which I am sure are perfectly normal). I am so excited to meet Chase and can't wait for him to be here, but then am kind of sad thinking that these are my last few weeks to only have this sweet face to care for. Does that make sense??

Love her.

Dining Room Changes (possibly pregnancy related)

2011-06-13T08:59:00.001-04:00

This is what happened. I woke up Friday morning and had 2 thoughts:

1. "I don't have enough room on our dining room gallery wall to add new photos of Chase when he is born."

2. "I think higher molding in the dining room would look nice."

My poor husband. I told him Friday morning that I thought we should make a few changes. Our neighbor stopped by Friday night, and I am sure she was wondering why we were tearing down perfectly good molding.

I will call this a "pregnancy induced hormonal spur of the moment" decision. Here is the dining room before.

And after.

We put a 3" picture frame shelf all the way around the room and now there is extra space to add more pictures when the little guy arrives. This project made me feel a little crazy because I did not think through it at all when I started ripping stuff off the walls. But I love the way it turned out :)

Chase's Nursery

2011-06-09T17:10:00.000-04:00

Our little man's room is pretty much finished - now just awaiting his arrival...about 5 more weeks! His room got a lot smaller once we moved the crib in - but is functional as a guest room and nursery. I still need to go through his clothes and start digging out the baby gear from the attic, but at least his room is decorated, right? :)

In case you have ever wondered if you can use hot glue to make a crib skirt - the answer is yes. I just cut the fabric to fit around the crib, ironed straight hems, and then hot glued everything together. It was way easier than actually sewing it :) I think it worked so well because it was outdoor fabric which is a little heavier.

Beach and Big Girl Bed

2011-06-05T19:51:00.000-04:00

We spent a few days last week in Hilton Head with my parents. I have to say, it was so nice having a few extra sets of hands to help out with an "on-the-go" 19 month old. Especially being 34 weeks pregnant.

We also made the move to her big girl bed Saturday when we got home. She has done great so far - much easier than I anticipated. I am hoping the trend of staying in bed will continue.

Ashlyn's Dresser

2011-06-01T06:11:00.003-04:00

This is the dresser that we purchased from craigslist right before Ashlyn was born. I have been wanting to paint it for a while now - just to lighten it up and make it a bit more fun.

I used a sample size jar of paint from Home Depot (Behr Gulf Wind) for $3. And then just spray painted the drawer pulls silver (could not justify spending the money for new ones right now).

How cute are these little guys? Pier One Easter clearance - $7 for both. Gotta love a good sale.

Her new "big girl room" is almost finished. We are going to let her sleep in her bed this weekend. Hoping that goes ok.