Nesting Projects

Since I never got around to posting these before she came (and I actually didn't finish the picture wall until last week), here is what kept me entertained for the last two months of this pregnancy:

Seth's Room

Since he was officially moved in (instead of just in a pack and play shoved in there because of our loud neighbors) we decided it was time to fix up his room.

First job was patching up the MASSIVE holes in the wall.  The people who lived here before us used HUGE wall anchors to hang everything: pictures, curtain rods, things the rest of us would have used tiny nails for...  So we patched and repainted, only to find that the paint didn't quite match the room.  But since we don't have the original paint, we're letting it stay as it is.  Just don't look too closely...

We got that dresser off Craigslist for $50.  Love it.

I don't think I ever sent you a picture of this, Adrian!  It was hanging in the nursery when he was in there and was the first thing that moved to his new room.  And it matches perfectly--you must have been inspired.  ;)

This was my project--the valance.  With some help from my talented friend Heather (who was the one who recovered the glider in the nursery for me) I picked out the fabric and cording, figured out how to sew it, and (with Jon's help) hung it up.  I love it--it makes the room look so much nicer.  And don't mind the twisted up curtain below it--that's the easiest way we've found to open up the room-darkening curtain we have in there...

Project #2: The Nursery

This was basically already done since we'd used it for Seth.  We kept the green and tan since they're gender neutral, so the only real changes were in the little decorations.  It was really overwhelming to see all that pink in there (kept me from organizing the room for a long time) but now I love it!

(and now I can't find the pictures I took--note to self: take pictures of nursery)

The pictures hanging above her crib:

Project #3: Family Picture Wall

At home, my mom has a wall covered with all sorts of family pictures (and by family I mean grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great-grandparents--the whole shebang).  I've always loved that idea but never had a good place to put it.  We've been in this house three years now, but I finally got it done!

This is the stairwell down to our basement.  I really wanted Seth (and Catherine, eventually) to be able to recognize all their family members and I thought this was a good way to do it.  Everyone from his great-grandparents down to his cousins (with the exception of Andrew, born two days before Catherine) is pictured on our 'Wall of Shame', as Jon calls it.  Of course, we'll have to do some reorganizing as we get more cousins, aunts, and uncles, but for the moment, it's done!

The Grand Finale: Our Bedroom

When we moved in, there were three things I really didn't like about this house (that we could change--the Jack and Jill master bathroom upstairs we can't do much about): the kitchen cupboards, which we took care of two years ago, the stall shower in our bathroom (which will be taken care of this April), and the master bedroom.  

Not that I had anything against the layout--it was the paint job.  Or rather, the lack thereof.  Basically, it had never been painted since it was built.  It had a flat white paint which, after 13 years, was pretty gross.  I was determined to paint it, but I had never painted a room in my life.  'White walls sell better' was the motto in my house growing up--my sisters finally got permission to paint after I was in college.

And so we waited.  Last May we bought a new king-sized bed (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) and a new bedset to go with it.  But it wasn't until nesting kicked in that I really buckled down, hired Lenae, and got things going.  Basically what you're seeing is Lenae's genius: I bought the bedset, she picked out everything else, plus did all the difficult painting (edging) and sewed the curtains.  That girl is amazing.

So here's before:

And...after!

It looks SO much nicer!

Oh, and I forgot the other project--we put framing around the closet doors (Lenae's suggestion, of course--and her tutoring, and miter saw...).  It makes a huge difference.  Now it actually looks like a nice closet instead of a glorified hotel room closet...

And this is why I never make the bed except to take pictures:

(Jon: 'Why do we have all these stupid pillows if you never make the bed?'  

Me: 'What's the point in making the bed when Seth's around?')

There are still some projects I'd like to get done before I start back up with piano in May, like our family scrapbook from 2009 and the ABC book I've been making for Seth, but we'll see how life goes for the next few weeks!