A Very Minor Makeover

A few days ago I was in Target and saw this really cute printed duct tape and wondered- what in the world do people do with that?? Well, last night my good friend Erin was telling me that a friend of hers used it to cover her Bible. That got me thinking about my Bible...it once had a beautiful leather cover with some embroidery on it but has since gotten pen marks and some kind of liquid stain on it. I'd bought an inexpensive canvas cover for it, but have never been too fond of it. It's not terribly cute or stylish...and I hate zipping and unzipping it during church. SO- I picked up some duct tape at Target this morning and did a little Bible makeover of my own! Here is my before and after:

I really should have taken better pics (these were taken with my phone), and probably shouldn't have taken them on my shaggy rug (not the best background for pictures!)...but you get the idea I think!

I'm quite pleased with the results...and it only took me about 15 minutes to do! My only question is- What else can I do with printed duct tape? Any ideas?

~Amy~

Come on In!

It's finally time for a nursery post! There are still a couple of odds and ends I need before Elliot gets here...but the decorating of his room is finally finished!

Come on in!

And now- on with the pictures!

Here's a shot of the room from the bedroom door...

 ...directly to the left of the above shot is the changing table. And now that you have the overall feel of the room...here are some smaller details...

Some of what's up on the walls...

Love these little framed prints

This frame was given to me by a friend at church. We're going to put a maternity pic of me in the middle...and then a newborn shot in the bottom.

Here's Elliot's bed...

And the big ol' monkey that sits inside of it =)

Little details like...

The switch plate...

...valances...

...rocking chair...

...and even his diaper bag...all packed and ready to GO!

So there's a little tour of Elliot's room...all it's missing is HIM!

 ~Thanks for stopping by~

~Amy~

 

Friday Five

Randomosity in the form of a list...gotta love it =) It's a little chaotic AND a little organized!

1-Elliot's room is almost finished!There are still a few more things I need regarding baby gear...but nothing major. As far as decorating, I have 1 more thing to get up on the wall. Well, actually 3. It's a series of prints I got and framed but have yet to hang (oh the joys of having an old house with concrete walls!). As soon as those are hung (hopefully this weekend) I'll do a full out nursery post. 

Until the full post...I'll just share this!

 
2-I've been a organizing fiend this week. I guess I feel like any little thing I can organize right now, while I have the time, can only make my life just a teeny bit simpler after Elliot gets here. Just this week I've organized the kitchen utensil drawers,the (previously VERY congested) area around our microwave and the jewelry "situation" that had been brewing on top of the dresser in our bedroom. It's amazing what some plastic drawer organizers and little hooks can accomplish as far making sense of things. I did end up throwing quite a bit out too...kitchen tools that were kind of getting gross, unmatched earrings or jewelry that had broken. I've realized that I need to take inventory of what I have alot more often!

Revamped microwave area...

kitchen drawers...

Just part of my jewelry organization (this is the inside of my bedroom closet)...the earrings, pendants and bracelets got separated into a clear plastic drawer organizer that 3 compartments and placed in the top drawer of our dresser.

 
3-Twice weekly OB appointments...they're getting old. One day a week I'm only there for about 45 minutes...the other time its usually at least an hour and a half. On the positive side- I get to hear my baby's heartbeat twice a week and make sure he's a-OK in there. I DO have a Kindle now...so I always have something good to read (right now I'm reading- The Help by Kathryn Stockett- GREAT read). And, the staff at my OB's office couldn't be nicer...I may actually miss seeing some of them when I stop going so often! Ohhh. just 4 more weeks of this at MOST. I think I can, I think I can...

4- I've been thinking about Christmas alot this week. I'm pretty sure Christmas THIS year is going to be a bit of a blur. I'll have a teeny, precious baby that I'll be getting to know- I'm pretty sure that's all I'm going to remember about Christmas 2010...and I'm OK with that. But Christmas as a family in general...from here on out...THAT I'm excited about! I have so many wonderful memories of childhood Christmases. Traditions we kept EVERY year, the music we listened to, the foods we ate, the family gatherings that HAD to take place to make it feel like Christmas...all the way down to which side of the fireplace MY gifts were always on. I just hope I can make Elliot's Christmas memories as sweet and wonderful as my own!

Our little family...sometime in the mid-80's I'm guessing

5- It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. When is it coming on television?? Doesn't it usually come on right about now? Dying to see it already. It's not Halloween until I've seen that movie.
Also- "I got a rock"   =)

*I looked it up and found out it comes on ABC on Thursday, Oct. 28th! My DVR is already set folks!*

Have a marvelous weekend y'all!

~Amy~

Looking Forward...

So there's something I'm really excited about...almost more than meeting my dear Elliot...seeing my husband become a Daddy.

I know our lives will change in ways that we can't even anticpate. We'll hardly get time alone together, we'll be sleep deprived, anxious, flying by the seat of our pants most of the time...but there's no one on this earth I'd rather do this thing with. 

 

I've had him all to myself for almost 4 years now (2 of them married to him)...so I guess it's about time I share him =)

~Amy~

Pumpkin Spice Scones!

I needed a project today and this turned out to be a tasty one. My sister and her little family are in Virginia and I'm quickly realizing how much me and April do together! I don't have a side-kick right now...not cool! On the plus side, they're having a wonderful time...and I'm trying to fill my free time with housework, thank-you card writing, organizing and other projects. 

My project today was Pumpkin Spice Scones! My friend Megon posted this recipe this morning on Facebook and I knew I'd have to try them. First of all, Megon is an excellent baker- so I knew if she tried it and liked it, it was a good one. Secondly, I LOVE the Pumpkin Spice scones at Starbucks and these are a great version of them. 

Here are a few pics of the process:

The wet and dry ingredients

The butter before cutting it in...

Ready to be baked!

Ready for the glaze to be brushed on...

Ready to be enjoyed!

 These were much easier to make than I anticipated...and quite moist and delicious! Next time I make them I'm going to cut each of the larger triangles into two...I went by the recipe and they ARE the same size as the ones at Starbucks...but I can only eat half of one at a time. I will definitely be making these again. 


Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! 


~Amy~

My Halloween Decor and More!

It's been a busy week so far...and it's only Wednesday! I'm generally a fan of staying busy, so this has been a good week. 

Tuesday I had my first NST (non-stress test) at my OB's office. I have to get these because the ultrasound tech who did our 4D ultrasound told me I needed to mention to my doc that the cord was near the baby's face and up near his head. My doctor said that this was called a "nuchal cord". It's nothing strange and weird...but he does want me to come in twice a week (for the rest of my pregnancy) and get a NST, to make sure Elliot's heart rate is good, he's moving like he should and he isn't stressed. 

Here is one of the 4D pics...you can see the cord kind of draped across his chest, right under his chin.

The monitor with the blue strap monitors the baby's heart rate, the one with the pink strap monitors any possible contractions.

I also had a little clicker in my hand that i had to hit every time Elliot moved. I'd brought a book to read during the test...but every time I picked it up to read, he would move...and I'd have to put the book down and hit the clicker...i eventually gave up and just sat there. I only had to sit there for 30 minutes and the nurse said the baby "behaved perfectly". Yay! My next NST is Thursday and I'll see my doc afterwards. 


I also wanted to share some of the Halloween decorations I've slowly been putting up around my house...

My new mum and pumpkin...Home Depot had great prices on both!

 

 

 

The wreath on my front door (Marshalls).

A little Halloween garland on the wrought iron on my front porch.

My "Happy Haunting" banner that I won on this wonderful blog!

And a few more little touches...

 Lastly, I wanted to share a little craft project I did. It's not step by step...just before and after...but if you want to know how to do it my friend Kathlyn blogged about this great idea here.

Here are the supplies: candles (i used tapers), glue, glitter, candle holders and tin foil.

And here is my finished product!

 It was really easy and I think it looks pretty great! I'm hoping to do a few more crafty projects this week and next (mainly to keep myself busy while my sis is away in Virginia) so hopefully I can share those too!

~Amy~