Becca's Visit

We were so honored/ecstatic that my sister Becca came to visit us on her way to Fort Lee, Virginia. We had a great time. We did a lot of ....

Talking

Obviously this isn't us - but it sums the idea up rather well. My blond sister came to visit me and we talked a lot. :) Please know that I really do wear an apron when ironing. :)

We also had some Skype conversations with Jana (in Minnesota) and the rest of the family (in San Antonio) - it is crazy how technology can make the distance between us feel smaller.

Laughing

Lucy loved having her Aunt Becca here. :) They got along great.

Creating

Becca let it slip that she was thinking of starting a blog - and that was the end of the thinking. :) We had so much fun being creative and getting her all set up to share her mind. :) Check out Becca's blog - Brains, Brawn and Glory - and see what she's up to. It's pretty exciting.

Exploring

I had never been to any of the thrift stores in Pampa (SHOCKER!), so we decided to go exploring when Becca was here. We discovered a really fun shop, Trash to Treasure, or Trash and Treasure, I forget. :) We spent an hour and a half perusing the store, I think Brad made it around the whole thing three times - hahaha - thanks for being patient with us babe! Lucy was in the Bejorn and did GREAT, she loved it - we are starting the thrift store obsession early. :) I didn't get to take pictures of Becca's purchases, but here are my finds:

A pretty bowl - that can be customized with ribbon to match any occasion. :)

A sturdy little stool.

A work basket - I have been looking for one of these for a long time, ever since I saw one at Elise's house in Chicago! Now I have a place to stash my current project... speaking of which, I need to start one. :)

Playing

On the right hand side of this picture, you can see The Game. It wouldn't be a complete visit with anyone from my family without a game of Settlers. I am happy to announce that I won 2 out of the 4 games we played. Ending my loosing streak (which has lasted a LONG time).

Becca, it was such a joy having you in our home. Thank you for taking the time to visit us - we hope to see you again soon. We pray that God uses you to share His glory wherever He takes you. We love you!

"I have to get out of the house!"

The title of this post is not reflective of my current mindset. Although there have been days that I have gotten a bit stir crazy here at home, I have been really content to be home most days. However, I have had to get out of the house whenever we have a showing - which, thankfully has been a handful of times in the past few weeks. When I have to vacate the premises I usually take a trip to the Salvation Army - which is, literally, right around the corner. I simply strap the babe into the Bjorn and we are off on a treasure hunt. :)

Here are some of my finds from my past few visits. :)

Some pretty votive candle holders - love the bumpy texture on them! I think my mom has some blue ones similar to these.

I'm enjoying summer - but warm red/yellow tones make me excited for fall, sweatshirts and hot chocolate. :)

These were a fun project - although their original color was okay and would have worked in our house, I felt that I would use them more if they were white.

Out came the spray paint! :) I love the shape of these candle sticks.

I'm going to Hancock fabrics later today to get some fabric for a new table runner, depending on the colors in the cloth I find - I'd love to have some light blue pillars for these candle sticks. We shall see. I'll keep you updated. ;)

This basket was a whopping $0.80. I've been looking for something to keep my Bible and journals in for a bit and this basket fits the bill perfectly.

Once I got rid of the yucky ribbon and rinsed the dust off - the basket looked even better! I'm really happy with it.

I have also found Lucy a few books, a dress (its 4t - WAY to big for her now - but it was $1.25, in really good shape and so cute - I figure she will grow into it), and a cute glass for my sister-in-law (not showing pictures, because it's a surprise :) ).

What about you? Are you an avid thrift store hunter? Or do second-hand shops kinda freak you out? Have you found any fun treasures lately? Please do tell....

The Evolution of a Nursery - Part 1

We originally called this room the "Back Bedroom" although we secretly knew it was going to be the nursery. :) For the past few months, since we have moved in it has been the catch-all room. Where anything that didn't have a home, found a temporary one. This has all changed now, as I have been attempting to clean it out and get it ready for Lucy-Lu. I love the bright windows in this space - so cheerful. The windows above face East - so the morning sun streams in! We need to get some blinds for the room (so that sleep will continue to happen - hopefully - mornings) and I am on the hunt for fabric for curtains too.
Here is what the room looks like today. The Crib is from my parents - the same one I slept in when I was a baby (I LOVE IT!) - as well as the rocking chair and ottoman. We are planning on getting new cushions for the rocker/ottoman to fit in better with our color scheme and to freshen it up (Thinking green or brownish-tan to allow for future use in a boy-themed nursery and hopefully use in the Living Room when there are no more nursery's in our home).
Here is our thrifty find of last weekend! A solid wood dresser from the Salvation Army - $35. How can you go wrong? I can't wait to sand this baby down - I'll wear a mask. I promise - and give it a fresh coat of white paint. We are going to get new hardware for it too - I am thinking classy stainless steel, something traditional. :)

The little swing is also from my parents - score! I love that it is smaller than normal swings - it doesn't take up as much room. It will eventually be moved into the Living Room, but for now, I like it in here. Here is the crib, all ready for Miss. Lucy. The bumper and crib skirt are from some sweet friends here in Chicago who said they were done with them! Thanks Halpins! I love them! As you can see Minnie Mouse and Lambie are waiting for little arms to hold them! (Thanks Aunt Sue and Uncle Tom for the Lamb - I love the sweet note so much, I haven't cut it off yet!)
The Bumper pad has pink, grey and green lines - and so it has become my inspiration for wall color. We have registered for green storage crates/boxes (to allow for use in a future boy nursery) and I didn't really want a pink nursery. For one, it is so "typical." For two, I think it will add to the house if it was a more nutural, natural color. For three, I love the color grey. This is one room of the house we have not painted ourselves yet - it is a light blue - and although the color is nice, it doesn't fit into our color scheme for the nursery. :) Below are the paint chips that we are deciding on. The room is so bright that I don't think we need to fear about grey paint causing the walls to "cave" in - plus I love all the white trim (around the doors, windows and floor boards) and think it will pop with a grey wall. Right now I think we are deciding between Chip 1 (far left) bottom and Chip 3 bottom. We shall see. Chip 1 bottom is more yellowish - if you can say that - and Chip 3 bottom is more blueish.... I am in limbo.Here is fabric for Lucy's quilt! I can't wait to get started! I need to find a fabric for the backing too - hoping that it will have a bit more grey in it than the others to draw in the color from the walls. :) Another great thrift store find! A little doll bed for Lucy to play with. Some friends thought this was Kristen's bed (the American Girl Doll) but I don't know - what do you think? Ether way, I thought it was a steal at $2. :) I am planning on stripping and painting it. Found this little birdie at Pier One and couldn't pass him up. I have three white shelves that I am planning on hanging up in the room and I think that he will make a nice addition to one of them. Also going on one of the shelves - Baby Pam, "Racky" the Raccoon and "Bear" (Brad and my childhood stuffed animals and my baby doll) - I am so excited!

Well, that's it for now. :) We will keep you posted with any and all of the changes! :) We can't wait for Lucy to come!

A little birdie has something to say...

I have a new friend in the Dining Room!

Brad found this beautiful buffet at the Salvation Army accross the street from our house! After e-mailing me pictures of it (I was at work) he bought it - a guy from Salvation Army even helped him carry it home - up all three flights of stairs - what a nice guy! We are thrilled.

It is exactly what we wanted to help store our china and glassware - I was even able to fit a bunch of decorating/candle stuff in it too! :) Isn't it beautiful?

And for $60 - how can you go wrong?