5 Years Old and growing!

Today Andrew has turned 5 years old. In this past year he has accomplished so much! Here are a few highlights that we are so proud of!

(Picture modified to protect the innocent)

Here's Andrew finally learning how to go potty. I just couldn't believe when he was independently going by himself. What an accomplishment!!!



Here Andrew is finally understanding the concept of pedaling his bike. All it took was for his friends to ride on their bikes to get him to were he wanted to learn.



Andrew wanted to be Spider-Man for Halloween. He wore this practically everyday for a whole month. But in doing so it has helped him to pretend play which we have been working on since he was 2 yrs old.


Andrew helping me make a cake. He is always so helpful by pouring in the ingredients into the bowl and mixing it up. This little act has helped him understand instructions as well as being independent in doing things for himself.



Andrew learning to care about others feelings and sharing. He's doing well in recognizing when someone is sad, angry or happy. He definitely wants people to have "happy faces". He'll come up to me and put his finger on the corner of my eye and he'll say "happy lineses, happy faces" I'm not sure where he got that but it makes him happy doing it.

I'm truly blest to have Andrew in my life and I'm so grateful for what he teaches me everyday! I love him so much! Happy Birthday, sweetie.

Design Star!

The bedroom makeover victim: The gal on the left

Chloe & my Sister Dana

My niece Chloe was turning the fun age of 16. Instead of having a party she wanted her aunt Linda, me, & her mom to decorate her dull/boring room into an elegant room perfect for a girl coming of age.

List:
Chandelier
paint: purple/lavendar (her favorite color)
ELEGANT (she repeated that many times)

My sister Dana set out to find the perfect headboard and dresser. Me, I was to find curtains and bedding. Linda painted and accessorized (this gal is goooood. She needs no tape, she paints perfect and stays in the lines. I know because I saw her do it also in Abbey's room.)

I was at TJ Maxx when I saw some black and white shower curtains for only 9.99 each and I knew they would go perfectly with her bedding that we found on KSL. Yes you read correctly..... I found shower curtains, who says you can't use shower curtains as drapes. I tried calling Dana about 30 times (no lie) to tell her about them, I was so excited. It worked fabulously. My sister Dana took the curtains and cut them in half, since shower curtains are very wide and made the curtains longer, we were thrilled.

The whole time we were doing this Chloe could not look or peek so we had about a week to pull it all together but when it came together... it was like budder.

Dana found an antique headboard that went perfect with a dresser that my mom gave her for the cause. We painted the dresser white to match the bed. The mirror was also my moms, it was from the 60's/70's gold plastic era and so it's amazing what white paint will do. A friend of mine gave me the chandelier which after a coat of white paint viola! perfect! Dana worked her magic with fabric and glue and turned the lamp shades on the chadelier and the bed lamp into works of art. Linda topped it all off with the perfect pictures and accesories all around the room.

Total cost of project: $300. PERFECTION!

I would like to introduce you to .....(drum roll).... Chloe's bedroom makover.

(trumpets sounding!!!)


Sorry no before shots.

The elegant room.

The culprits:

Annemarie, Dana, Linda
(So, apparently I didn't get the memo to wear blue and green!!!!)

The Happy 16 year old.
you deserve it all!!! Your the best Chloe, we love you!!! And we had a blast doing it.
(hey did anyone notice Chloe's in blue too..... hmmph!!...)

Thrifty remodel

I would love to share with you my playhouse project. My brother J. built this for his girls and of course when we moved in we were fortunate to inherit it. I was BEYOND THRILLED as I always wanted a playhouse when I was growing up and now my kids will be able to have fun in it. We just need to make sure to keep the wasps from having their family reunions there.

So as it needed to be repainted since the long hot summers and the cold, cold winters were not so kind to the paint and me being a thrifty girl and thinking what paint do I have??? Pink! yes, lots & lots of pink paint will do. It was left over from Abbey's room project. So Abbey and I embarked on our project on a nice warm autumn day.

So without further ado, here is what transpired. Enjoy!

Needs a repainting

Painted the base coat 2 pinks.

Painted pink/white strips on the eave and white on the trim work.

I painted some shelves that I had in the garage black and put them under the windows to hold flowers and I had an old crib railing from a crib that got a lot of use (Thanks to Lisa P. for giving it to us) So I painted it white and used it for a porch railing. It works perfect! We LOVE IT!
Eventually I want to build real shutters that actually open and close over the windows to help especially during the winter. We will be landscaping this next summer around the little house and thanks to some good friends who gave us their little tikes kitchen set it will go in here for lots of fun cooking (and cleaning :) Let's just say.... Tea party anyone??/

roots are grow'in

I was looking through some older pictures of Abbey and I couldn't believe how much her hair has FINALLY! grew in. It's so much fun putting her hair in pig tails now; whereas before she basically had a few strands of hair per pig tail.

1 1/2 years old

2 1/2 years old

Abbey is now as tall as some 3 or even 4 year olds. Imagine that!