Insomnia

It's late and I can't sleep. 

I really hate when that happens, especially because I love to sleep.  I love napping, going to bed early, and sleeping in. 

Tonight I can't sleep, my mind is racing with things I want to remember for tomorrow, things to put on that never ending to-do list, things I want to teach Davis, things I want to do with Chris, ways to decorate the bedroom, things that need to be done before next week....so many things fill up a space I wish would rest.  Sometimes when my mind goes so fast while I'm laying in bed I really do count.  Not sheep, ever, I just start counting.  I think I may becoming immune to the counting though because more often than not I find myself in triple digits instead of the singles that I'd prefer.

My baby turned one recently.  17 days ago.  I still can't really wrap my mind around it.  We celebrated in style with friends and family, but it still isn't sinking in.  So much has changed in the last year.  I feel older.  In some ways I feel wiser.  I feel way less 'together' than I did before he came along.  I have far less time and money than I ever have had before in my adult life, but I am so happy.  And yet I find myself so much more content in my day to day life.  Sometimes I look around my house and find my helper has found the laundry basket or his bookshelf and I smile and try and take a mental picture of my day.  I know these days won't stay forever and I want to remember the exact look on his face as he explores and discovers.  I want to remember what him being one is like.  I try so so hard to not wish away days and moments, and I think I do pretty good at it.  Maybe that is why I am so content now?  This year has been tough and stretched me in ways I didn't think possible.  (Stretched US in so many ways.)  I want to be a better person.  I want to be neater for my husband and remember to pick up my shoes/clothes/make-up/fill-in-the-blank. I want to be more a more intentional friend.  I want to redefine what success is to me.  I feel like that last sentence is something I think on a lot.  What should my life look like right now.  What should my days look like?  What do I want to look like to my son?  How do I want to represent my family?  How do I want my husband to see me and our home when he gets home from a long day at work?

Our house has been nothing but sickness lately.  I'm ready for that fog to pass.

This blog has been on my mind so much lately.  I feel guilty for not posting more.  I love to blog, I do like to write and share ideas, projects, and updates...but it always is at the bottom of the list.  There are so many big projects I could post but I never get around to it.  Oh well.

Work.  Full time work for part time pay, haha.  I love to work.  I love to problem solve, I love design and marketing and thinking through what the next step should be (in business).  The lists never get shorter.  Sometimes it feels impossible to break away from work.  Even if I close the laptop my mind races with possibilities.  I find myself sending my cohort one line emails with ideas to discuss later.  I'm lucky to be surrounded by partners who let me have a long leash with my ideas and for the most part trust my work.  Potential, I love the possibilites of the future!  Work, sometimes a double edged sword, but I know God has plans for my vocation.  Little or big, He's looking out for me.

And yet I'm brought back:  I can't believe that my son is one.  That year went by so fast...what if they all go by that fast?  I love his smile (and those teeth).  He is very snuggly.  His dad says he is a momma's boy.  Though I feel bad about it (and worry that it might be a bad thing) I love that I get so many opportunities to snuggle with him throughout my day.  I want to make sure he is growing and developing but it is bittersweet to see him move on from the things that were such big accomplishments to him just a few short weeks and months ago.  Packing away onesies and sleepers that he's outgrown, wondering if they will be worn by another someday or be done with for good.  Change, always change.

I've got to attempt sleep again.  In less than 6 hours I'm going to groggily start my day.  But it will be a good day.

Proverbs 31

Blogger is doing this really cool thing (rolls eyes) that makes all of my old blog photos blurry.  I've tried a few things to fix the issue but it isn't working very well.  The image in this post looks terrible but if you click on it to save it will save correctly. 

Since transitioning from working full time to working at home to now being a work at home mom I've put a lot of thought into what my time should be spent on.  I often struggle feeling as if I'm not being a wise steward of my time.  Recently I've been spending some time with the Proverbs 31 wife and reflecting on what I can gain from her.  I'm still mulling this over but in the mean time I whipped up this printable poster for myself...and since I've got it sitting on my computer I thought I'd share it!

Click on the photo to save.

Nursery Project: Chandelier

Although I had originally intended to post my nursery projects as I was doing them clearly that did not happen :)  BUT I still have the pictures on my computer so it seems silly for me not to go ahead with them.  Today I'm going to show one of the easiest (and most fun) projects I completed for D's room, the chandelier.

I debated whether or not to do a fun color on the light fixture or whether I should do something more neutral (like silver) for when we go to resell the house.  In the end I decided that I live here now and I might as well enjoy where I live, so I picked up a can of kelly green spray paint and went to town!  I found this little chandelier at the ReStore (I LOVE the ReStore) for $10.  Total this project cost around $15.

This is what I started with:

As you can see one of the white plastic 'candle' sleeves was missing.  So I guess I did spend a little more on this project because I bought all new sleeves at Lowe's, I don't remember specifically how much they were (such it is when you're posting this 9 months after the fact...) but I remember that they came in packs of two and were in the lighting department under the ceiling fans (in case you're on the hunt as well). 

Before I started spray painting I wiped the chandelier down with a damp rag and then lightly sanded the entire fixture.  After I sanded I did another wipe down and then taped off all of the bulb holes (not sure what the technical term for that is!) and the end wires. 

As you can see I chose a bright green Krylon fusion paint.  It worked wonderful.  Here is a picture after (I believe) 1 coat:

After another 2 thin coats I slipped the new sleeves on it and the hubster installed it in our nursery!

Here's the finished product in (almost) all his glory (since he's missing a bulb - oops!):



I am SO glad that I ended up doing the green on this fixture.  Everytime I look up at it it makes me smile.  I often catch my little dude looking up at it too (I'm sure he's just checking out the shape and the contrast against the ceiling) and that makes me happy.  One thing I have decided (and I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before) is when it comes time to change out the bulbs I'm going to switch them out for round vanity bulbs instead of the candle ones that are in there now.  I think it will just make it a bit more mod and whimsical.

I'll be back later with more of our nursery projects and then once those have all been shown I'll showcase the finished product (which means I need to finish one more thing and take some more pictures - it never ends!).

Hope you're all having a great day!





Hello old friend...

It's a bit dusty on this old blog!  So much has happened since the last time I was here.  Mainly I had a baby.  What I've come to learn is that having a baby means that (at least in the beginning) everything happens day to day.  It's good to have intentions to do something, but often those don't come to fruition.  So while I had planned on doing lots and lots of blogging a lot of other things came before this old blog.  These days my daily goals (outside of taking care of my son) include getting dressed (who would have thought that would be an accomplishment?), maintaining a somewhat clean supply of clothing for our family, and making sure we eat.  Outside of that everything else is a bonus.  (Maybe I'll come back another day and share my goals for this year...hmm)



I've thought of just letting this blog go by the wayside but despite it's lack of readership, I like it.  Heck, I love blogging.  I have lots of projects, redo's, and misc material that in my mind I think I'll post, but in reality that may not happen.  In reality this may become a space that is filled with ramblings of an overtired mama.  (Oh yeah, my son can now say ma-ma!)  I'm not sure what this blog is going to look like in the future, or the frequency of which I'll visit it,  but for now it's staying put in it's small little corner of the internet. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's Baby Shower

Remember me telling you that Sarah was throwing me a Breakfast at Tiffany's baby shower?  Well it turned out fabulous! 

(For those of you not in the know, Holly Golightly, the main character in Breakfast at Tiffany's keeps her telephone in a suitcase to muffle the sound.  So the little set up above is just perfect!)

To see the full run down on the shower check out the CES blog for lots of eye candy and inspiration!  (And make sure to check back on Thursday for the second half of the shower pics)