house stuff at a bit of a standstill

Hey friends and family...it's been a bit since I've posted an update.  We have been busy with lots of things, just not much with the house lately.  I've been doing quite a bit of painting which you can check out here.  The boys are good - Ryan is able to stand up now on his own, but no steps yet.  Eric has made a prediction that Ryan will take his first steps on or before Feb. 5th.  I think it will be more likely that he will walk closer to his first birthday in March.  Let me know if you want to get in on the pool.

This is what I found waiting for me this morning :)

We have some guests coming to stay with us in a few weeks - so my goal is to get the guest room painted before then.  I am still deciding on the color - Anjou Pear (Sherwin Williams) is on the short list as well as a light grey and a neutral.  I'll post pics when I make some headway.  It, as well as almost all the other rooms in the house is also paneling which requires a base coat of primer (I use Kilz).  So, I am sort of dragging my feet because I HATE priming.  Did I mention that the guest room is also drop ceiling which also needs a few coats of primer.  Wish me luck!

Paris Rooftops

On the last day of our honeymoon stay in Paris, we climbed up to the top of Notre Dame one chilly and overcast Sunday morning.  Lots, and lots of stairs in the tiniest spiral staircase.  It was amazing to see the architecture and disturbing gargoyles, and most of all, the view of the Parisian skyline. 

Here is the painting that I just finished of that view of Paris.  



Paris Rooftops
24x36
Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas



Christmas Recap and A Visit from Popi and Charlotte

Sadly, the holidays are behind us and the Christmas decorations are all packed away for the year.  We had such a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  Now that Owen is almost 2, he is beginning to understand the magic of Christmas.  Here is a recap of our Christmas and a fantastic visit with Popi and Charlotte.

Our new tradition is to have fondue on Christmas Eve.  We had a cheese fondue for the main course and a chocolate for the dessert.  YUM  The bread is from the best little shop in Phoenixville called Soltane.

Owen's letter to Santa...written up-side-down by Daddy while Owen added his own personal touch. 

Our stocking hung by the chiminy...

Ryan deciding which present to devour first.

Owen playing with his new toolbox from his God parents, Ray and Dana.  He LOVES it!  I did have to quarentine the hammer due to some unfortunate hammering of his baby brother.

It was a really fun Christmas!

Popi and Charlotte took us to dinner at Molly MacGuires and Ryan settled right up to the bar :)

Ryan got himself into a stand all by himself...well, with a little help from Charlotte.

Owen loves his new search and find books from Popi and Charlotte...it keeps us reading for hours.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Eric and I are having a lovely and quiet little dinner tonight on Christmas Eve...I am trying out the fondue pot that my sister, Molly, gave to us a few years back.  I thought fondue, wine and an old movie like It's a Wonderful Life would be just the thing to put us in the spirit while waiting for Santa to arrive.   From our family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a magical Christmas.

Owen, 2010 Christmas

Owen, 2010 Christmas

Owen and Elmo

Owen, Ryan and I were out shopping this week.  While walking up and down the aisles, we came across a little friend...

As I am sure all of you are gearing up for Christmas, we are doing the same.  We debated about presents this year for the boys, trying to decide what we should ask Santa for.  Owen is starting to understand what Christmas is all about and I can't wait to see him light up when he sees the tree on Christmas morning.  What is a good amount of gifts for an almost 2 year old?  I am thinking it could go by age...2 gifts for 2 years, 3 for 3, etc.  What do you think? 

We had a great visit with Dana and baby Garrett this week.  Ryan and Garrett are just one day apart and are so cute together.  We can't wait to have another play date!

As for the house, I have a few projects that I have been working on and will post about soon.  Here is what you can look forward to....DIY peg board made out of ceiling tile, birdie mobile, and Ikea hack Rast side tables.   

Chalkboard Cabinet Doors

Here is an update to our pantry cabinet doors.  We thought it would be fun to paint the center with chalkboard paint.  We can keep our shopping list up to date as well as give the boys a creative outlet.  It was super easy and only took about an hour from start to finish.

First, I prepped the doors by giving them a quick cleaning with Windex.  Then, I trimmed them out using a 2.2in angle brush.  We used Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint tinted to Moonstone. 

The first layer goes on thinly.  The trick is to put on a nice even coat using long even stokes.  TIP - don't go over the paint until it is totally dry.  It gets really tacky and chalky and if you go over it with the paint brush you will gunk up the paint and leave brush strokes.  Not that I have any experience with that...wink wink.  If you do end up with brush strokes, wait until it is totally dry (usually overnight) and lightly sand down the lumpy part. 

I put three coats on the doors waiting for a few hours in between coats. 

Here it is all finished.  I still haven't put hardware on the cabinet doors.  I know what I want to put up, but am still searching for the best deal. 

Owen is having such a good time with the chalkboard finding his letters and numbers.  So glad that we chose to go this route.  As a side note, this is such a low risk project...if you hate the way it looks, or if you change your mind down the road, just paint over it with normal acrylic/latex paints.  HMMMMM what else can I chalkboard paint???

Tutu DIY

My nieces turned 3 and 5 this month and I wanted to give them something that they would love.  They just started ballet classes and also really like to play dress up now. I scoured the blogosphere a few months ago looking for a diy tutu tutorial.  I found a basic project and made a few changes and really liked the results. 

What you'll need...

• A few yards of tulle.  I used white and pink for the above tutu.  You can find rolls of tulle as well and it will save you the time of cutting the strips. 
• Elastic band
• Sewing Machine or Needle and matching thread

Cut your elastic to one inch more then the final size you'll need to fit the child's waist.  20 inches fits most kids well. Overlap the elastic band one inch and sew it together so it forms a loop.  Before sewing check to make sure there are no twists in the elastic band.

Cut your tulle into strips.  I used 4 inch wide strips that were varying lengths between 24 and 30 inches long. 

Slide the elastic band up to your thigh like a garter.  This will make it infinitly easier to attach the strips.  Fold the strip in half.  Take the loop end and slide it under the elastic towards you.  Take the two loose ends and pull them through the loop to make the knot.   Here is a diagram...

Pull tight and continue to attach your strips around the entire loop.  I used pink and white strips in a random pattern.  Get creative.  I used approx 35 strips of each color to fill up my elastic band and as you can see it turned out to be nice and full. 

After I was satisfied with the amount of strips, I used my sewing machine to sew a zig zag stich along the band to ensure that the strips stay attached.  This step is probably optional, as the knots seem very secure and shouldn't require the stitching to stay attached. 

Now, grab scissors and trim your tutu to your liking.  I trimmed the top pieces shorter to give the tutu a fluffier, fuller look.  Tada...your tutu is ready to wear. 

Idea Originally found on http://mamasdoodles.blogspot.com/2007/08/tutu-tutorial-tuturial.html