blog break

I'm so sorry for the crazy long time span between my posts lately. The truth is I've been unmotivated and uninspired lately- being 9 months pregnant with twins I think is the culprit. 

We're expecting these little boys to come in the next few days or week, so I thought I would officially announce a blog break. My days are about to become consumed with babies- and I'm SO excited- but also a little unclear of what my life will actually look like!

Thank you for being a faithful reader and follower of my blog. Photos of the boys will come but then I will be on an extended break. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

thinking presents

Late November and December {and I suppose the rest of my life} are going to be  B U S Y  with these two boys scheduled to come in that time- so I've been thinking of Christmas earlier than usual this year. 

Here are some ideas I have for my girls.

My oldest got a Kit doll for her birthday this summer so I would love to build her this:

via Ana-White.com

And I am going to actually be attempting it {with some serious objections of my husband}. It can't be that bad right? I mean it's a doll bed. 

I also want to attempt this:

via Ana-White.com

A sweet crib for my youngest, but really for both of them... hmm depending on how easy it is maybe I'll make two? I also want to make them each a baby carrier and 'nursing cover' for their babies since that will be mommy's life- I'm sure pretend play will follow!

That might be it for my DIY presents this year, I only have about 3 solid weeks left of good craft time! I'll let you know how the projects turn out! Any DIY Christmas ideas to share?

keeping busy

With about 3 weeks to go until I'm 36 weeks {aka potential babies time}, we've been staying busy!

Bunk beds are nearly complete...



{filling holes, sanding, and painting left to go}



I'm pretty proud of my husband for taking this wood pile and transforming it!



The girls love it.

I thought it was a necessary project to get completed so my youngest wouldn't be in a crib when the boys arrive.

Unfortunately a few hiccups almost discouraged us from the 'build our own cribs' project. I'm hoping we're still on board for that- but ultimately it's up to my 'carpenter'. 

By the way, we used these plans in case you're interested. 

...

We've finally established names for these boys {minus the middle names that we're still arguing about discussing} 

both are versions of the Biblical names Jonah and Elijah.

To celebrate our choosing names I covered some letters for them...

{I bought chipboard letters from JoAnn's and covered them in burlap- perfect for my rustic woodland themed nursery}

Only a few months ago I had nothing for the boys, but now I feel we're almost ready! With the exception of the perfect diaper bag {suggestions welcome}, I'm almost fully prepared... well as prepared as I can be for the arrival of twin boys!

Now I'm just organizing like crazy before these boys decide to make their entrance! 

By the way these are the trees I painted in their nursery:

and look how adorable these blankets are that Nana made for them! {We've decided J will be blue and E will be green- for the most part!}

I found these bumper pads at the thrift store for $2 each that I'll recover in linen for their cribs:

My next project!

...

On a bit of an unrelated note... our Christmas tree will coming out on November 1st. Purely for practical reasons of course- as I won't be able to set it up later- and has nothing to do with my obsession over Christmas, I assure you. ;)

innovative spaces

Here are some of my favorite ideas for transforming an everyday space into something spectacular.

Closet

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I love the idea of transforming a closet into a quiet sweet nook! Prayer closet anyone? Or right in your entry would be adorable. Removing the door gives it a more 'built-in' look.

Under the Stairs

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We don't have a staircase like this, but boy if we did... one of these solutions would be ours! Day bed, bookshelves/wine case, mudroom, or storage drawers. Way fun and super innovative!

Breakfast Nook

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L O V E  breakfast nooks! They're so cozy and a perfect place to spend mornings. 

Attic

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An unused attic is perfect for converting into a spare room, kids bedroom, craft room, or office. It's out of the way, and can have so much character!

So very inspiring! 

my woodland {babies} shower

Wow I've been out of it for awhile, sorry about that! We had a fun and very busy week. It was kicked off by an amazing twins baby shower one of my very best friends threw for me. 

She went with a woodland theme to match my nursery. It was beyond perfect and I was incredibly blessed! She had the shower at night which allowed lots more of my mom friends to make it. It was beautiful. 

Next was my birthday which meant a trip to the pumpkin patch. 

{I'm 27 now in case you happened to wonder...}

And finally we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary with a trip to downtown Kansas City {a whole 20 minute drive but a lovely trip and much needed 'gettaway'}.

I'm so blessed to be married to such an amazing person, and can't believe we will have four children in the next month or so!

{6 years ago}

So that's what's new with me! Sorry for the long break, I'll be posting much more in the coming weeks before babies, because there are many many projects that need to be done! Can't wait to share them with you!

baby shower for bre

This weekend I had a baby shower for one of my very best friends. Baby showers are the best aren't they?

This is the invite I designed and sent through email. One of these days I will actually print something out to send snail mail- much more gratifying to receive! 

I had fun transforming our dining room into 'baby land' {actually it's still this way because I like it so much} I made the poms that hung from the ceiling in different sizes and at different heights. 

I created a center piece with pink flowers and twigs that I hung little hearts from:

Also created this pennant banner out of scrapbook paper and twine- super easy! {I spent $0 on decorations, but just used what I had- burlap, twine, fabric, ribbon, twigs, scrapbook paper... all to create a sweet atmosphere at no cost}

Everything was delightful, and I was so happy to be able to bless my dear friend! By the way we're due at the same time! Nothing more fun than being preggo with your best friend! 

fall projects

Getting ready for fall! Here are some projects I'm looking forward to doing:

Making a wreath... or two

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Making a centerpiece

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Making some garland

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Decorating some candles

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And not to mention

 baking!

Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, and caramel apples! What's your favorite thing to do during fall?

to do: preschool age

We've decided to homeschool our girls {and boys when the come...} and I'm really excited about it. I love the idea of choosing curriculum to best fit their learning styles and working with them on what they struggle with and what they're good at. Lately I've tried to get some daily outings going for my little home schoolers- here are some things I've come up with. {PS my girls are only 2 and 4 right now, which definitely makes a difference on types of outings!} I have been rotating a lot of these and keeping a lot of them on a weekly basis.

The best source I've found for a homeschooling parent. We like to go Tuesday mornings for story and craft time {which is a great setting for her to be under an authority figure besides mom}, then exchange our books every week. I love reading the girls new library books! {I don't know about you but I get kind of bored with the same-ol same-ol} And they love picking them out. After the first few weeks of going they have learned the ropes and will sit quietly and read while we choose the books.

KC lacks a good children's museum, but we do have a fantastic {free} art museum that I like taking the girls to on occasion. A really good learning opportunity for them. I also love places that allow them to be  creative- kids art places, dress up places etc.

Weaved into our 'science' curriculum I'm doing nature walks, or excursions {even to the zoo} to look at what we've been studying. {I suppose technically it's a lab?} Anyway it's a fun way for them to get out!

Up the street at a local middle school we have a United Way resource center that I love taking the girls to. They have a huge play area and learning toys you can rent. Such a great way to supplement our school! I don't know if there are anything similar to these in other cities, but I'd encourage you to look. I found ours through our 'Parents as Teachers' program. 

We're blessed to have the International House of Prayer only a few miles away, and it's so good for the girls to get in there and have quiet time with the Lord, dance, pray, read their Bibles, worship, whatever it is. Several cities have prayer rooms now {even if small}, and it's so great for the kids to get in there. They love it, and it's so good to establish them in prayer.

It goes without saying, homeschool kids need more opportunities to socialize than school kids. At least once a week {usually more} we schedule play dates to get the girls with friends for social interaction. There's a lot they can learn from being with friends, even as opposed to siblings. 

I'd love to hear any other ideas from homeschooling moms on things you do out of the house- please share!