Two Vrooms: happy

Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts

Sunday, September 07, 2014

Making a Fox Mobile: Nursery Progress

We've been busy putting together a woodland nursery for our little boy coming in October. I guess I hadn't been spending enough time browsing nursery themes on Pinterest or Etsy, but I didn't realize that forest animals were such a popular thing for baby's rooms lately. At least it's not chevron... ugh.

One project we planned together was a mobile for above the crib featuring origami foxes. Or, "The Foxmobile," as we have been calling it.

I was in charge of a few months of casually folding origami foxes. I bought the paper on amazon and it came a little brighter than I was imagining, but it's a kid's room. He is allowed bright orange. I'm no seasoned origami expert, but I was able to follow Mark Leonard's origami fox pattern which is found here.

Jon was in charge of assembly, and I am blissfully unaware of the details. I am sure he found the most complicated way to reach the most perfect foxmobile setup. His original design involved a three tier fox chandelier of sorts ... which I requested we simplify. In the end, he strung a small washer inside each fox and dangled them from fishing line, which knotted up to a wooden frame that looks like a 4-pane window. There was also some business involving him crawling around the attic, purpose unclear.

In the end, the fox mobile turned out perfect for the space. They don't tangle when the fan is on, and I don't hit my head on fifteen foxes when I (pretend to) lean over and put a baby in the crib.

I asked my little nephew over skype if he could tell what animal it was. Without hesitation, he replied, "A RAT!" Yes. A mobile of orange rats. Because why not??

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Waiting For a Bump: Un-Bump Pictures

I thought I would be one of those pregnant people who took a cute belly picture every week. In two days, I'll be 19 weeks pregnant (almost halfway!) and am still waiting for a bump to happen. I can tell that I look different, my jeans fit tighter, and I feel funny laying on my stomach. However, I mostly just look like I'm putting on weight. So great.

6 weeks

11 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks

Doctor checkup at 17 weeks was normal! The baby's heart rate was 143, and I'd gained .4 pounds.

Feeling: Good! I'm sleeping well, feel like I have my normal energy back, and haven't been nauseous since about week 14. If I don't eat right away in the morning, I get light headed and tingly very easily. I'm not a headache person, but weeks 14-15 I had some pretty miserable ones. I tried drinking more, eating more, and sleeping more, but the best thing was caffeine. My doctor told me reasonable amounts of coffee are fine, as long as I am not drinking espresso. I haven't felt the baby move yet.

Craving: Orange juice, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob (with lots of salt and pepper), unsweetened iced coffee. I really haven't been hungry for sweet things -- Jon eats ice cream without me, and the other day he brought home a cookie from work for me and I didn't want it. Also, there are 7 Hershey bars in the pantry for s'mores which are strangely uneaten.

Boy or Girl?: Our ultrasound is scheduled for June 11, and we're hoping to find out then! I don't have "a feeling" either way. Jon is reallllllly hoping for a boy because, his words, "I don't know anything about girls."

Shopping: I'm working on a baby registry on Amazon, but have been avoiding any more baby shopping. So far I have a few boring things like baby hangers and a boppy (no cover), and a some more fun things including a couple outfits and a nursery chair.

Jon is probably putting rockers on this

Also ... tiny irresistible garage sale finds. Not exactly gender neutral.

Looking Forward To: Decorating the nursery, ultrasound, having a bump by family vacation!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Kitchen Backsplash

The kitchen is now my favorite room in the house!

I mean, besides the fridge and pantry (hello second trimester, it's about time), Jon finished the backsplash!

We used 3x12 glass subway tiles in a blue gray color named "Serene" by Bodesi. They took four months to get here, because there was some Canadian trucker strike causing a delay.

We opted to remove the existing 4" backsplash and run the tile all the way down to the counter. Jon laid them in a brick pattern with the seams staggered on the thirds. He had to use a special ($$) glass-cutting diamond blade on the tile saw, and said it was ~~infuriating~~ tedious to get a good cut, but we made it and there was no smashing of glass tile in the streets. Although it was threatened at one point before we got the correct blade.

Move In Day:

Before backsplash: (also before new pendant shades and faucet)

After:

The color is definitely a little cooler and more blue than I expected it to be, but it fits in well with the rest of the main floor and ties in with some blue flecks in our counters. We're happy -- especially for picking a color online without ordering a sample! Which was dumb. But I didn't want to wait another four months. And it worked out :)

This morning Jon woke up and said he wants to tear the deck off the back of the house and rebuild it with no railings and a big wraparound step and raise it a few inches and build a second level and unside/reside/reflash part of the back of the house. Um, what?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

An Old Lady Thing

I don't know how this happened. I found these kitten prints on Etsy and became obsessed. They're from a shop called Paragon Vintage Prints.

LOOK AT IT.

It makes me want to squeal. I am squealing right now.

Jon: "This needs to stop. This is turning into an old lady thing." What does that even mean?

Too late. I already know their names.

Surely there is a way I can work Butch and Brenda (and friends) into my decorating scheme!

We're visiting friends and family this weekend, and hopefully next week I'll have some good Halloween costume pictures to share!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Forty-Four House Plants

After getting a Fiddle Leaf Fig, I liked it so much that I thought ... it is not good for this plant to be alone. And I got it two friends!

I had some small red pots in the basement with the Christmas decorations. They had a past life as a failed windowsill garden. I sprayed them gold and planted a Dracaena and an Aloe Vera from Lowe's. I love the contrast between their leaves!

After I got house plants on my brain, I started reading. NASA did a study in the 80's regarding the use of plants to purify the air in the space station. Besides producing oxygen from carbon dioxide, plants can filter out indoor pollutants such as ammonia, acetone, benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde. These are commonly referred to as "VOCs" (volatile organic compounds), and they come from everyday materials in your home such as paints and varnishes, car exhaust, carpet, cleaning products, plywood, electronic, textiles, dyes, insulation, and plastic. So, everything.

Are my three little house plants making a difference?

This Old House has an article listing 10 houseplants that are great for air purification. Unfortunately, none of my three houseplants made the list. Their expert recommends at least 2 plants (10-12" pot) per 100 square feet of space in order to purify the air, with more if you are renovating. Our house is about 2200 square feet (I can't remember if that includes the unfinished basement) so that would be 44 plants. FORTY-FOUR??

When I came home with these two plants, Jon was genuinely confused. "What are the plants for? Didn't you just get a plant?" If I came home with forty-one more he would probably shred my bank card. But would the air smell different? Would I have more energy? Would I live longer? I do have a third red pot that is still empty...

I have the two new plants sitting out on the dining room table, since we never eat there anyway. Unfortunately, Millie is still digging in the plants like a mole. She's also chewing on the leaves -- see the teeth marks below at the tips of all the leaves? If I had forty-four houseplants, Millie would turn into a wild jungle cat.

I think some of these mole-cat prevention devices may be in my future:

How many house plants do you have at your place?

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Family Visit Photos

All summer I've been looking forward to my family coming to visit! When we bought our house, one thing we loved about it was the extra space that would accommodate my family staying with us when they are out. Our Omaha house held 2-3 visitors, but it was tight. Last week was the week: Our house held 9 people!

Enjoy some pics :)

Now I'm exhausted, have a sore throat, and am laying in bed eating Hall's Fruit Breezers and chocolate chips. It's a terrible combination, but I was about 400 calories in on the cough drops and thought I might as well eat chocolate too.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Recipe Review: Snickerdoodles

I have this cooking dream.

In the dream, I am no longer continuously experimenting with Internet recipes (or magazine recipes or even cookbook recipes). I am not scrutinizing photos and trying to decide if food.com or a Mormon stranger's mommy blog seems like a more legit gamble. I am no longer crossing my fingers and hoping I don't embarrass myself serving the "never made this before" version of whatever I am serving, because I have a tried and true recipe that is DELICIOUS and I would not think of altering it.

In the cooking dream, I do not always bring watermelon to the potluck.

Friends, I have come one step closer to the dream. Meet snickerdoodles. Heirloom snickerdoodles if you will.

Best ever. Stop making other snickerdoodle recipes. Save this recipe. Make it every Christmas.

via

Are snickerdoodles a seasonal cookie? I never liked them because they're always puffy and dry. And let's be real, there's not even any chocolate.

THESE snickerdoodles though are thin and chewy and melt in your mouth. The recipe is from Our Best Bites and is going into my recipe box on an actual I'm-keeping-this recipe card.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 T cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
8 T butter (not margarine) at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and save for later. Combine flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda in a bowl. If you are using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt.

Instructions

Using your stand mixer, beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in eggs about 30 seconds.

On low speed, slowly add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.

Roll into 2-tablespoon dough balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Space 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. They flatten as they cook.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are set and just BARELY beginning to brown, but centers are still soft and puffy. The cookies should look raw between the cracks and seem underdone. If you overcook these, they will become dry and crispy. Fail.

Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Makes about 2 dozen 3-4 inch cookies.

**Thanks Our Best Bites for making part of my cooking dream come true!

Any heirloom recipes out there you'd like to share? Any hints on hunting for keepers in a sea of thousands of Pinterest recipes?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Stitch Fix Reveal 1

April 16 was Stitch Fix day! It was almost like Christmas -- I love getting mail! For those of you who don't know about Stitch Fix, check out my previous post here.

Basically, you fill out a profile describing your size, style, and price range, and a stylist picks out 5 articles of clothing they think would be good for you. The clothes come in the mail, and you can try them on at home and see how they work with what you already have in your closet. You have three days to pick out what you would like to buy, and mail the rest back in a postage paid envelope. It costs $20 up front, and if you buy something from the box you get a $20 credit. It's like a security deposit; if you don't buy anything, you don't get it back.

Here was my first item: Coral Capri Leggings:

I loved these until they were on my body .. and then they were about 4" too small around my hips. In the picture below, they're not zipped (side zipper).

Polka Dot Sleeveless Top:

Cute! I liked the cut, the sleeve detail, and a cute little pleat in the back. The shirt also looked good with skinny jeans, tucked into a pencil skirt, and with my imaginary blazer that I still have to buy.

Lace Stripe Sleeveless Shirt and White/Navy/Orange Necklace

This shirt had a tie-front bottom that I really didn't like. The dangling knot was just distracting. It was also $78, which for a sleeveless shirt is wayyyyy too much money for me.

I also liked the necklace, and will look for a $10 version at Forever21 or somewhere similar.

Striped Jersey Dress

Ugh. I knew I would hate this as soon as I saw the length. Cut right below the knee is so unflattering on me. I wished it was a maxi dress, but then I also didn't like shape I look wearing the rope waist. Or, the non-shape I look. Jon's comment was: "You look old." Return.

I ended up keeping the polka dot shirt, because

a) I loved it! Comfortable, cute pattern, not too trendy

b) Flexible: wear it with jeans or a skirt, alone in the summer or with a cardigan/blazer in other seasons

Another cool thing:
The tag suggests ways to wear it!

Overall Impression:

It was really fun to get a box of clothes in the mail! I wanted to know what a stylist thought I would like. There was not as much color in the box as I would usually buy, but I liked 4 of the 5 pieces. Maybe I am a strange size, but the leggings were small, the dress was big, and the polka dot shirt is actually a little big as well. I asked about a size exchange and they didn't have a smaller size available with that one. Overall, the clothes were pricier than I would usually pay since I am a sale expert! However, an extra $20 bucks might be worth not spending my Saturday at the mall.

I think Stitch Fix is right for people who:

1. Love clothes

2. Love getting mail

3. Live far away from shopping

4. Hate going to stores or never have time to shop

5. Have trouble picking clothes out for themselves

6. Aren't mainly concerned with shopping sales

If you want to try your own Stitch Fix, sign up using this link:

http://stitchfix.com/sign_up?referrer_id=3064851

And help me get a $25 credit :)

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