Amber Waves of Grain

In honor of Halloween weekend, I'm just going to post some old Halloween pics! All my childhood photos are at my parent's house, so you'll have to make do with these. This was me in college, on the far right. I was Dorothy. I'm with 'dirty laundry Michele' and Wes the clown: Another year in college I dressed as the Chiquita Banana lady. Here's Wes trying to eat my plastic fruit hat: And, here's Nathan and me as "Deal or No Deal"- Keegan's first Halloween: Keegan's 2nd Halloween. Arrrr!: Keegan's 3rd Halloween: Last year-- My sweet flower and the Tin Man: Looking forward to sharing this year's photos after we go trick-or-treating tomorrow!

It's time to start converting our computer room into a little girl's nursery ! Here's what I'm planning...... once we clear out 9 years worth of junk that has piled up in there. I want to find a purple paint for the walls. I'm not usually a fan of purple, but I like it mixed with grey to make a shade similar to this: I'm also very picky about bedding. I simply do not like the traditional bedding sets that are available. So, I'm having fitted crib sheets made by a lady on Etsy.com using this fabric. Here's the 'cartoon' version: Here's some of it in a real photo on this handbag: I'll use a lot of whites and silvers as well..... and then pull some more accent colors from the fabric for other accessories and whatnot. I'll also have to find a solid crib skirt to match. Our pediatrician is against bumpers for safety reasons, so really we just need sheets and a skirt. I also want to find a wall decal that I like (also from Etsy.com). ...

Today I made crockpot ribs . They are easy and yummy so I thought I should share. I buy the meat labeled "Country Style Ribs" in the pork department. I get the boneless because I'm lazy, but bone-in is fine too. I have gotten them super cheap before (close to $1/lb even for bone-in) and often find them ' reduced for quick sale ' at Sam's Club at a really good price. They look like this. You'll be tempted to cut the fat off, but don't you dare . That's where the flavor is. First, I put them in my crockpot and drizzle them with just a small amount of BBQ sauce (not much or you'll have too much liquid in there). Notice I'm using a liner. I'm new to liners and think they deserve a shout out . By the way-- I've also had to stack the ribs in the crockpot before when I had too many and that worked fine too: Let them cook on low for 5 hours, 6 hours tops. You do NOT want to cook them too long or else you'll end up with s...

Nathan is our project's Technological Media Engineer . I totally made up that title, but it fits. He wired speakers into the ceiling for surround sound. He also hooked up a receiver & a DVD player that streams Netflix. For the duration of our home makeover project, this has been our media corner: Do you know how hard it is to watch Kennedy with all of this fun stuff and wires hanging out? Notice the Little People who are hanging out on top of Nathan's receiver. It was great fun, I'm sure. I'm happy to report that we finally found a media cabinet that meets our needs. We needed something deep enough to hold his components, without glass fronts for the kid's safety, and with latching doors. We also wanted something that wasn't necessarily made for a tv to sit on top of it, because we won't have one there. We came across this cabinet from Pottery Barn: And, they delivered it right to our house. I added the old film projector on top and some vintage b...

Today was my 18 1/2 week ultrasound! I should start by mentioning that I had to pee EIGHT times while at the doctor's office. They ask that you drink lots of fluid before you come. Being the overachiever that I am , I most certainly did. I barely made it. I bet you're wanting to know our baby's gender now, huh? We'll, we finally have a gender for "It's Pat." Drum roll, please...... It's a............... GIRL !!! A very active, kicking, long-legged girl! Maybe I shouldn't have sold our baby girl clothes at our garage sale? I thought we were done . As for all the 'issues' I've been having. Well, I will continue to have them and they will do another ultrasound in another month. The position of the placenta has improved which is good news. I see no reason to worry too much. There is, however, a direct correlation between how active I am and how my body is doing down there. I'm simply doing too much . I should still ...

I was excited to see the UPS man today . He brought a Pottery Barn cabinet for Nathan's media stuff. But, more importantly, he also brought what I've been waiting for.... Kennedy's back-ordered owl lunchbox ( as if she's old enough to take her lunch to school ). How cute is this lunchbox?? My friend, Nancy, sent me the link and it's from Land of Nod ( link ). I love their website and get their catalog just to be inspired. The lunchbox was $13 which was reasonable. They had a pink owl lunchbox too but it cost a lot more ($34) and the owl looked angry to me, which I didn't like. Who wants to look at an angry owl while eating their PBJ? So, whoooo will have the cutest lunch box now!?!

When I was little, I imagined winning a shopping spree at a toy store . I daydreamed about running through the store throwing toys in the cart before the buzzer went off. The closest I came to my spree was getting a $5 gift certificate at Standard grocery store for winning a coloring contest. I'm pretty sure I spent it quickly on cheap toys that soon broke. I daydream the same thing today but it's matured.... just a little . I love to think about the things I'd buy if I had a sugar daddy or won the lottery that I don't play . Now, don't get me wrong. I am grateful for the things I have and Nathan is a wonderful provider. However, it's still fun to dream a little. Here's what I'd grab on my shopping spree : 1. Owl Umbrella Stand from Urban Outfitters $128 -- I love funky things like this. Plus, you know my obsession with owls. I feel like I need this for my front room.... as if I get a lot of visitors needing a place to rest their umbrell...

I'm thankful Nathan let me hire our friend, Mark, as a handyman. Mark got my entire " honey-do " list done in a matter of hours and it required no nagging on my part. I highly recommend it! One thing Mark did was attach all of our new kitchen cabinet door hardware. I didn't even realize I needed hardware until his wife, Mindy, suggested it months ago. She was right! Great idea. Here are some photos! BEFORE hardware: AFTER hardware: I also found an old Jello cookbook with a fun, yellow cover. I really liked the picture on the front so I framed it. I had Mark hang them since he already had his tools out. That was the joy of having him around; I could just point to something and it was magically done. I had 3 frames to fill so I also used the cookbook's back cover and an inside page with jello recipes. I'll trade those out later when I find something better. Here they are together. If you're a wife with a honey-do list like me (a 3 page spreadshee...

The new sectional arrived today! Here's the BEFORE : Here's the AFTER : Let me start by saying that it did not look that big in the store. But, now that it's in our living room, it takes up most of the room! I'm slowly getting used to its size (since I don't have a choice!). :) If you can't tell by the shadows, they are chocolate brown. Look how many people can sit now! Everyone, come over! I'm also excited to announce that the kitchen curtains are officially done and hanging up! My friend & seamstress, Michele, is an amazing curtain maker. She's working on the living room curtains next. I LOVE them. We've also hired a handyman (another friend) to do my honey-do list and more. He's hanging kitchen cabinet hardware, curtain rods, more childproof drawer latches, all bathroom accessories since we painted, and you name it. It's great to get everything done all at once! PS Mariah-- I'll try to be faster on my posts next time! :)

Today was the day for new carpet and laminate in our living room. Here's our first aid station. We only had one worker need stitches and he's at the hospital while I type this. The others just left with small cuts and band-aids. And, some before & after pictures! BEFORE : AFTER : I love my new high-traffic area of laminate! I think it will keep much cleaner!: The new sectional will arrive on Tuesday and then we'll have a place to sit. I love it when a plan comes together!