MASTER BEDROOM: BEFORE AND AFTER

I hope you all are ready for some house related posts, because they are a'coming...Next up, the master bedroom! The master is really small (and the bathroom is extra small), which was a deal breaker for Ken when we were looking at this house. We had grand plans to renovate the attic into a master bedroom but the reality of the costs stopped us dead in our tracks, so that renovation will be for another time.  The photo above is the picture on the listing of the house. 

The is what it looked when we moved in, after we painted. I don't mind small bedrooms and enjoyed the challenge of maximizing the space.

The other side of the room with the bathroom and closet. 

And then..

What it looks like right now! Again, this is a work in progress but the basic idea is that I wanted to go neutral as possible to provide us the respite we need when we come in here to sleep. 

This is my side of the bed, with this year's Mother's Day cards!

Ken's side of the bed...we should probably upgrade his coaster situation from the tissue he has there right now.

I'm planning on adding some framed family photos up on that side of that wall. 

That mirror might be one of my favorite purchases from Ikea - so good! And that shelf used to be in Sloane's closet in the old house but it works perfectly for this space here now. 

On top of the shelf right now: My current body lotion, favorite candles, palo santo incense sticks, Sloane's sunglasses, and one of my favorite house plants. 

ETTA MAE

The other day I got to snap some photos of little Etta Mae with her family. It was brief (I had a clingy baby and curious toddler hankering for my attention) but it was so special to be able to capture this time of my friends falling in love with their newest addition.

I love this photo because if you know Laura she is hilarious and is always making other people laugh, but Robert can make her laugh in a way no one else can.

A darling little dollop! 

Eden interacting with her little sister is the epitome of sweetness.

GIRLS' BEDROOM: BEFORE AND AFTER

I'm going to post some before and after shots of the new house, for posterity and for the sake of marking the milestones of getting things done around here. These are probably more accurately labeled as progress pictures, but if I waited until I was truly 'done', these would never get posted, so here we are.  

The photo above was what the girls' bedroom looked like when we looked at the house for the first time.  I got the photo off the house listing so it's not the greatest quality, but you get the gist. 

This is what it looked like when we moved in.  This photo was taken with my phone because my camera was packed up in a box, so you can't really get a proper scale, but this room is the largest of the three bedrooms. It also gets the most light, so I knew I wanted it for the girls' bedroom the first time I saw it.

And then....

....the after! My favorite find has got to be this Crate and Barrel rug I found on Craigslist for $80. It's huge, beautiful, and it was exactly the feel I was looking for.

(Ken pointed out that I hadn't closed all the dresser drawers for the photo. Oh well.)

I took off the doors off the closet because they were treacherous and I'm so glad I did. I love having open closets for the girls - its very functional and I can see exactly what they have.

I don't know why, but I love this little corner. I think it's because the ukelele finally has a home!

The girls sleep like this with a white noise in between them during the night and it has worked out really well.

I'm hoping to find something to put on the wall over the changing table eventually but I haven't decided what exactly - maybe a woven wall hanging like this or this or a shelf?

And the little shelf which houses her water cup for the night, sometimes a flashlight, and usually her precious items of the week.  

TO DO: BAKING

It's been a while since I did any baking. The state of the kitchen (unfinished, in renovation mode, etc) has me in survival mode to do with the bare necessities and I haven't indulged in any baking of the leisurely kind. But we are in sight of the finish line, and I plan to christen the kitchen with a few of these baked goods: 

Strawberry Balsamic Pie

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Dark and Stormy Banana Bread

Banana and Spinach Smoothie Muffins for the kids 

Chocolate and Olive Oil Cake

LOGAN AT 10 MONTHS

At 10 months, she is constantly in exploration and discovery mode and I can almost hear her thought process as she feels a thing, waves it around, takes a nibble, bangs it on another thing, and examines it closely. She especially loves figuring out how to put something in and out of another thing, whether it's a cup, bowl, basket or box.  The other day I caught her using a spoon to scoop out pretend food out of a jar and eat it, with great satisfaction.  

We've had extremely busy weekends and so this past weekend, I was craving some slow time for sitting and observing this little nugget, and I got to do just that, with my eyes in the shape of hearts the whole time.

She is still waking up throughout the night, but maybe this is just her personality that she is a light sleeper and doesn't need as much sleep? I'm surprisingly more okay with it than you would think a sleep deprived person would be, because I get extra snuggles with her, but I've resolved that we have to re-train her with a consistent sleep routine (especially since I am going to be away for a weekend next month!) 

She loves hugging stuffed animals. It's with a delight that surprises me, she hugs it tight to her and will often pat it with happiness. The other day I handed her a piece of banana and she picked up a stuffed bear and tried to feed it to him. She loves sharing her food with us; it was just unbearably adorable to see her trying to share with the stuffed bear.

She also gives me the best hugs ever. It's strong and enthusiastic, and I'm always pining after one. Baby hugs are gold. 

Every single day, sometimes several times a day when I find myself in a moment of awe of this quickly growing babe, I give thanks for how healthy and strong she is. I don't take it for granted. Not one bit. 

Whenever we make eye contact, she smiles back at me all the way up to her eyes with joy bursting out of her ears and sometimes we just go back and forth like that, smiling at each other.

See this face? This is the how she looks at Ken...with sparkles in her eyes. And he can really make her giggle. Some of my favorite moments in life these days is when I hear Sloane and Logan making each other laugh in the backseat of the car. What a privilege it is to be a witness to all of this.