Painting the Nursery

This is step 2 of our Nursery. The first step was clearing out the room. It was our storage room/office before. Once again we had our trusty painting friend S help us out! We do like him for more than painting skills. :)I only have a couple of pictures because I was out of the house for most of the painting. But the nursery is yellow! At first, the brightness was a bit shocking. But once the blinds were back up and everything, I've decided I'm really happy with it. It's very light and cheerful!

We also painted our bedroom. The color is Raccoon Hollow - and that's exactly what the color is - a grayish chocolate brown. We really love this one too!

So I think we're done painting for awhile. The main floor is mostly done and we'll be a little busy. This weekend we're doing one final coat of paint in the nursery. I know it's running late. But we had some problems. Our paint was really really thick so the guys got on 2 1/2 coats of paint and it still didn't cover well. So we're finishing the 3rd to make it all even. And then next week, I'm having a fun surprise painted on one wall. I'll share pictures afterwards. :) Once all the painting is done, then we can finally move all the baby stuff in our living room in!

Painting again

We're painting again! Or still. We've completed the living room, dining room and kitchen. We've already picked out the paint for the master bedroom and upstairs bathroom. I also picked out the paint for the stairs but that's still being looked at. J's not so fond of the bright maroon I picked out. So I'm looking at blues for that wall now. And actually, I think dark blue will work much better. Blue is my favorite color so I'm happy it'll work into my decor scheme.

And we're also picking paint for the nursery! This room has french doors and is on the west side of the house. So since we moved in, I've always envisioned it as a yellow room.
I really enjoy picking a paint. And so far, even though some of the colors scare J a little, they look wonderful on the wall and in our house. We could avoid some anxious moments if only I could transfer the mental picture I have to his brain. But until then I'll confidently pick colors, convince J and be happily proved right when the paint hits the walls! I love seeing how paint personalizes and pulls our home together.

I'm a little Tea Pot

I had to buy a new tea pot. No I cannot go without one! We drink sweet tea at our house. Well it's more like Huebert Tea. When we were in Charlotte, I discovered that sweet tea in the South is more like tea flavored sugar syrup. It's intense. So at our house we have a tea pot specifically for tea. It cannot be used to boil water for hot chocolate or anything like that. That would change the flavor of the drink and the pot. So when I recently scorched our pot (that changes the flavor in a bad way), I knew it was time to replace the trusty kettle I bought in college. And of course I bought the same one from Target! :) It's a good size.

Recently I also got one of these. This particular angel food cake pan was my Grandma's pan. We're in the process of selling their house so all the extra stuff had to go. I don't how many years it will take me to feel confident to attempt to make angel food cake. But I"m ready!

Fall

I think I'm ready for Thanksgiving...
I've been dreaming of cheesy potatoes, corn casserole and ham. Oh I love ham. Yes, we have ham at Thanksgiving. Papa doesn't like turkey and he's boss. And I'm not complaining! :) Speaking of ham, the first thing I"m eating when I'm not pregnant is a deli ham sandwich and an over-easy egg. I miss runny eggs.

This cool weather we've been having makes me sad that I won't be wearing my trusty sweaters this year. I do not want to stretch them out in hopes that they'll fit again next year!

God's Canvas

Psalm 19:1-5 ~ The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
I took these amazing pictures in August. J called me on his way home from work and said 'look outside! the clouds are amazing!'. So I did. Beautiful!

To the East was this big thunderhead reflecting rays from the sunset. At first I thought there would be no way I could get a good picture of it. So I put our new(ish, still to me) little camera on auto and lo and behold, there's a sunset setting. Thank you smart camera design man! J is so good at looking at the settings and picking the best one. I just click and get whatever it's already set on. I love the auto setting! Anyhow this thunderhead just ratiated sunlight from within and looked amazing! I love my great God and His handiwork is beyond my imagination!

To the West was a beautiful sunset. I wished I was at my parents so I could have an unobstructed view. Sunsets are not the same with other houses in the way!
Isaiah 40:12 ~ Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?

Bday Cheesecake

We had flock the day before my birthday so I made sure to sign up for treats. While I do appreciate other people making me something for my birthday, I like to pick what I get. This year this Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake tickled my fancy. The recipe is from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Find it here.

And my first cheesecake attempt turned out pretty good! :) I used a spring form pan that I borrowed from Karin.
Here's the final piece...
It took about a week to polish off and I took it to flock and to work. Everyone wanted small pieces because it was so rich. I wanted a big piece! :)


I also received this fabulous purple purse from my siblings for my bday! My sister picks out the best purses! At first I thought it was black and was a little disappointed. I thought now this is just not like her to buy me a boring purse. I expect her to broaden my purse choices. I expect to have to reign her in if necessary. But when I pulled it out of the bag, I realized it was purple! How cool! It's the perfect size and I love it.

Baby... GIRL!

I was waiting until I had some photos to post with this. But sadly they are still on the camera. I'm going to have to have a talk with my tech guy about this! :) So without pix...

It's official - we're having a little girl. We just had our ultrasound. What an amazing experience! I couldn't help but tear up a little. This is the first time we get to really see our little one. She's so little and perfect! And she's got her little feet right on my bladder - well she did that morning. It was so comforting to watch Missy, the ultrasound tech check out all her little working parts. It looks like she has all her fingers and toes - and did you know that down syndrome babies usually keep their hands in fists rather than opening and closing those little fingers. Our girl was moving everything! And she checked that all the chambers of her heart were working correctly and that her brain was developing well. Plus they measured her - head, tummy and limbs. So even though we didn't have the special tests, we can be fairly confident that she's normal - well normal until we get a hold of her.

It's so fitting that it was pouring on Wednesday. The first time I felt her move a few weeks ago, it was pouring and thundering in church. I think maybe she can sense that I like storms or that rainy days make me sad and I need a little love. :) Wishful thinking I'm sure.