Tuesday, July 17, 2012

{Home Improvements} Family Room Built-in


We're at it again -- making home improvements and trying to create smart storage solutions and upgrades that will help sell our little house one day in the future {we're not going anywhere anytime soon though!}. Most recently, we added ceiling fans in our family room and three upstairs bedrooms {not pictured} to give us a little more air flow at night. They are making a huge difference.

We also had another built-in added in our family room. The family room doubles as a place where we all crash on the couch and watch television at the end of the day and also as a playroom for my little guy. We do have a basement, but it's not able to be finished, so this is it. It's challenging at times, but we try to make it work. Last year we got rid of our couch, loveseat and chair/ottoman and replaced them with a space-saving sectional and built-in bench for more seating. This new corner built-in allowed us to move the television up and away from little hands, gave me two nice shelves above the television for pictures or whatever, and some storage behind the doors underneath for games, books, toys, etc.

**Still on my Summer To-Do List:
1. Big boy room {bed is painted, rug has been delivered, mini-blinds up, etc. Now we are working on moving my craft area and office to the third floor, so we can move "the big boy" into his new digs}.
2. Painting the kitchen island {I've been talking about doing this for over a year and totally dragging my feet on it but it's now or never b/c once baby #2 comes, I doubt it'll ever get done!}.
3. Simple photo wall in upstairs hallway {this was on the summer to-do list last year too...hmmm. I had a plan to do an elaborate photo collage, but it was overwhelming me a little, so I'm going simple. I like simple the best anyway ;-}
4. A few nursery updates: we do not know the sex of the baby, so this will be tough. Stay tuned.
5. Lots of organizing and cleaning of the closets, basement and garage.
**I'm probably NEVER going to finish all of this, but at least I have goals, right?! -- HAHA!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

{Invitations} 60th Birthday


Both of my parents are turning 60 this year -- my Dad in July and Mom in November. My brother, sister, and I thought that was cause for celebration, so we are hosting a small dinner party for them in August. We invited just family -- each of my parent's siblings and their significant others and are hoping for a great little party to celebrate each of them.

We chose August because it falls in between July and November, we love summer entertaining, and my brother and I {both teachers} are off and have more time to focus on the planning and details. Because the dinner is being held in a restaurant, I'm slightly limited as to what I can do, but don't worry, I WILL find a way to add some personalized touches and make it special for my parents.

I love the citrus theme and think it's perfect for summer, so tangerine, lime and lemon yellow are our colors for the event. Check out my Citrusy Sweet board on Pinterest to see where I'll be drawing my inspiration. The invitations are being sent in the mail today, and I'm having fun with the planning. Stay tuned for more details!

**I hope you have been enjoying your SUMMER! When I decided I wanted to be a teacher many, many years ago, I never even considered the perks of having the summers off. Now that I have a little one and another on the way, I am so thankful that I have June, July and August off to enjoy the sweet summer sunshine with my little boy -- it's the BEST!
**I've been working on Dean's big boy room -- not finished yet but we're getting there. Details soon! And we had another built-in added -- pics of that soon too!

Friday, July 6, 2012

{Holiday} The Fourth


I hope ya'll had a wonderful Independence Day! I was loving all of the cute 4th of July ideas from Pinterest this year and decided to make this little dessert. Brownie fruit kabobs -- yummmm and how simple? Instead of skewers, I slid the berries and brownies on striped and dotty party straws for some added cuteness. I would recommend using larger chunks of brownies as mine were starting to fall apart because of the thickness of the straw.

Although I forgot to snap my own picture, I also made this salad for the 4th {also found on Pinterest}. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the combination of the watermelon and tomatoes, but it was surprisingly refreshing.

**Officially finished with grad school and the newest school counselor on the block {no job but that's on hold anyway b/c of baby #2}! You have no idea how relieved I am and the huge weight that has been lifted from my shoulders. PHEW!
**I celebrated my 35th birthday the day after the 4th of July -- WHAT? WHAT? 35? Where has time gone....?
**TGIF and have a wonderful weekend!