for Macy

I do love the beauty of new life that's created by motherhood whether it be a biological birth or an adoption. Babies are beautiful and they change our lives forever. I have lots of friends that are starting families for the first time and it brings back memories of my first baby. I had to have the best of most things and if it wasn't the best, it had to look like it was. Decorating the nurseries for each of my 3 children was the joy of each pregnancy. I need not remind you that I hated being pregnant. Don't get me wrong. I am beyond grateful for it, but I still hated it.

I can't say that I've ever mourned my children moving out of the baby stage, and though I look back with an array of memories of joys and difficulties, I am so enjoying that my daughters are growing into respectful, kindhearted and fun girls. I love that I can take one on an errand and she thinks it's a date. I don't look back with longing. I don't for one minute wish they were babies again (though I may when they start exploring defiance and sass as teenagers). I did not have a sense of loss when we made "arrangements" to make sure we were not having more children. I am almost 100% certain I will not mourn when my son turns 2 or 3 other than remembering the good old days when he didn't pee on the toilet seat. or the floor. or the walls.

I did, however, have a twinge of disappointment that I may never get to decorate a nursery again. That is, until my friend asked me to help her decorate her new baby girl's room. I was giddy. Not only did I get to decorate a baby room, but it was for a GIRL! Girl rooms are so fun because there are endless options!

So we shopped, and explored online and came up with one of my favorite rooms ever and I'm so excited to share it with you. I'm not the sole mastermind behind this design. I mostly just helped pick out the fabrics and sewed it all together. Baby's grandma made a lot of the decorations and her mom shopped and ultimately put it all together.

I've been waiting for baby to arrive to post this and little Macy joined the world this last week, so here is her beautiful new home!

These birds were the inspiration.

This eyelet was a must-have girly trim.

This bedding makes me so happy.

Curtains... 

with tiebacks that you can't not love. 

This chair had upholstery that was so old that the foam cushion was disintegrating, so we picked a neutral fabric that could go in another nursery someday if and when that time comes. Well, smarter-than-I Mom picked it.  She was more sensible than I was when I suggested a mint and white leaf print upholstery. I like this better. My pick would have been too busy.

Opted for a curtain instead of outdated closet door. It's way more interesting than a door, don't you think?

and I just have to show you all the cutie little girly things stocking the very very organized closet. 

Book pocket to encourage reading time.

The rest of the room was not anything I created.

The credit for the rest of it's perfection goes to Macy's mom and grandmother.

Isn't this bird the cutest thing ever sitting above the closet? It just matches perfectly.

I love this little pom pom and the jar it sits in. I love the bird house. I love.

Cute little hair accessory holder made by Grandma. (I'm sure you're just as annoyed as I that the picture is crooked, but I'm too lazy to crop it right now, so deal with it)

These pictures only give you a glimpse of the room's cuteness and you'll never believe how organized it is! I remember the days when I was in control of my kids' rooms. Should I tell my friend that it will never look this neat again? Nah, we all need to live in our bubble for at least a little while.

Congratulations on the arrival of sweet and beautiful little Macy Victoria!

DSTS, a dangerous and frustrating condition

There is a widespread epidemic of a physical and mental condition that is rarely discussed more than once or twice a year in most homes. It affects everyone from infants to the elderly, but toddlers, parents, teachers and other caregivers are among the most adversely affected. Toddlers and small children are at a higher risk of developing a higher intensity of symptoms. This syndrome has a rapid onset and can be quite serious. In most cases, it is not life-threatening and the symptoms usually subside after a few days, but it can afflict a person multiple times each year.

DSTS, or Daylight Savings Time Syndrome, rears its ugly head no less than twice each year and your toddler is at high risk. Adults are also affected, but most have learned to cope with the general symptoms of overall fatigue and irritability. DSTS in children and teens comes on abruptly and the duration of the symptoms can last from 24 hours up to a full week.

Here are just 10 of the hundreds of common symptoms to watch for to see if your child has DSTS:

Crying because he wants up.

Crying because dinner is in the oven.

Crying because he can't reach.

Crying because the toy is  (insert any adjective) .

Crying because everyone went outside.

Crying because you put his shoes and jacket on to go outside.

Crying because he is outside.

Crying because he is back inside.

Crying because he took too long of a nap (or too short).

Crying for no reason whatsoever.

There only one known cure for DSTS: it means putting an end to this wicked clock changing tradition that our American culture has embraced and accepted as normal. Please, write your state government officials and let them know that only they can help end this. Let's start the discussion now and take action!

DIY Ottoman

UPDATED 9/4/14

My husband has been complaining since we bought a new couch how he hates using the coffee table because it's not the right height to put up his feet while watching TV. Boo hoo, right? Well, because I'm such a wonderful wife, I thought I'd help him out by providing him with an ottoman.

NEW AND IMPROVED sturdy ottoman legs that cost nothing but some leftover 2x6's and some brown paint:

Old wimpy and expensive ottoman legs that caused much stress (husband may have yelled at the kids every time they walked by the thing because he was afraid it would collapse, and it may have)

I looked up tutorials and found a style I liked, but her tutorial was ridiculous. It had one drawing of how to attach the 2x4's and ended with her saying she took it to an upholstery shop. So it was only slightly more DIY than going to the furniture store. So I'm here to give you an actual tutorial. Lucky you and nice me.

Step 1. Decide your dimensions. I decided on 24x60" but you could make it whatever size you want. I'm starting to wonder if I should have made 3 individual 18" squares, but for now, this is what we have.

Step 2. Go to your favorite home improvement store with your supply list. I chose Home Depot. For blogging purposes, we'll assume your dimensions are 24" by 48" for your ottoman.

Home Depot List:

2 - 2x6, cut to 48" long

3 - 2x6, cut to 21" long (4 if your ottoman is longer)

1/2 plywood or MDF, cut to 24x48"

4 bun feet or legs

2 dozen 2.5" wood screws

1 dozen 1.5" wood screws

4 dowel screws (the feet will likely have screws in them, but you'll want wood screw edges on both sides, so just get something in a similar width and a little longer than what comes in it)

3/8" staples for your staple gun that you either own or borrowed or plan to purchase.

Pick up enough length of 2x6's or 2x8's that will work for your dimensions and have them cut to length, the shorter edge dimensions should be cut 3" shorter than the finished edge because, as you may notice, 2x4's are actually 1.5x3.5's and you'll need to take the width off of each end so you end up with the right finished dimensions.  You'll notice I used 2x4's.  I would suggest, that unless you want a rather short ottoman, you will want to use at least a 2x6 so you can purchase substantial enough legs to hold the weight of it. I had to special order mine and I'm still not very happy with them, so I plan to redo the footing somehow, some day.

Get MDF or plywood in at least 1/2" thickness or as I did, some pressed wood particle board which was the cheapest for my 5' long project. Home Depot sells 2'x4' in both MDF and plywood and if your finished dimensions fit within them, I suggest using that.

Make sure you have plenty of wood screws.

Step 3. Go to your favorite fabric store with your dimensions and supply list.  I chose JoAnn with a 50% off coupon for the foam, batting and thread. I got my fabric at a discount warehouse that had a better selection.

Fabric Store:

4" foam (comes 24" wide and cut to length) - 48" long

Low loft batting for a queen size bed or equivilent

1.5 yards fabric, more if there is a grain or needs to match print

Upholstery thread

 - if tufting - 

Button thread

Buttons

When you're shopping for foam, go to a store that will cut it for you with an electric knife, unless you have an electric knife. I had to re-cut some of mine since they cut it a couple inches longer than I wanted, so I used a cheap serrated knife which worked OK, but not as smooth as I'd have liked.

Step 4. Build it. It may be helpful to have a partner working with you. I did not have such a luxury at the time.

Here's a rough sketch of how to put the frame together. You will use the longer screws to do this and if you use 2x6's, use 3 screws where I have drawn 2. The shorter lengths go inside the ends of the longer.

You will need to pre-drill the holes before you screw the boards together so the wood doesn't split. There is such a thing as wood screws that have a drilling bit on the tip of them. Those might work and would be easier, but I didn't want to buy extra screws, so I pre-drilled the screw holes.

Measure for the center support to make sure it's evenly spaced or centered.

Because mine was so long, I needed 2 center supports.

For bun feet, which was my first try (before my husband thought the ottoman was too short, so I bought legs online for $11 each plus shipping which proved to be way too wimpy for such a heavy piece of furniture) use a drill bit slightly smaller than the dowel screw size, and flag the drill bit so the depth will match the length of the screw.  If you're confused as to what dowel screws are, they look the same on both sides.  You use pliers to screw it into the foot and then use your hand to twist it into the frame.

Pre-drill the placement for the dowel screw where the foot will go at each corner.

Make sure it will fit, but don't install it yet. 

Attach the top board by pre-drilling holes along the top (approx. every 8-10") and use the shorter screws to attach it. Make sure you don't hit the screws already in place at the corners.

Using some 3M spray glue, spray the foam and the board and attach the foam in place. (I don't have a picture of this step, but it's pretty self explanatory. Just glue the foam in place so it doesn't move when you're upholstering it.

It is at this point that you will want to decide if you are tufting it with buttons or leaving it without. If you decide to add buttons, you need to mark on the foam where you want your buttons. You will need an extra long drill bit and drill all the way through the foam and the plywood/mdf board. If you drill only through the board, be prepared to be frustrated while fishing your needle through the foam looking for the hole in the board. I didn't drill through the foam and it took me forever to find the hole with my needle when sending it back down through the top foam layer. Use at least a 5/16th drill bit.

 Cover with 3 layers of the batting, cutting the excess at the corners and stapling in place along the sides and bottom edge.

Leave out until the next day so your baby can use it as a jungle gym (this is a very important step). Replace any stapled edges of batting he/she may have pulled out

Cut your fabric to size. I used a drywall square because it was easier to get the right angles consistent, but you can use a quilter's square too.  For the top piece, you'll want to use the finished measurements of your wood frame with the foam and add 1" for seam allowances and adding length to the bottom for stapling. So, if you're frame is 48L x 24W x 10.5H, you will cut the following fabric pieces:

1 - 25x49" (top)

2 - 49x14" (long side edge)

2 - 25x14" (short side edge)

To sew the fabric, using 1/2" seam allowance, with right sides together, pin one long side edge to the long side of the top and sew together, leaving 1/2" on each end. Repeat using the short side edge and the short side of the top.

When you're done with the 4 sides, it will look something like this.

Sew up the side edges, right sides together, along the end of each so that it resembles a bag when done. At this point, you may opt to add a seam along where the foam ends, or not. It's easier to not, obviously, but if you do, make sure you measure carefully and make it straight (I didn't do this for the bedroom bench I made, but did for the ottoman). Now, turn it over and squeeze it on over your frame. It'll take some tugging and pulling.

Pull it tightly and staple in place along the bottom edge. This is fairly easy if you remember to pull it evenly and make sure you give it a tug before stapling in place. The corners are the toughest, but not rocket science. You need to cut a hole in the fabric where the leg will screw in, so try to make that part a single layer of fabric and then just pull the rest into place so that it looks nice from the sides. I cut around the hole altogether on the ottoman pictured below.

Screw the finished or painted bun feet into the frame holes. They are fairly self-leveling.  However, here is where I will show you the new installation of the super improved sturdy legs.  I cut a couple of premium 2x6" boards on a slight diagonal so they had a little shape to them. They were still squared on one side so I could just snug them up to the inside of the ottoman framework. I suppose you could just use a 2x4, but I wanted them to look a little more interesting than just a plain rectangle.  I painted them a dark brown and added a satin laquer to them, pre-drilled 3 holes, added wood glue, and then attached one to each corner of the underside of the ottoman framework with long 3" wood screws.

For tufting the buttons, you'll need your covered buttons. It is my strong suggestion that if you're wanting to used upholstery covered buttons that match your fabric, have an upholstery shop cover them. You will drive yourself mad trying to do it yourself with cover buttons from the fabric store. They'll likely cost you around $0.30-$0.50 each. You'll need another 2 holed button for the bottom and an extra long needle.

Thread 4 strands of button thread into needle and double (8 strands total). Press the needle through the drilled hole starting from the bottom.

Add your button and press needle back through the fabric and hole.

On the bottom, put one half of the thread through one hole of the holding button and half through the other hole.  Pull and tie off (several knots). If you have thread wax, use it on your thread as it helps to keep the knot from untying.

And there you have it. DIY Ottoman. (pictured here with wimpy legs)

and a bench I built for our bedroom.  This one i used a 2x6 frame.