tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42781137837035179632024-03-13T23:29:11.301-05:00Making Our NestMama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.comBlogger350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-15630255761495684812016-05-05T18:06:00.001-05:002016-05-05T18:06:13.110-05:00Blog has moved!!This blog has moved! The new blog location is at <a href="http://making-our-nest.com/">making-our-nest.com</a>. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-82438158806914490912016-03-21T08:03:00.000-05:002016-04-24T22:16:16.232-05:00Kitchen island, take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was our first try at a kitchen island. It replaced a higher half wall with a higher laminate table that jutted out into the kitchen. So <strike>we</strike> my dad cut the wall down and attached a plywood top (very well, with lots and lots of screws) which he then tiled. It was a massive improvement and served us very well for many years. </div>
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Buuuuuut then I got all kinds of ideas about my <i>perfect</i> kitchen island and I convinced myself that I needed to change things up. For one thing, we had a ton of empty space in our kitchen between the fridge and the island. It was wasted space and I knew it could be used better. Plus, I needed some more storage and drawers so it just made sense to enlarge the island top and incorporate some cabinets. Also, a friend of my parents' gave us a wine fridge and why not throw that in the mix, too?<br />
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So, my dear parents loaded up their car with tools and a cabinet and wood and headed down to help us revamp our kitchen island.<br />
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First, the trim and old island top had to come off. The only way to get it off without destroying the half wall was to cut through all those screws holding it on. This was the tough part.</div>
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The night before, we prepped the butcher block top. I could not find any that were in the exact size I needed (about 4'X5') or even close to it. So I ended up ordering 2 25"X8' tops from Menards. They were delivered free to the store and we picked them up and brought them home. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a bevel to them so we could not just slap them together. My dad had to cut about an inch off one and plane it. He decided just to plane one edge of the other one because we did not have a table saw at our house and it is really hard to cut a super straight line with a circular saw. Once that was done, he used biscuits and glue to join them. I don't have a pic of this process, but he actually put 2 biscuits instead of 1 about every foot or so. Then we used some giant clamps from my uncle to clamp them together overnight. We did have to use a bit of wood putty to fill any gaps between the two slabs. <br />
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The next day, my dad cut it to the length I wanted, just over 5', sanded it and routed the edges so there was no sharp edges.<br />
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Back inside, we had the half wall. We added a 36" cabinet unit that my parents removed from a rental property. They primed it and removed the doors and drawer fronts in anticipation of paint and hardware. Then, I had the cutest little wine fridge I wanted to incorporate so my dad built a base to put it on so it was raised up to the level of the bottom of the cabinets. He also had to build a few structures to place between the cabinet and the half wall as we were going to have some empty space there. Sorry but I don't have a very good pic of that.<br />
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The wine fridge was black but I spray painted the black area on the face of the fridge silver to match our other stainless appliances.<br />
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Once the frame was in place, it was time to secure the butcher block to the base with screws from the bottom of the cabinet and through the 2X4 that was the frame for a wall next to where the wine fridge would be.<br />
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Then, we added some 1X4 base trim and some 7" planking with 1/4" sanded plywood. <br />
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In addition, we removed the trim around the opening between the kitchen and the dining room and replaced it with 1X6 painted boards. It went a LONG way to completely updating the space and it the first step in pushing me to changing all my trim to white painted 1X4 boards.<br />
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Once all the wood and new light was installed, my parents left and I painted the planking and trim with Behr Pure White. The next day, I attached the hardware to the drawer fronts and cabinet doors and attached them to the cabinet base unit.<br />
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Then I cleaned up the mess off the top.<br />
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<i>This was before I oiled the top. I had to use a ton of oil. Almost a whole bottle.</i><br />
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Then I stood back and admired...</div>
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One drawer is my tool drawer, the other is for loose papers. The cabinet houses our printer/copier machine, along with paper, crayons, writing sets for the kids and kinetic sand bucket (which I had NO IDEA where to put previously).<br />
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The light was free from my parents, who had it laying around. It was white and they spray painted it silver and added a light kit.<br />
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I wanted to make the island look like a piece of furniture, not like there was a half wall there. That is why I choose to use planking around 3 sides of it.<br />
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One last comparison...<br />
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I scoured Pinterest for ideas for my kitchen island and in the end, it was almost too overwhelming as the options were endless. It came to me deciding what I needed the island to do for me and then picking the materials that made the most sense. The only money I spent was on the butcher block, planks, boards for trim, cup pulls for the drawers and spray paint. I got the light, cabinet and wine fridge for free. I already had the paint on hand as well as the cabinet door pulls. My parents supplied the labor, light kit and brought some planks as well, along with screws and nails (Thanks Mom and Dad!!). My uncle let us borrow the clamps and the device that makes the biscuit holes and even sent me some oil for the butcher block (Thanks Uncle Steve!!). It changed the look of the entire kitchen and it turned out even better than I thought!<br />
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Linking up to<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-30526743703132619572016-03-14T13:36:00.001-05:002016-03-14T13:36:10.325-05:00SaturatedSaturated. <br />
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That is the perfect word to describe me and my life right now. Full to the max, plus just a wee bit more. Life just seems to be dripping off of me. I leave puddles of it all over the place. <br />
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It's a daily struggle to keep it all together. Just to not lose too much throughout the day. I do my best to make sure the kids are picked up, the house is sanitary and not a disaster, we go on a vacation every once in a while, the bills are paid, I am on time to work and give enough of myself to a career I do enjoy but which carries so much responsibility, but not giving all of myself so that I have none to give to my true joys and reasons for living, all while not completely ignoring and becoming a stranger to my partner in crime.<br />
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It's a lot. Every.single.day.<br />
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This saturation right now, I realize <i>this</i> is what I have always hoped for. What I have worked so hard to get to someday. All those years going to college, working several jobs at a time, scraping by. All the decisions that I have made was to get <i>here</i>.<br />
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I feel like I finally made it. I am a real adult. As I went through life, checking boxes off my list, I still felt like I was a kid just trying to figure it all out. As if all my life decisions didn't really affect anyone else but me. It sounds silly but I didn't feel like a true adult until I had my second kid. Then it all hit me. Holy crap, I am responsible for other humans who are completely vulnerable and have no choice. I have to say yes or no to sugar, screens, spanking and a million other big and small decisions. It was exciting and scary and overwhelming.<br />
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I kinda sorta want time to stop. I would be lying if I said I am a little scared to keep moving forward beyond this time in my life. Will having older kids and being older myself be just as great? I cringe a little when I hear, "You will look back on these days and wish they were still little" or "once this stage is done, you will so miss it." Does that mean I will be miserable and sad in a few years, knowing that the "best days" are gone? Will I forever view parents of little kids through a lens of green envy? Is it all downhill from here?<br />
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I hope not. I hope that seeing these kids grow into adults and growing older myself will be just as interesting and fun as it was getting here. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-85400553897954983912016-02-29T10:36:00.002-06:002016-02-29T10:38:49.940-06:00Spring is here...for 5 minutes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mother nature has given us an evil teaser of spring this past weekend, here in southern Wisconsin. I say evil because the next snow storm is scheduled to hit tonight. Grrrr. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. But the weekend weather has me wanting to rid my house of every last winter decoration in favor of greens and light colors. Cozy plaid throws and fuzzy pillows must go!</div>
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I picked up two packages of dried greens from Hobby Lobby about 2 weeks ago when they were 50% off.</div>
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You actually get quite a good amount of greens with these and I was able to spread them throughout the house.<br />
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I split them up in vases and glass bottles and even stuck some in a wreath.<br />
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<i>I still love my Rosemary plant that I got during Christmas (and its still alive!!)!</i><br />
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I took down all my red from my shelves and added some blue accents with some faux greens.<br />
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<i>That cake stand with the blue base can be found in the $1 section at Target. They are actually $5. </i><br />
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I even had some left over the decorate my floating shelf in my living room.</div>
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This change in weather is giving me some much needed motivation for getting some kitchen projects completed. We finally bought a new dishwasher which will be delivered and installed next Monday. I am itching to get the island completed and tackle replacing the counter tops and installing the new-to-us sink and faucet (which I bought off Craigslist like 2 years ago!). Now to see when my favorite handyman is available to help;)</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-76008970728333087022016-02-27T22:39:00.000-06:002016-02-27T22:43:13.383-06:00PSA and a spray paint projectI know I have been slacking here. Believe me, I know. I don't feel good about that. I love this space that allows me to share my creativity. It allows me to purge my ideas and thoughts and clear my head a bit. So I don't have these things clogging up my brain and pouring out of my ears. So you know I feel my lack of activity here.<br />
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I guess you could say I am in a bit of a funk. I feel like this space, this blog, is having an identity crisis. There are many reasons for this. First, I am kind of a crazy person and my <strike>obsessions</strike> interests change over time. I go through phases of needing to pour my heart out about all the feelings. The feelings about motherhood and growing up and experiences. And then, I won't need to do that and I will redecorate my house. I will become engrossed in doing DIY projects and feel the need to document them here. Only to then devote myself to a strict half marathon training schedule for 3 months in which I set my alarm for 5 am and run 5 miles before work every other day until the race day is done and I quit running altogether. But then, I will pick up reading with a vengence and my head will be in books for months. Devouring them at a rapid pace to feed an appetite for getting lost in another world. And not all of these interests make for interesting blog posts. Hence, crickets.<br />
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Second, I understand that oversharing in this day and age is considered by some a disease. I have to think about how my sharing of my children's experiences will affect them when they are older. I am not against a little parental humiliation but too much information out there reaches a critical level bordering on breach of privacy. Problem is, there are no hard and fast rules about this and each person has a different tolerance to this. So I started shying away from so many posts about my kids, keeping only to birthday letters or major milestone markers. But I am in the trenches of this parenting game. It consumes me day and day out and leaves little time for much else. Which leads to me last point....<br />
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Third, I am just busy living. I am working my day job and figuring out this Craftshop business and cooking dinners and bathing kids and getting oil changes and taking road trips and going to Vegas and folding laundry and attending parent-teacher conferences and spray painting my light switch and outlet covers and Fitbitting and throwing birthday parties and nursing the pinched nerve in my back since New Years day. And sometimes I even need to get some sleep. And blogging, at this time in my life, has taken a back seat to all these other things a lot of the time. <br />
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So anyway, that's were I am at. Sometimes it will be slow going here and sometimes there will be some regular posts. And it is probably not going to be consistent content. It will jump from DIY projects to feelings to some of my motherhood life. <br />
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Now that I have that off my chest, do you recall I mentioned that I spray painted my lame, yellowing light switch and outlet covers? Lets talk about that more. I had already spray painted the ones in my dining room several years ago when our dining room was painted a Merlot color. Now that the dining room is a more neutral color, I wanted to spray paint them a lighter color. But I was not sure <i>what</i> color. Until I stumbled on another blogger that spray painted hers gold. I could not find the exact paint she used but I could find this...</div>
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So I got busy removing all the covers. I washed them in soapy water and dried them. </div>
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I had a piece of foam that I pushed all the screws in so I could spray them easier.<br />
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I put 2 coats of spray paint on the screws and covers and let them dry for 3 hours but should have let them dry overnight because they were still tacky to the touch when I was putting them back on. But here is one of them...<br />
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<i>I do plan to spray the register thing near the ceiling soon</i>.<br />
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I love it! It was the right choice for me. Does that mean that I have to remove all the silver in my house and replace it with gold so its all matchy-matchy? Nope! I prefer a mix of finishes. It is way too stressful to make sure everything is the same finish and it will look one dimensional anyway. So go ahead, I give you permission to mix those finishes!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-5729754755852418362016-02-15T16:57:00.001-06:002016-02-15T16:57:49.701-06:002Dear Sydney,<br />
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You turned 2 exactly 2 weeks ago.<br />
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You are a little thing, but a mighty thing. Always quick to exert your independence with every.single.thing. "I do-ed it!" rings in our ears all day long. <br />
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You are a girly-girl with the sweetest heart and the sweetest smile to match.<br />
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Today at your 2 year old appointment, you weighed exactly 24 lbs and were 34 inches long. You screamed and cried while you were weighed, measured and examined. At one point, you even tried to fold your little body into my belly. You would NOT be won over by the doctor, CMA or NP student. <br />
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But I knew you would do that. You are quite shy with most people you don't see very often. Not unlike me as a kid.<br />
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But you are quick as a whip, knowing many of your colors and even doing some counting. You are so very silly. Your brother always says, "Sydney's hilarious!" I have never met a sillier kid!<br />
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One request, could you try not to be such a stuntwoman? It's freaking your father and me out. Try to stop jumping recklessly off the couches and out of the car the second I unbuckle you. We would really appreciate that. We are quite relieved that your trust-falls-off-the-counter phase is over. It was completely heart stopping.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZuAE2yHONZJpRAsdfc-tKk8TMDOeAi5m85UkKk0CX55HeO1Aadaz50yGqFz9v8gn6I2IXEj1iLZ8EjGvfKO07FFY9-7u7O7bctopLLfrwtbHH0E-AV4owbLBEoX86xUn24wbonSbkU2b/s1600/IMG_3172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZuAE2yHONZJpRAsdfc-tKk8TMDOeAi5m85UkKk0CX55HeO1Aadaz50yGqFz9v8gn6I2IXEj1iLZ8EjGvfKO07FFY9-7u7O7bctopLLfrwtbHH0E-AV4owbLBEoX86xUn24wbonSbkU2b/s640/IMG_3172.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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And I will try to take more pictures of you like I did for your brother. I will do better to photo document your growth and early life. I am sorry I have been really slacking at that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhtmAM8MUWmrZNPecIUgsAg-XmYCGSmUEIiCd0eF-Y2s78WGSn7qeoynJBo3Un5IXkcVVv7uLJzNE_1oyXoF3TgRXlYye7knJP-tMggY7K1ikFThfNv1fjMtlt9F8UdL9Ls1H9_9fd_1F/s1600/IMG_3175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhtmAM8MUWmrZNPecIUgsAg-XmYCGSmUEIiCd0eF-Y2s78WGSn7qeoynJBo3Un5IXkcVVv7uLJzNE_1oyXoF3TgRXlYye7knJP-tMggY7K1ikFThfNv1fjMtlt9F8UdL9Ls1H9_9fd_1F/s640/IMG_3175.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQwQ5LGOrCl7EfXYQxNc5hn36ymq3ctqSAPC7cbhDj5kyidhumdD96WcW22gjag84yLwk7tFKcTKBsYjzR9jtn3NHCsB60j7PByY1BCr0-qRrrm7z0g0JPs8NILSFHk1oMuQ1R7MJQKBh/s1600/IMG_3176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQwQ5LGOrCl7EfXYQxNc5hn36ymq3ctqSAPC7cbhDj5kyidhumdD96WcW22gjag84yLwk7tFKcTKBsYjzR9jtn3NHCsB60j7PByY1BCr0-qRrrm7z0g0JPs8NILSFHk1oMuQ1R7MJQKBh/s640/IMG_3176.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Even though I have only held you, rocked you, kissed you and loved you for 2 short years, I feel like I have known you forever. You are like and old friend. Some one I have known and who has known me my whole life. We get each other. Completely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmPiZOYRDJOiG-7ePtmQ3Y0JlhuX4CaB-D2gjcLHtYzLzEAkJG81oNZnN7w0meyATPfaJWSvx9r4O30p4K_I9FA-Xke8eMRlPLk4TQTab0B4clj6eeswF1hNz-xIeiXTeyx5VUk8mPr3v/s1600/IMG_3180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmPiZOYRDJOiG-7ePtmQ3Y0JlhuX4CaB-D2gjcLHtYzLzEAkJG81oNZnN7w0meyATPfaJWSvx9r4O30p4K_I9FA-Xke8eMRlPLk4TQTab0B4clj6eeswF1hNz-xIeiXTeyx5VUk8mPr3v/s640/IMG_3180.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am so thankful every single day for you and your brother. Even though it means I never pee alone and have to share all my food with slobbery mouths. And my body is now forever "softer." Along with my heart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjmoOdumdgQNyb9Y-yRZhWGXYCVvQ3YuMXupwu7XPGEzhRHS2AT5aa2Z1R_0RqKetHiKhAWlhRlFCEtYu2Tfp2YMLS7yxAo8NFx0GKA379prsTTcsOLObtNxmN92bew4_Avsl32rZiDcn/s1600/IMG_3182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjmoOdumdgQNyb9Y-yRZhWGXYCVvQ3YuMXupwu7XPGEzhRHS2AT5aa2Z1R_0RqKetHiKhAWlhRlFCEtYu2Tfp2YMLS7yxAo8NFx0GKA379prsTTcsOLObtNxmN92bew4_Avsl32rZiDcn/s640/IMG_3182.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<strike>I am</strike> We are thoroughly enjoying you in all your two-ness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilihlvGUEfytHfi087Bhv9IoRA_C7693hG8AMh0X42RMnTXxvzxGHFEznD0MQJHeRY16Gq4I6frHzhkk3_Iba8KrKCRwPWjK4O2Iuj89SzHEZQ2qCfn1hV7UQIV_1LbEITZy-nPCiKPSSF/s1600/IMG_3183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilihlvGUEfytHfi087Bhv9IoRA_C7693hG8AMh0X42RMnTXxvzxGHFEznD0MQJHeRY16Gq4I6frHzhkk3_Iba8KrKCRwPWjK4O2Iuj89SzHEZQ2qCfn1hV7UQIV_1LbEITZy-nPCiKPSSF/s640/IMG_3183.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i> "Mommy, I done!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cllg7wqNvjtUD4-96I_DvK6cn5EIe3wgJpvran7dxLlDDlaTHZqkAyBnp4NkyszWLwmDb5biI7tLKQNapXz4HpIjqSVmcKGoKQfBsWGHWaryx0VHbfmOFxWifbnhHeFpEklvvQDgKdx6/s1600/IMG_3185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cllg7wqNvjtUD4-96I_DvK6cn5EIe3wgJpvran7dxLlDDlaTHZqkAyBnp4NkyszWLwmDb5biI7tLKQNapXz4HpIjqSVmcKGoKQfBsWGHWaryx0VHbfmOFxWifbnhHeFpEklvvQDgKdx6/s640/IMG_3185.jpg" width="324" /></a></div>
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So, I cheers my wine with your sloppy, drippy whole milk sippy. On to bigger and better adventures together!</div>
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Love, </div>
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Mama</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-78562418466426146272016-01-23T10:51:00.000-06:002016-01-23T21:25:04.221-06:00Fireplace wall update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My first big project of the year is about done! Which is NOT any easy thing to accomplish between momming, wifing, working and co-running Craftshop. Some days I can barely make it into my bed before I am already falling asleep. So why bother doing any house projects? Well, why does anyone do anything? Because they want/like to do it. I love making my house comfortable and pretty! And I actually do enjoy the whole process, from the idea phase to the planning phase to the implementing phase to the finishing and enjoying phase. Now, many of my "projects" don't make it past the ideas or planning phases but I still enjoy that as well. But every once in a while, it is nice to have someone else step in and help get the project done faster. I thought I would be doing this wall myself but help came in the form of my dad, and the hubs and son jumped in to assist and before I knew it, it was done and I just had to do the painting! </div>
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Here is what it looked like before...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PGZbzfufTNq8dd5Lhnh8RuxY_VsT2nLUdlKcaufbS25TCnhZzJmQudMWQ9MaQ4_mbJ9aA5w3ZSmQ8mbpx5LPj5HAfLYPNq6xWpvZC9jXyrVVxxJCzd1v1c9qtMap2syUw1rXaRQpDjO2/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PGZbzfufTNq8dd5Lhnh8RuxY_VsT2nLUdlKcaufbS25TCnhZzJmQudMWQ9MaQ4_mbJ9aA5w3ZSmQ8mbpx5LPj5HAfLYPNq6xWpvZC9jXyrVVxxJCzd1v1c9qtMap2syUw1rXaRQpDjO2/s640/IMG_3084.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGDEz705RngGWG81oxdXjpwvN9JtcfzbvgJ71cMdCRtgD459NgI6_DM7lVZ8Rppuh4Ac2xJAXgUxfPPH27dF935BwlNe0SsgaQzmFw7d_N8BamAMYCvgm-F6jS2rG3SdcyeUSQSjvHG4m/s1600/IMG_3085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGDEz705RngGWG81oxdXjpwvN9JtcfzbvgJ71cMdCRtgD459NgI6_DM7lVZ8Rppuh4Ac2xJAXgUxfPPH27dF935BwlNe0SsgaQzmFw7d_N8BamAMYCvgm-F6jS2rG3SdcyeUSQSjvHG4m/s640/IMG_3085.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And here is what it looks like now...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadOeb-lA8XhE7IIiS3yMEVp8QsfaoYOigQbW66Z4SGwBEcUCWn-bs83NhgjjOMGVv689KIo7gOi3rWQxG4FcoDZwfzxDA6M5phLu5YqK5UJ75Cz6g9zlZ09QyMvx7w0iXzdLu2mDsdBVY/s1600/IMG_3130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadOeb-lA8XhE7IIiS3yMEVp8QsfaoYOigQbW66Z4SGwBEcUCWn-bs83NhgjjOMGVv689KIo7gOi3rWQxG4FcoDZwfzxDA6M5phLu5YqK5UJ75Cz6g9zlZ09QyMvx7w0iXzdLu2mDsdBVY/s640/IMG_3130.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJKinpeay60AbajQBYMZV9q_od7gNzYqbVBlNoEHR5ayoPMNJoWslY96yrlFRD_8a7KeP9Ci1hHWW1SiEO5oWpr-fGmBWbrmeSuUKlsRCbxh1Rq3TMPNGWfTa2UE2oCP1NSQafqoNAeeX/s1600/IMG_3128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJKinpeay60AbajQBYMZV9q_od7gNzYqbVBlNoEHR5ayoPMNJoWslY96yrlFRD_8a7KeP9Ci1hHWW1SiEO5oWpr-fGmBWbrmeSuUKlsRCbxh1Rq3TMPNGWfTa2UE2oCP1NSQafqoNAeeX/s640/IMG_3128.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmeGIN-8wr8cAKAGE22E2eYKsv-4w-6-as8YWgVwE297JLj7kVHSIozP5CkrotcAM230d82wXgSMNx70EQJCRjtKJfuojYFVaqxjj2-f9VMCp-P8ZWp3GE8EYraW0WpHGnxOLhH7Fm8Cf/s1600/IMG_3133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmeGIN-8wr8cAKAGE22E2eYKsv-4w-6-as8YWgVwE297JLj7kVHSIozP5CkrotcAM230d82wXgSMNx70EQJCRjtKJfuojYFVaqxjj2-f9VMCp-P8ZWp3GE8EYraW0WpHGnxOLhH7Fm8Cf/s640/IMG_3133.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zUWR90YeLICoUHy7jIkzfUZheTkYtKb9l7DM118d8ID2lb9cbUhqA8qIZ3_Tx9o15DEcgNVzyS-VPdC6K5kraDLfBeMj1bFjW-pLAjvLN-bN4-u_3KdD811T7tPArbIz8dPR0R8I3wOB/s1600/IMG_3142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zUWR90YeLICoUHy7jIkzfUZheTkYtKb9l7DM118d8ID2lb9cbUhqA8qIZ3_Tx9o15DEcgNVzyS-VPdC6K5kraDLfBeMj1bFjW-pLAjvLN-bN4-u_3KdD811T7tPArbIz8dPR0R8I3wOB/s640/IMG_3142.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Makes a difference, right? Here are some pics from the construction phase. I gave my dad a drawing with measurements and he cut all the wood and brought it to my house to construct. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4ZAkdNMdqQvp8ThOG_3WZ7BHdbWr2bOERnnOW35-hGyWmwp97AAspeJwoISX6G1SrBNKN_1pZ8ZDXDGqpSF1KucvtNWsjtu5ugZjem2xWBS3xHGSXF-abiY7tS1f6VDKiTYM5jyiFN0G/s1600/IMG_3120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4ZAkdNMdqQvp8ThOG_3WZ7BHdbWr2bOERnnOW35-hGyWmwp97AAspeJwoISX6G1SrBNKN_1pZ8ZDXDGqpSF1KucvtNWsjtu5ugZjem2xWBS3xHGSXF-abiY7tS1f6VDKiTYM5jyiFN0G/s640/IMG_3120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Putting together the frame with lots of "helpers";)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZofoHopAoBBEXvmg8v9NmC8RpKfgfsRuGJRhNVOg_RFsneQWA-9QIE7x5ZL47PLPrGJeFDj32H6UdA108fRmc2kxyYkCl5L-6Kgg5a9GCRDjSGYOi7ggu1HqJaLXOvNESptAuSPpmZP0t/s1600/IMG_3121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZofoHopAoBBEXvmg8v9NmC8RpKfgfsRuGJRhNVOg_RFsneQWA-9QIE7x5ZL47PLPrGJeFDj32H6UdA108fRmc2kxyYkCl5L-6Kgg5a9GCRDjSGYOi7ggu1HqJaLXOvNESptAuSPpmZP0t/s640/IMG_3121.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My dad cut the trim where the frame was going to go so the frame would be flat against the wall. I then had to take the lights down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI6iRcccSzhyphenhyphensAzTVot-py6dZKvUrWYY692xYN2Yuqxzk9iIUkqHKjN9U0UCNJSQU-50V2Bvojc39nDpxm4ual00Wq-1Js4m8pKfV3hlyO3P5EGPhlXQ4JtyJwQA0_t0jw2WhWmT_OPXH/s1600/IMG_3122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI6iRcccSzhyphenhyphensAzTVot-py6dZKvUrWYY692xYN2Yuqxzk9iIUkqHKjN9U0UCNJSQU-50V2Bvojc39nDpxm4ual00Wq-1Js4m8pKfV3hlyO3P5EGPhlXQ4JtyJwQA0_t0jw2WhWmT_OPXH/s640/IMG_3122.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And the frame was placed on the wall and screwed in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBawcm0lJSlm0j4qPnUxWgW70H2oRhd8Bpw4eyl_jYG4wbos64pTEYz2Xncgge8o92vLr3TWWPIXfHgpY2FqIFt53atpOAi4BAkVZigu2Z0ybRkaBr7zfFBO7kNLokEiQqJKIXP3NjZ-Dj/s1600/IMG_3123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBawcm0lJSlm0j4qPnUxWgW70H2oRhd8Bpw4eyl_jYG4wbos64pTEYz2Xncgge8o92vLr3TWWPIXfHgpY2FqIFt53atpOAi4BAkVZigu2Z0ybRkaBr7zfFBO7kNLokEiQqJKIXP3NjZ-Dj/s640/IMG_3123.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Then the planks were nailed in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7t2TdEJVBP3pxlJn1X3ancZzCuUrsQUSZsUorLjbva63HQwT-NM8nU-EhaSsGnFrG5SvW3OZ5juSoGMYOsaonLIX14YZ74zZVFsHPluO1yvJv8TFhWN3uZwzDZl837-dOw5c7CI4EoqN/s1600/IMG_3126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7t2TdEJVBP3pxlJn1X3ancZzCuUrsQUSZsUorLjbva63HQwT-NM8nU-EhaSsGnFrG5SvW3OZ5juSoGMYOsaonLIX14YZ74zZVFsHPluO1yvJv8TFhWN3uZwzDZl837-dOw5c7CI4EoqN/s640/IMG_3126.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
#putthementowork<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0wqZhM_KyX1DEDYpI_PWoZN_X0xQrAoYnUrnugFyQLF2Kxw3ccjzWDt18CZPg2SYiDrF4hGxhxNk6m4wgBSjlTVraAiCSlphsX3hC6OVw0jfZqpV3DPDGsbO2ZdvEqZypHTCsKNPciWV/s1600/IMG_3127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0wqZhM_KyX1DEDYpI_PWoZN_X0xQrAoYnUrnugFyQLF2Kxw3ccjzWDt18CZPg2SYiDrF4hGxhxNk6m4wgBSjlTVraAiCSlphsX3hC6OVw0jfZqpV3DPDGsbO2ZdvEqZypHTCsKNPciWV/s640/IMG_3127.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And then the edge trim was nailed on and I applied 2 coats of paint. I still may add some trim/moulding at the top but that is for another day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45pubfB2bZFlMpUG7IMAiK-bY8dhwib6ahlkTpWlvwAJdRJnnHWS4OAQvb8Wkh6PPiHO2w2rvwLc7ftA-J4AC8l89hPvyC0Z8Kgc3wDQ0FUtJyYVOwDL8KnXlklmCWF21ulnA9jA_NCN5/s1600/IMG_3134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45pubfB2bZFlMpUG7IMAiK-bY8dhwib6ahlkTpWlvwAJdRJnnHWS4OAQvb8Wkh6PPiHO2w2rvwLc7ftA-J4AC8l89hPvyC0Z8Kgc3wDQ0FUtJyYVOwDL8KnXlklmCWF21ulnA9jA_NCN5/s640/IMG_3134.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I also added a set of shelves to the other side of my buffet because I loved the ones on the right so much. <br />
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Seriously the easiest project ever and adds so much to the room.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-58103680700443004602016-01-11T16:23:00.001-06:002016-01-11T16:25:21.255-06:00New year, new projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have all kinds of plans swimming through my head for our house. Some are small and fairly inexpensive and some we need to win the lottery to execute. Many of my smaller scale, don't need to win the lottery to accomplish projects will take place in our kitchen/dining room. </div>
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For as long as I can remember as a kid, I have been obsessed with window benches/seats. I dreamed of lounging/reading/eating in a window seat. I don't think I even knew anyone that had one which must have made them all the more coveted. Fast forward to me at 26 years old, buying a house with a perfect place for a window seat and the idea didn't even dawn on me until 10 years later! I can't believe it took me so long to see what was right in front of me, the perfect place for a window seat! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPBFB_209EQHHCZ1RxW2GWoi6FJJmWJi5boriNrmJN1FO8PQlXDiHzUf5YFgXWQ7FZanXRzlYXo4sHGi4_xeQyMlkftTwUI22vliMhW-TQqwZvsWv8rysmggE-ld2Ov_gBrZdMCcHzO1/s1600/IMG_3082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPBFB_209EQHHCZ1RxW2GWoi6FJJmWJi5boriNrmJN1FO8PQlXDiHzUf5YFgXWQ7FZanXRzlYXo4sHGi4_xeQyMlkftTwUI22vliMhW-TQqwZvsWv8rysmggE-ld2Ov_gBrZdMCcHzO1/s640/IMG_3082.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Sure, it looks just fine like this but isn't it just screaming for a built-in window seat?!? Yes? No? Well, I think so and I will build some storage in it too. <br />
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Moving on. I have some more ideas for enhancing the fireplace wall following the most genius furniture move of 2014. Here is what it looks like in its current state...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1DJkedzGOtf57-w7ZL5GElDud9iIKneAMihp-KcIwS8HPClsf9RLP63_OqeAJL5x-a7aZbeoMJxlLAMRANXDEF9FpIl2TgHWHbpbkzGM6Wd8j2nk18U8NXsB_9EIoy6bf66gyqjlddHs/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1DJkedzGOtf57-w7ZL5GElDud9iIKneAMihp-KcIwS8HPClsf9RLP63_OqeAJL5x-a7aZbeoMJxlLAMRANXDEF9FpIl2TgHWHbpbkzGM6Wd8j2nk18U8NXsB_9EIoy6bf66gyqjlddHs/s640/IMG_3084.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Looks fine now but wouldn't it look more purposeful with some architectural detail in the form of a "wall" that is planked and is wider than the fireplace and goes up to the ceiling with some trim and crown molding? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCasxY6VaRqD9-95OBj2lX9cXVm92GCEB3T7F3II03jub14xgHpnJkm2jsLwHnrqR_5eBC8-zjT2_W3WZSkSwLCMc-dveH0_v7Nxtmb5nXy-4wekBdu9iEKPHEBTmWZiSb9zoF94ulfr4c/s1600/IMG_3085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCasxY6VaRqD9-95OBj2lX9cXVm92GCEB3T7F3II03jub14xgHpnJkm2jsLwHnrqR_5eBC8-zjT2_W3WZSkSwLCMc-dveH0_v7Nxtmb5nXy-4wekBdu9iEKPHEBTmWZiSb9zoF94ulfr4c/s640/IMG_3085.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And wouldn't it be even better if those hideous cords could be hidden? Yes? Are you still with me? Well this project should be done in the next few weeks and you can see if you like it after the reveal.<br />
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Finally, the project that is most involved and requires some custom work by my dad is my kitchen island makeover. <br />
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It is perfectly functional and does the job right now but don't you think it would be nice to have some storage and a beverage fridge under it and have it a bit longer with a nice butcher block counter top?? Yes? Can you envision it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JJi-Z3yNeZSB2qucUY-hjml0tuGPyifU9JOTkcpF3e7-QbN4Ml5YI8ER9O38xVIix3kJx2U36aObP0zdEsJ6CRHuTPL33GenfCOJrfXZ8uMlEMJlNp4v2iQx8WduFRC0lGUq33PJoG-t/s1600/IMG_3087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JJi-Z3yNeZSB2qucUY-hjml0tuGPyifU9JOTkcpF3e7-QbN4Ml5YI8ER9O38xVIix3kJx2U36aObP0zdEsJ6CRHuTPL33GenfCOJrfXZ8uMlEMJlNp4v2iQx8WduFRC0lGUq33PJoG-t/s640/IMG_3087.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Of course, this will lead to a lighting change in this area but I am up to the challenge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD63Aiw_g8AqcZZjMxRoQtc9J08XYt3jCLTDsJknW2U1kIwMltq0NwkazVIdFxzSd9yX3ae4nOYdA5HeKowDBSdJswhh28p5liLL0nl0IrNhlhkzonkg4nvTLv7kyTYYjPNv76phuHK2E-/s1600/IMG_3090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD63Aiw_g8AqcZZjMxRoQtc9J08XYt3jCLTDsJknW2U1kIwMltq0NwkazVIdFxzSd9yX3ae4nOYdA5HeKowDBSdJswhh28p5liLL0nl0IrNhlhkzonkg4nvTLv7kyTYYjPNv76phuHK2E-/s640/IMG_3090.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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So I am hoping to get these projects done before June. And will this be the year that I give in and paint my trim white already???<br />
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Stay tuned for reveals! <br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-54873530187703316192016-01-04T13:12:00.000-06:002016-01-04T13:13:38.297-06:00Christmas ReviewI am not going to lie, I am still exhausted from putting on Christmas. It is a big job. From the tree to the baking to the decorating to the activities. It is my favorite time of year and so many great memories were make this year. Here are a few pics. "Rock n' Roll!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS8ov9yUuQGfXHjPpSU6-9pard9R5GWP2B0wppAltma4bnwcB4vT2mudousiv6tkoNHTcv6_ScWF3cE9W8uSyNkNEc96UbsmACo36qkkwi9u8Ngnqu_HCQnKK6RAJz7nIta4IDw32chtV/s1600/IMG_2995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS8ov9yUuQGfXHjPpSU6-9pard9R5GWP2B0wppAltma4bnwcB4vT2mudousiv6tkoNHTcv6_ScWF3cE9W8uSyNkNEc96UbsmACo36qkkwi9u8Ngnqu_HCQnKK6RAJz7nIta4IDw32chtV/s640/IMG_2995.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<i>Sully: "I want spy gear and Star Wars legos and a big crane with candy." Syd refused to sit on Santa's lap:(</i><br />
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Sully and I can pump out Christmas cutouts like nobody's business. We are a well-oiled cutout making machine. No lie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I8PiojjkFcGi2DG-Hm3NN4e1Ih55uhyLBmVBkP27NbQJl-LeUkoHvuRhUsuAEA0ICqgYgz8cuc2PnJGlxC-PNOCzwZ9g3M6wdBF3F-z8OQYL2VUMwf82kmep9r_Q7zx1xUbeQawEWSxQ/s1600/IMG_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-I8PiojjkFcGi2DG-Hm3NN4e1Ih55uhyLBmVBkP27NbQJl-LeUkoHvuRhUsuAEA0ICqgYgz8cuc2PnJGlxC-PNOCzwZ9g3M6wdBF3F-z8OQYL2VUMwf82kmep9r_Q7zx1xUbeQawEWSxQ/s640/IMG_1847.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Christmas morning:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F1zLdlHhXYb5P1XBvcGt41GnW07zYGT5kDpmpMec7EqEazvzpDv4UFsqcHgNarseJfwP1vSBfxf6Iv-zAOYBQdR7kmLlnipwYN0glxygcJ9iPq_yFKHgPccFMvc6dwhGJ_99887W1hc/s1600/IMG_3001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F1zLdlHhXYb5P1XBvcGt41GnW07zYGT5kDpmpMec7EqEazvzpDv4UFsqcHgNarseJfwP1vSBfxf6Iv-zAOYBQdR7kmLlnipwYN0glxygcJ9iPq_yFKHgPccFMvc6dwhGJ_99887W1hc/s640/IMG_3001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKap2NQzrv6RCBoaRlcQGZFT_tAujiBnrv_zbU-6ScpwgxDDGR-Q8Dg5SmfXzyRvR_OqMmEPCZWcLTOo196jAUUAWHm4LuHj_fg0xf7APobYwtP7jJAUsPqXn8eKQ4AX__w318Jnf4syzN/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKap2NQzrv6RCBoaRlcQGZFT_tAujiBnrv_zbU-6ScpwgxDDGR-Q8Dg5SmfXzyRvR_OqMmEPCZWcLTOo196jAUUAWHm4LuHj_fg0xf7APobYwtP7jJAUsPqXn8eKQ4AX__w318Jnf4syzN/s640/IMG_1870.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Later Christmas day:<br />
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Darth Vader Yule log.<br />
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Day after Christmas in Mosinee:<br />
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And that was Christmas. Hope yours was just has full:)<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-30298955801040502952015-12-05T11:05:00.001-06:002015-12-05T11:05:02.736-06:00More Christmas decor and the machine that will change my crafting life.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was not quite done with my Christmas decorating until now. I had a few areas to finish and I will show you what I have been doing...</div>
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I am always a bit stumped on what to do with the half wall behind the couch in the living room. I had this partial pallet in the garage and knew I could do something with it. So started but hanging it up on the wall.</div>
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Then it was time to embellish it. I have been drooling over DIY JOY signs in Pinterest lately and I knew I wanted to make my own. It was more difficult than I thought it would be to find the right letters but here is what I came up with...<br />
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<i>I honestly cannot get the "dwell" off the wall, may need to paint over it at some point. Also, these pics are crooked and I am too lazy to adjust them so you are just going to have to deal. #bloggingnono</i><br />
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I found the J and Y at Michaels and spray painted them red. I got the pom pom garland in the $3 bin at Target. I had the wreath and lace trim laying around. I lighted the wreath with a strand of the Phillips Dew Drop lights (which I cannot find in any of the Targets around here anymore unless you want the multicolored variety. I already own 8 strands and it is not enough. People are eating these up. The secret it out!).<br />
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I added a little holiday cheer to the bedrooms in the form of mini tinsel trees and dew drop lights. But I decided to add a bit more to the master bedroom.</div>
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<i>I literally can't stop hanging things from these deer heads. They are the perfect holders for banners.</i><br />
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I went with gold and green in here, kept it neutral. I didn't take a pic of the tree on my dresser but it is gold as well.<br />
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<i>I finally hung those windows up on the wall. I saw them on my way to work one morning on the side of the road. Felt like I won the lottery:)</i><br />
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Here is the view from the hallway. I had big plans to change out this light fixture since the day we moved in 10 years ago. Clearly, that has not happened but I did remove the glass fixtures around the lights and <i>hot glued</i> the shade on there. I expected it to stay up for a week, tops, until I could get to the hardware store and get the proper screws to keep it up there, but a year later, it is still holding strong (and I still have not gotten the proper hardware for it).<br />
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Finally, I have been doing some online christmas shopping (for myself) recently. I have been eyeing up a Silhouette cutting machine for years now. There was a black friday sale for 50% off the machines and I decided it was time to get one. I could not pull the trigger on the more expensive, larger machine so I settled for the Silhouette Portrait machine after reading some reviews and doing some research. It arrived yesterday.<br />
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Cue the chorus...<br />
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I set that baby right up. I didn't have any of the fancy vinyl that Silhouette sells yet so I just used some black contact paper I have and made my first project...<br />
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Some antlers I stuck onto a mirror. You guys, watch out. The possibilities are endless with this machine and can barely even contain my excitement! Probably going to start a whole blog series for Silhouette project, stay tuned.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-25814481543780575152015-11-30T13:27:00.002-06:002015-11-30T13:27:48.254-06:00I blinked and he is 5.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dear Sullivan,</div>
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Holy smokes! I blinked and you are 5! FIVE! </div>
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How is that possible? Seems impossible but here we are. Its where we are right now. Of course it is. It is not like we have <i>not</i> lived day in and day out that past 5 years. No, we definitely have. We have lived through the morning whines, road trips, vacations, holidays and all the mundane events of our daily lives. Together.<br />
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I have so enjoyed watching you grow and learn. Your intensity for life and emotion can only be matched by a select few. I am not going to lie, it makes parenting you a challenge sometimes. You question EVERYTHING (as you should). And you remember <i>exactly</i> what we tell you, your experiences and how you felt every step of the way.<br />
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But in turn, you have brought so much fun and excitement, adventure and magic to our everyday lives. You demand that we live in the moment and have all the feelings.<br />
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And we get to see life all over again through your eyes. <br />
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You are now a whole hand old. Because of you, we are living right in the heart of life. The "sweet spot". Still little but big enough to understand so very much.<br />
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Right now, it is all about experiences. I can't tell you how enjoyable it is to experience life with you.</div>
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You do life with such gusto:)<br />
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But that is just your way. <br />
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I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I became you mother. And I am glad I didn't know. We have figured it out together (still are figuring it out).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_q9f2Iu5te95WtsC0YI-XepkZt76xUAl1kgkCeFaEMfMs3qXa86zFvfq2NZ3sRRCfqW1JvbgFK6ZnjUmLL4NhcG39rld0_HYC5_v6IzlKoS8PHTqzYsTsfyCHaasr8jJmY0prtFkfXmv/s1600/IMG_2863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_q9f2Iu5te95WtsC0YI-XepkZt76xUAl1kgkCeFaEMfMs3qXa86zFvfq2NZ3sRRCfqW1JvbgFK6ZnjUmLL4NhcG39rld0_HYC5_v6IzlKoS8PHTqzYsTsfyCHaasr8jJmY0prtFkfXmv/s640/IMG_2863.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Somehow your birthday turned into a 3 day birthday celebration extravaganza. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP-0i-uJzl5-jmiNbI3pYdncOnZuzEIkBFG2FgD7hdbyt4g1DCWLdtFE2Q_nYw8V9V1G0QZmE4j2s7w_zr5AkX7sbCLmj-z3K77_R_NYK4pq3-alU6_lEs3ifTaVAQys1lmFn5t41jvtj/s1600/IMG_2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP-0i-uJzl5-jmiNbI3pYdncOnZuzEIkBFG2FgD7hdbyt4g1DCWLdtFE2Q_nYw8V9V1G0QZmE4j2s7w_zr5AkX7sbCLmj-z3K77_R_NYK4pq3-alU6_lEs3ifTaVAQys1lmFn5t41jvtj/s640/IMG_2866.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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But thats ok.<br />
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You are only 5 once, right?<br />
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It feels like such a milestone birthday for <strike>me</strike> you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAzLUmo0eW2WkPrsVZdK8mF3lQr4UA5EOQR2hW04_nw7I1AcQRLbb2jOLwby5OCu2FqGoo2ONRaJ_Qc4-bOhM4tpek5TdJopkUyvr3JSAeAZTDKvZ2wZALcPhbZHqJQ3C7CFTegLjU72-/s1600/IMG_2881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAzLUmo0eW2WkPrsVZdK8mF3lQr4UA5EOQR2hW04_nw7I1AcQRLbb2jOLwby5OCu2FqGoo2ONRaJ_Qc4-bOhM4tpek5TdJopkUyvr3JSAeAZTDKvZ2wZALcPhbZHqJQ3C7CFTegLjU72-/s640/IMG_2881.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Five is a pretty big deal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0fQK6kxFupJu2JYQcjWQ365hpuWlIYgyXQT28NoRNssBJXhcPtaaH27RgdMws6VrNEQPW8gY1usu_sSWTczQRd0DbQurd1eLvETT0CtPPoX6NgI9CtlHn7QWdvxAmu9tK3_ruTwexGWt/s1600/IMG_2887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0fQK6kxFupJu2JYQcjWQ365hpuWlIYgyXQT28NoRNssBJXhcPtaaH27RgdMws6VrNEQPW8gY1usu_sSWTczQRd0DbQurd1eLvETT0CtPPoX6NgI9CtlHn7QWdvxAmu9tK3_ruTwexGWt/s640/IMG_2887.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And we run with big deals around here. We do big deals BIG. We don't shy away from big deals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlsqOfo8NrjgvhVxf6_YF42_cNCXKpPHAVWBu22LCuX03PeJm_LC0WFdIj3fdNBc7wqXSdyFBe-2UUpe-TW8cRsdF_xbUBuHC4PUAHZckG-CPNaTp16yn_Vsmwb1qZq-K9XuCCUeDKAD_/s1600/IMG_2890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlsqOfo8NrjgvhVxf6_YF42_cNCXKpPHAVWBu22LCuX03PeJm_LC0WFdIj3fdNBc7wqXSdyFBe-2UUpe-TW8cRsdF_xbUBuHC4PUAHZckG-CPNaTp16yn_Vsmwb1qZq-K9XuCCUeDKAD_/s640/IMG_2890.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because we love big. Like 50 million. I love you 50 million and that is big.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5TGdBSFvtCmjdbEoNb9PjyRnXC489fQA4QQVNt0bJk-6Jy0AqJtVIWeG7NT4WnCwDOCqdNsqAiekYTqessGOT8MCokUupThxKkrFqNNJz5zR0lTK_vYTvuldrJ5uZvRV1f-Z8z-E25RW/s1600/IMG_2899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5TGdBSFvtCmjdbEoNb9PjyRnXC489fQA4QQVNt0bJk-6Jy0AqJtVIWeG7NT4WnCwDOCqdNsqAiekYTqessGOT8MCokUupThxKkrFqNNJz5zR0lTK_vYTvuldrJ5uZvRV1f-Z8z-E25RW/s640/IMG_2899.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love you to the sun and all the planets, because it is farther than the moon. But you already know that. Because we talk and talk and talk and talk about everything. All the time. Non-stop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTGByZzcx_NlcvNr5uwNeuJ7zmRf-XzkS6rDH5kaTaaRZdnbAlG41JHiXVm2D44yAJUFhmcWSqqVNXDEtufIGxtAMg6lxM5iusf7BhkeKe6E_Et21RoTTSdAsfEsNgi90ZGYtU9IMhKed/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTGByZzcx_NlcvNr5uwNeuJ7zmRf-XzkS6rDH5kaTaaRZdnbAlG41JHiXVm2D44yAJUFhmcWSqqVNXDEtufIGxtAMg6lxM5iusf7BhkeKe6E_Et21RoTTSdAsfEsNgi90ZGYtU9IMhKed/s640/IMG_2900.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Keep talking, keep questioning and keep loving life. <br />
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Love,<br />
Mama<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-89086443517027226992015-11-23T19:22:00.000-06:002015-11-23T19:28:01.804-06:00Christmas tour time!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is almost Thanksgiving which means it is time to get the Christmas decorations out, right? I completely agree! Also, bring on the Christmas crafts!! I have been crafting and creating all weekend. I.can't.stop. Let me show you what has been going on over here.</div>
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Here is our dining/sitting room. </div>
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This is the best spot for drinking a <strike>pot</strike> cup of coffee.<br />
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<i>See that wreath on the window up there? Coffee filters, foam wreath form and hot glue. That is all it took. I LOVE it! I think I am going to make like 10 more and that is totally doable with my little buddy helper that painstakingly hands me each and every coffee filter while I man the hot glue gun.</i><br />
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I rearranged our gallery wall. I don't know if you have seen those wooden signs with all the reindeer names on them in those nice barn wood frames but I have and I wanted one SO BAD. What I had on hand was a giant black canvas and a thrift store gold frame. The canvas was not a chalkboard but after testing the chalk marker I knew I could make it look like one. <br />
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I rubbed the chalk over the canvas, wiped it off, wrote the white names in chalk marker and then used red paint for the Rudolph. Yeah, my frame was too small for the canvas but that did not stop me putting the two together.<br />
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And because I am turning into a grandma, I had to display some doilies on some embroidery hoops and threw those up there too.<br />
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<i>Get to Target's dollar section and get yourself a $3 Noel pillow. Now. </i><br />
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After moving the fireplace to this wall, it is like a whole new experience decorating this surface because it looks totally different!<br />
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<i> I have big plans for making this fireplace look more permanent and less just bought from the store and placed there, but that is for early 2016. Dad, what are you doing in early 2016? Just asking, no reason;)</i><br />
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Now, while you are at Target buying all the $3 pillows they have left, pick up some Phillips Dew Drop string battery lights with self timer. These are AMAZING!!! I plan on using them all winter even after the Christmas decor is taken down.<br />
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<i>These trees are from the Target dollar bin as well. I placed them in some tin buckets, strung them with dew drop lights and added "stars" with some little chalk board signs I also got in the Target dollars bins at the start of the school year. </i><br />
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Moving on to the other side of the room...<br />
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I tried to keep it pretty simple here and just did some garland I got from Hobby Lobby 2 seasons ago, glass + berries, milk glass, cake stand and chalkboard (of course).<br />
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The other side of the buffet I hung some of my vintage bulbs on drop cloth that I pinned over my huge coffee sack art. <br />
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I have a few decorations in the kitchen but that room is in such flux still, I am not going to show that room right now.<br />
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Lets head to the living room instead...<br />
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I FINALLY stopped stringing my lights on my tree like and amateur this year! I am embarrassed to say I truly did not know that you should string it from "in and out" instead of "side to side". You have to use a ton more lights but the effect is worth it! I also added a string of bigger bulb lights.<br />
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<i>Yes, we have some strategic placement of items around the tree for some gentle reminders for the blind dog in our house to STOP and not run into the tree. She is still getting the hang of this, poor girl.</i><br />
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And for my favorite spot in the house right now, the floating shelf above the TV. I hung an old metal sled my MIL gave me up on the wall, put up some Craftshop signs, garlands + lights and a few other accessories and this is what I get to stare at when we are watching TV. <br />
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All time fav. <br />
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This holiday decorating got me taking a close look at some of my walls and I realized I have a lot of patching and re-painting ahead of me this January. For now, I am just going to ignore the disaster going on behind the decor and enjoy the season by buying my family matching elf pajamas, secretly singing and dancing to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" and spiking my egg nog, heavily.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-63961538447036554762015-10-25T21:21:00.002-05:002015-10-25T21:28:59.991-05:00"Punkins!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Holy cow, how is October almost over and this is my first blog post this month?!? Oops. Don't worry, I have not been sitting idle! I am still training for my half marathon on November 7th. But I sustained a second injury during this training period (weak legs) so I have to take it easy for a week. Hoping to get a few miles in tomorrow and ease back into it. Today would have been a perfect day for a run, but instead we headed to a local pumpkin patch. This year, we went to Eplegaarden in Fitchburg. </div>
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From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, we got to listen to this one saying, "PUNKINS!"</div>
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<i> She was dressed in my most favorite outfit of hers right now. </i> <i>Thankfully, we got some cute pics before she fell down like 147 times and got all dirty.</i><br />
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The hubs, so strong.<br />
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Obligatory family photo...<br />
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<i> The lighting was tough today. Not easy to get good pics with noon sunlight.</i><br />
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<i>This guy. I don't know when his smile started looking like he was in pain but that is what it is right now.</i><br />
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Obligatory cousin photo...<br />
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They had some horse drawn wagons there and Sully was brave enough to pet the horse with some help from cousin Ava.<br />
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Obligatory mother/daughter photo...<br />
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<i>She was trying to slither away from me. Sneaky little snake.</i></div>
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This lady has her "cheeeeeese" down pat:)</div>
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Obligatory father/daughter photos...<br />
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Auntie enjoying some baby Justine time...<br />
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My heart skips a bit when I see my nieces and nephews interact with my kids. Especially the older nieces and nephew. The kindness and interest they show in my kids are nothing short of amazing and I am so grateful. They have no idea. My kids are so very lucky to have such amazing cousins on both sides of their family.<br />
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Picking the perfect pumpkins...<br />
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Obligatory brother/sister photo (fail)...<br />
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Obligatory mother/son photo...<br />
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And lastly, me and my two "punkins"...<br />
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Now to finish making their Halloween costumes. </div>
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I am done with the little lady's costume but possibly traumatized her when I put it on her. It was TIGHT! I had to cut it off her and add ties to the back so it is easier to get on and off, assuming she lets me put it on her again. *sigh* Pics to come!</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-3281499498445111992015-09-29T20:53:00.002-05:002015-09-29T20:53:36.878-05:00Fall TourI typically don't post a fall tour on the blog. And apparently, I am the slowest person in the blogosphere to do so. I posted a lot of my fall decor on Instagram but thought I would just blog it too. Sometimes I like to go back and see what I did in years past. I shared the changes I made to my half chalkboard wall in the living room yesterday <a href="http://making-our-nest.blogspot.com/2015/09/chalkboard-wall-update.html" target="_blank">here</a>. So I will start with the other side of the room.<br />
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<i>See the cat photobomber I tried to unsuccessfully crop out?</i><br />
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Yes, the "THANKS" is completely wonky and tapers and not straight but this year, it is all about embracing imperfections (at least that is what I am telling myself and my family).<br />
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I am kind of obsessing about pillows recently. Accumulating them and making covers for them. I made the leaf ones out of a 4 pack of napkins I got from Marshalls or Kohls, I can't even remember which, and some drop cloth. So I made 4 pillows total. The pillow obsession is quite silly with two littles around who continuously throw them on the floor then proceed to trip on them and fall into coffee tables. Oops.<br />
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Heading up to the dining room...<br />
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Apparently feathers are the prominent fall decor this year at my house. I bought a bunch at Hobby Lobby and strung them up on twine, threw them in centerpieces, put them in bottles and gobblets. Please.stop.me.<br />
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I was pretty pumped to decorate my new table and shelves this year. Love decorating new surfaces.<br />
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We had to have a Halloween section of the house (maybe I ran out of acceptable fall decor and maybe I did it for the kids, I will never tell).<br />
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And here is the other side of the buffet...<br />
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I usually don't bother to incorporate any fall decor in our bedroom but decided to go for it this year.<br />
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<i>Yep, I posted a "night" picture on the blog- gasp! And I have yet to add height to the hubs bedside table but it is on the list.</i><br />
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This most adorable pinecone garland is from Target and I love it! </div>
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So that is the fall tour. There has been some musical pillows since I took these pics but I am calling it a day on the fall decorating!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-22628530065794900372015-09-27T14:40:00.001-05:002015-09-27T14:40:34.466-05:00Chalkboard wall updateI am still loving my half chalkboard wall and want to show you what I did to it today. This wall had always stumped me a bit as to what to put on it, which is why I chose to paint it with chalkboard paint. More options. I have been really wanting to hop on the wall paper band wagon but my hubs is not on board and I am just not confident enough to follow through anyway. But, to get a patterned look on the wall, I decided to draw a pattern on my chalkboard wall. So I took everything down and wiped off the stuff I had written. I found a pattern I liked on Pinterest. Then I crafted some makeshift "tools" to get the job done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxJDnnWxuCKdsjTYJZ-4IUGaNEVAx4SC61hmy7-8qQI9IpOSlDz-nHRfply2c3ej-AP7PrPE6jTXyShC-V6ubWsM2JMikT3zrHDUy3RuOFdryztY6SGEOtVgY_KyEpq1f_ihsQAR9IHPF/s1600/IMG_2382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxJDnnWxuCKdsjTYJZ-4IUGaNEVAx4SC61hmy7-8qQI9IpOSlDz-nHRfply2c3ej-AP7PrPE6jTXyShC-V6ubWsM2JMikT3zrHDUy3RuOFdryztY6SGEOtVgY_KyEpq1f_ihsQAR9IHPF/s640/IMG_2382.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Thats right, I taped an old photo envelop to a level. High tech, I tell you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXepqiCQd74ryt97GU_DctchIyaLhl1xTnI-orAZy96RpvMTW72N1dBg6eoFjtia1iu2MCEHaaXIIzEUMwP8pfSTTauQaHq4CnHIbJVEwif0f5k4f0R0fznFsm2ZdhyphenhyphenPtURkxWqiE5RGu3/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXepqiCQd74ryt97GU_DctchIyaLhl1xTnI-orAZy96RpvMTW72N1dBg6eoFjtia1iu2MCEHaaXIIzEUMwP8pfSTTauQaHq4CnHIbJVEwif0f5k4f0R0fznFsm2ZdhyphenhyphenPtURkxWqiE5RGu3/s640/IMG_2379.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vqIv5eTvK7lElTDM_d5INDvLPA48mwO1rnT_eCnjGvWFvVPbDAffFYiWNX7s0GxEASUIuxfyNcWxGtBwZEVdFa16ZdX3nSZQR7b7IexZbYOGblcMBcprYBPORqFKXkM0-k_CT6CzXnG4/s1600/IMG_2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vqIv5eTvK7lElTDM_d5INDvLPA48mwO1rnT_eCnjGvWFvVPbDAffFYiWNX7s0GxEASUIuxfyNcWxGtBwZEVdFa16ZdX3nSZQR7b7IexZbYOGblcMBcprYBPORqFKXkM0-k_CT6CzXnG4/s640/IMG_2380.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then I needed an angled "tool" so I drew a line on the photo envelop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomZZ0VUxdwrJMyaPT4gtKn99jkvlrW4bCDs_pHzPtlsnM4HNOdG5SlnYdQh4JqKslz8ijZZ_f5L7gk4VXaFUAYvJYFHlLpTa3epXLJIXlDESK6YdwhfW75kYPaQOuu0hRI2kfGULlzCtF/s1600/IMG_2383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomZZ0VUxdwrJMyaPT4gtKn99jkvlrW4bCDs_pHzPtlsnM4HNOdG5SlnYdQh4JqKslz8ijZZ_f5L7gk4VXaFUAYvJYFHlLpTa3epXLJIXlDESK6YdwhfW75kYPaQOuu0hRI2kfGULlzCtF/s640/IMG_2383.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And cut down the line.<br />
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I taped another photo envelop to the angled on as kind of a spacing guide. Then I went to it drawing angles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDBMmZ1X98O1AbOm_Y1A-CUxt5UCCbf2ON3YKs2CAzbw9bEbIVInWxJOz-07thxHy4qO1PLpfqS7sNEmC67I5XQBu2v9t3gO-ZcVzqB3YK1Op8iK8ruYX6RoXTlTNExMRyqW3t2cQZ0oR/s1600/IMG_2385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDBMmZ1X98O1AbOm_Y1A-CUxt5UCCbf2ON3YKs2CAzbw9bEbIVInWxJOz-07thxHy4qO1PLpfqS7sNEmC67I5XQBu2v9t3gO-ZcVzqB3YK1Op8iK8ruYX6RoXTlTNExMRyqW3t2cQZ0oR/s640/IMG_2385.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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You are correct. They are not perfectly even or spaced but that is what I was going for. Imperfect pattern. Next, I decorated the wall.<br />
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I love it and it only took about 40 minutes! Winning!<br />
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Coming soon, my belated fall tour.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-22487684012620369822015-09-08T21:32:00.002-05:002015-09-08T21:32:47.892-05:00Addiction...There are some addictions I have going on right now....<br />
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The first is books. I have had an insatiable appetite for books this summer. My previous relentless house projects have given way to this new obsession. I will say that my bank account likes this addiction much more than my house project obsession... But back to books, I can't read enough of them. For the first time in my life, I have started reading a new book before ending the previous book. And while reading those two books, I have listened to books on CD in the car during my commute to and from work. The obsession does not seem to be letting up any time soon. I just picked up two more books on CD from the library tonight and another one to actually read because I am almost done with the one I am currently reading. I fear that I may run out of great books to read. I am not kidding, I seriously fear this even though that is absurd and irrational. So if you have read any great books lately, I would love some recommendations!!</div>
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The second is Fitbitting. </div>
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I got a Fitbit Charge in May and I have been determined to reach my step goal of 10,000 steps daily. There are only a handful of days that I have not done so (like today). I don't get a ton of steps at work (to my surprise) so I really have to work at it. I get to work 20 minutes early for a walk, try to take one at lunch which does not always happen, and then take one in the evening which may entail dragging the kids and the blind dog along. As a result, the kids and I got to see some pretty cool stuff! There is a small airport at the end of our road. Sydney and I saw a couple electric planes being flown around one day. Several times, we have seen small planes taking off and flying around.<br />
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Right before this plane took off, the pilot actually unhitched his window, said hi and waved to us. It was pretty cool! When the weather cools off, they set off hot air balloons from this tiny airport. <br />
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It has been so fun to see these things and have these memories with the kids! All this walking has made me consider taking up running again. I had not run since before I was pregnant with my second pregnancy. I have never really been a "runner" even though I participated in cross country in high school a few years and I have run a few 5Ks and an 8K right after I had Sully. But I was basically too lazy to step it up this summer. That is, until I received a text from a friend asking if I would run a <i>half marathon</i> in November with her. You read that right, a <i>half marathon</i>. And I just went ahead and agreed to it. What?!? So I am starting my 3rd week of running a few days a week. During the week, I usually have to run in the morning because I just can't swing it in the evenings. And I have to say, this might be my newest addiction. The "running high" is a real thing! Pretty much addicted to to it. I am having to go 2 days in a row without running this week and it is killing me. In the past when I was training for a running event, I looked forward to the days I could rest. Now I dread the days I have to rest. It is bizarre and I have never felt like this before! I don't even care about losing out on sleep to run. I get some time to myself. To think. To write loads of blog posts in my head and never get them "on paper." AND I can get 10,000 steps before the day even starts! I even ran in the rain one morning. I am officially a crazy person.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-5611401444692952162015-09-01T16:21:00.000-05:002015-09-01T16:21:46.319-05:004K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had like 15 different blog posts all written in my head for today. But I can't commit to any of them. In a way, it has been less emotional that I thought it would be. Waiting for the bus and the actual act of seeing him board the bus left me happy and excited for him, not very sad. But then when I go to write here, I feel like maple syrup inside.<br />
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After last week, I am ready for this week to be MUCH better in the parenting department. Last week was the big teacher meet and greet. I hurried out of work and picked up the kids from daycare and rushed home. I placed Sydney in my nephew's capable hands and quickly grabbed the bag of supplies that I so carefully purchased from the supply list that was sent home from the school, picking out the perfect sizes, colors and quantities of things. I sped to the school feeling excited and a little nervous for my little 4 year old.<br />
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Only when we got there, there were only 2 cars in the parking lot. I thought it would be a lot busier than that for back to school night but as quick as I could, I unbuckled Sully and grabbed the forms that I carefully filled out and bag full of supplies and we headed for the door. It was locked. This had to be a mistake, we walked to a side door and that was also locked. It was then that I looked at the paperwork and saw the teacher meet and greet was the day before. Moisture accumulated in my eyes as I ushered Sully back to the car. "Geez, I guess we really didn't need to hurry, did we Mom?" Sully teased. I buckled him back into the seat and shut his door. I walked to the back of my car and broke down, crying hysterically. I messed up the first teacher meet and greet I was dealt. GAH! It was crushing to me! I am supposed to be his mother. Which means I am supposed to get these this right, damn it! <br />
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You see, I still remember a time when I didn't know if I would get the privilege of attending back to school events for my kids. I didn't know if I would ever be able to have a child. And when I think back to that time, back to school days, supply lists and backpacks were right there at the top of the list of things I could not wait to experience. <br />
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So it was incredibly upsetting to me. But not Sully. Mostly he just thought I was so ridiculous for making him hurry so much when there was nothing to see or do. It just rolled right off of his tiny shoulders but not before a small morsel of fear crept in when he whispered, "what if my teacher if mean?" And then he was over it. And it barely even phased him when we sent him to bike day the next day with flat tires on his bike. I told the hubs to make sure the training wheels were tight but neither one of us even thought about checking the tires for air! As a kid, I would have been mortified by this. I would have tried to physically turn my body inside out so no one would see me. But not Sully. He just said, "Yeah, it was pretty hard to pedal my bike today. It made me tired!"<br />
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And so when I saw him board the bus today, I guess I knew he would do great. <br />
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He has so much more confidence and resilience than I did at that age (I think). I am in awe of these qualities in him and I am so thankful he has them. He may be physically small (which he hates) but he sure makes up for it in personality and spirit and heart. <br />
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<i> Sully to his daycare buddy, "Lets hold hands." Heart melted.</i><br />
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But here we are, we made it despite any of our short comings, screw ups, meltdowns and struggles. We made it. He made it. And I made it. <br />
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I can't wait to go pick him up from daycare and ask him all about it. I am sure he will have a lot to tell me, he always does:)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-69924434142804997392015-08-29T09:57:00.003-05:002015-08-29T10:01:19.985-05:00StuffDid you ever get some news about someone that was so horrible you just wanted to purge it out of your mind so you didn't have to think about it and its affects every waking minute? Maybe unload the information onto other people so they could help carry the burden for you? I am sure everyone has. As I get older, I seem to be collecting more of these moments and it just plain sucks. I know that life will continue to have ugly, gut-wrenching moments because that is the rule, not the exception. I know that we don't get to pick and chose the people to which these moments occur and I wouldn't want to do that anyway. I know there are no exemptions.<br />
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I haven't done much craft projects lately but when I get ugly news, I am compelled to busy myself making something pretty. Obviously it won't fix or change anything other than distracting me and that is ok. <br />
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A special little lady is turning 4 tomorrow and it was the perfect opportunity to DIY one of those adorable fabric take along dollhouses. I used <a href="http://uklassinus.blogspot.com/2008/08/fabric-dollhouse-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this</a> tutorial. It has pictures of all the steps, which I failed to do and usually fail to do because I am typically in such a hurry I can't stop to bother to photo document the process. <br />
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Basically, you cut some pieces out of some plastic cross stitch sheets for the house sides, bottom and roof. Then you wrap them all with quilt batting and I used duct tape to secure the batting.<br />
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Then you layout your fabric after you have sewed your roof material to your house material for the outside. Place your pieces over that piece of fabric which should be place "right side in."<br />
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Then you will need place your fabric for the inside of the house and "garden" over the top "right side in." It is during this step that you include the sides of the house as well (see linked post above for diagrams and much better explanations). Sorry, no pic for this step:( Pin down the long sides and one of the short sides. Make sure to add some elastic loops for closing the house up (I used elastic hair ties) and rope, ribbon or fabric for handles during this step (I used rope). Remove the pieces and sew the pinned sides. Turn "right side out" and place your pieces inside. Pin along the pieces and then sew the pinned lines so the pieces are each in their own compartment. Sew up the last short side. Once that is done, you can fold up the house and hand stitch the sides to the back of the house that does not have the garden. Add buttons for closure and embellish with fabric or felt.</div>
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DIY fabric take along dollhouse:</div>
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These are so adorable. I enjoyed just having this sitting on my dining room table the past week. I am about halfway done with Sully and Sydney's houses for Christmas. Options for what to put in and use with the houses include Polly Pockets, Disney princess palace pets, animals (if you chose to make a barn) or cars (if you chose to make a garage). Now to pack up this house for the birthday girl!</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-68301781677867559212015-08-12T21:55:00.001-05:002015-08-12T22:00:21.305-05:00Best.Summer.Ever.I know it has been quiet on the blog lately. But we have just been too busy living the best.summer.ever. Don't believe me? Lets recap.<br />
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The first half of summer was very laid back with several cousin sleepovers... <br />
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<i>Neon cousins.</i><br />
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<i> I would love to hear this convo while making mini pizzas.</i><br />
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We watched Jens' band Take the King play at Brat fest...<br />
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<i>They just idolize their cousin:)</i><br />
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We went to the zoo a few times...<br />
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And went to the splash pad twice...<br />
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Then we had to check out the new trampoline park in Madison...<br />
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But it was after the 4th of July that our summer really ramped up. I feel like we have been going non-stop. And although I am completely exhausted, we have made some of my favorite memories ever.<br />
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<i>Me and my date watched a movie in the park.</i><br />
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A few days after that, we left for our annual Wads/Groth camping trip. It brought with it lots of firsts including first time camping with 5 kids, first camping tornado warning and my (and my kids) first trip to House on the Rock. <br />
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The day we got back, we headed to the Dane County Fair to watch Take the King. And eat food. And ride rides.<br />
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A few days later, we had our annual Koslo/Groth weekend extravaganza complete with a homemade fish bowl.<br />
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The following friday, we headed to the Milwaukee County Zoo with my side of the family...<br />
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And the next day, we headed to my in-laws campsite in Montello, WI where it just so happened to be Christmas in July. Yes, we camped TWICE this summer. Crazy, I know...<br />
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<i>Sully was so excited, he probably peed his pants a little.</i><br />
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That Monday, I took the kids to see the butterfly exhibit at Olbrich Gardens...<br />
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The following weekend, my cousin got married and I had SO MUCH FUN dancing the night away with my family, including my Grandpa!!</div>
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<i> Strolling around the capital after the ceremony. </i><br />
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And the next day, we were off to the Dells for 3 days where the kids had their first Noah's Ark experience and Wisconsin Ducks tour.<br />
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Whew! See?!? I told you we are having the best summer ever! I mean, the fun just never stops! I also took part in a craft show, made over my dining room, had a successful Craftshop in Milwaukee and had a garage sale! And we are not done yet. Oh no, we have two more weekend trips planned along with another cousin sleepover. So you may not be hearing a ton from me here on the blog until September. I <i>am</i> kind of looking forward to slowing down this fall and doing a few house projects. But for now, until the weather starts to change and cool off, I am just going to ride this Big Kahuna wave of fun right out into the sunset.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-12464725481664014662015-08-01T13:23:00.001-05:002015-08-01T13:23:10.964-05:0018 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dear Sydney, </div>
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Hey girl. Today, you turned 18 months! I took you and your crazy brother to Olbrich Gardens to celebrate. </div>
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You explored, climbed and tortured your mother together.<br />
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You are such a little person these days. With clear likes and dislikes. Unlike your brother, you have much more likes than dislikes:) And you are more easily distracted and redirected than he was at 18 months. <br />
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Even though you two are as different as night and day in so many ways, you have a special bond. <br />
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He helps you and you help him. He loves you and you love him. He annoys you and you annoy him. Its perfect.<br />
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Everything he does, you want to do. Monkey see, monkey do.<br />
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Your vocabulary is huge. You will try to repeat anything we say. Currently, my favorite word that you can't even come close to saying but you try super hard is "brother." And any word ending in "k" or "ck" is said with a hard "CKKK" sound. It is hilarious! A lot of German in you:) Your first two word phrase was, "HI Turbo!"</div>
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Your personality has completely blossomed into the silliest kid I have ever met. You enjoy "dressing up" with beaded necklaces, crowns and hats. You even pretend to "go bye-bye" by slinging a purse of bag over your shoulder while waving and saying "Bu-bye!" <br />
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In the morning after I dress you, you look down, pat your belly and say, "Pretty!" <br />
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You eat like no kid I have ever seen. Sometimes, you have 3 dinners. It's crazy! You are our little garbage can. You also enjoy sharing your food, typically after you have licked it or had it in your mouth. You offer it up saying, "Bite??"<br />
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At 17 months, you took up the Nuk. I think it is comforting for you since we are weaning off of nursing. I can't help but think it is adorable:)<br />
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You have been and continue to be such a joy in our lives. You are the perfect piece we were missing without knowing we were missing it. You shower us with love- continuous hugs and kisses and back pats. <br />
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I can't get enough of you and am always wondering what you will do next. I am having so much fun being your Mama:) Here's to more adventures together!<br />
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Love,<br />
Mama<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-90093394916994699762015-07-15T16:28:00.001-05:002015-07-15T16:33:53.143-05:00Annual Camping Trip Round upWe just returned from our annual Wads/Groth camping trip today. Read about past camping trips <a href="http://making-our-nest.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-campers.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://making-our-nest.blogspot.com/2013/07/camping-with-toddlers.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This year, we chose Governor Dodge State Park in Dodgeville, WI. The forecast showed blistering heat and rain, but we went ahead with our plans anyway. <br />
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I had already whipped up some camping sangria and we could not let that go to waste! <br />
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Ingredients:<br />
Peach infused vodka<br />
White wine<br />
7 up or Sprite<br />
fruit: I used strawberries, apples and blueberries<br />
artificial sweetener<br />
mason jars and lids<br />
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Directions:<br />
Put 1/2-1 packet of sweetener in the jars (I put 1/2 because I was afraid it was going to be too sweet and it was perfect).<br />
Chop up your fruit and fill the mason jars about 2/3-3/4 full of fruit.<br />
Put 3 shots of peach infused vodka in each jar.<br />
Fill the jars up with white wine.<br />
Place your lids on the jars.<br />
Put on ice.<br />
When ready to drink, pour 1/2 of a jar into a solo cup and fill the rest with 7 up or Sprite.<br />
Enjoy!!<br />
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And they were oh.so.good.<br />
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<i> Here we are just getting to the campsite and still clean and excited:)</i><br />
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We set up camp in the heat and humidity.<br />
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(Last year our little tent leaked during a good rainstorm at night so we invested in a much larger 6 person tent with screen porch and some cots. Game changer.)<br />
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Peek inside:<br />
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Dining room:</div>
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<i>And then we had to eat immediately.</i><br />
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And we embarked on our 3 night camping adventure. Including swims in the lake, ribs by Cookie, sparklers and glow sticks...<br />
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Unafraid raccoons visiting the campsite every night and stealing butter out of coolers, a torrential downpour and wicked thunderstorm the first night and morning camp coffee...<br />
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Children games of Wall-e, hide and seek and paper Barbies...<br />
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The shortest hike on the hottest day...<br />
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On the second night, after our rib dinner during which we listened to scary thunder sounds for almost a continuous hour, we got an alert on our phones of a tornado warning, not watch, for the next half hour. This prompted a flurry of activity including throwing our kids in the cars, stowing the chairs away, adding stakes to the screen tent that lifted off the ground in a gust of wind all while consoling the kids that "of course it is going to be fine! Nothing bad is going to happen!" Then we quickly made a mad dash to the local Wal-Mart (where else) where we shopped our anxieties away.<br />
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<i> Rainbow after the storm.</i><br />
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Then we treated the kids (and ourselves) to A&W ice cream.<br />
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The next day, we continued on our merry camping adventure.<br />
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<i> (One of the craft project for the kids: nature dream catchers.)</i><br />
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We also made a trip to House on the Rock (which I don't know why I have never ever been there before).<br />
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If you have not been there, please, please go! It is amazing!!<br />
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And back at the campsite, we watched the kids <strike>fight</strike> play.<br />
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And then, we were spent.</div>
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More memories in the books:)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-57560808037565289912015-07-08T21:35:00.001-05:002015-07-08T21:37:40.986-05:00The "Good Days"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have this terrible compulsion to read every single parenthood/motherhood/toddler town article on Facebook. Articles about how fast the little kid years go by. About how tough it is now but someday, those articles promise that I will look back at this time and miss it. I will miss the little messes.</div>
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The messes that are easy, although maddening when done 50 times per day, to clean up. The tiny, high-pitched voices that echo through the halls screaming, "MOMMY!?!" Gallons of bathwater on the floor.<br />
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Tiny sticky hands constantly reaching for me. Countless nights of mombie-ing through the house tending to baby people that are scared/sick/lonely/hungry/just plain not tired. Crates overflowing with teeny tiny shoes.<br />
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Finding half eaten chicken nuggets/breakfast sausages/pieces of gum strategically placed behind chairs so I don't find them until days later. Never getting to eat a full, warm meal or drink an entire coffee while it is still hot because there is always 1-5 other needs that require attention. Sippy cups strewn throughout the house that you hope to God are not days old with curdled milk.<br />
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I certainly cannot contest the fact that time really is flying by at the speed of light. I don't know how my first baby is almost 5 and my littlest baby is almost closer to 2 than 1. I don't know how the hell I got to be closer to 40 than 30 but I am. Time is sneaky like that. Just keeps going on and on regardless of what you are doing. </div>
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But I find it impossible that I will be upset by being needed just a smidgen less every moment of the day and night. I truly find it hard to imagine how having just a few more moments of time to myself would be so bad. But they all say its true, I will soooo miss these "good days." </div>
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So I am trying. Really trying to see these days as beautiful messes and maybe even live in the beautiful mess for just a bit before quickly sweeping, collecting, wiping and mopping it up. Maybe even capture the beautiful messes with my camera and keep these moments forever. Or better yet, share more of them here on the blog. I mean, you would love to see a days old chicken nugget perfectly hidden behind an ottoman, right?</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-55726389234312032672015-07-05T12:38:00.001-05:002015-07-05T12:40:42.328-05:00Open ShelvingHey all! Hope you had a great (and safe) 4th of July yesterday! I am making some more changes in my dining room. <br />
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Previously, I had showed you some pics of the table and new room rearrangement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTsui3XZdz7WWiVrwphg6yVo0T8Zjzs5svMH-iFJnjDBp5RRni_9sJMZOLgGBrkj9yseKH5lenCqBFCga-WnHQgxe8gjG_C2Rj7Ltgbd6Rvn29WJapTgurp2hLKSZsJZKNHh-v-MjDE17/s1600/IMG_1658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTsui3XZdz7WWiVrwphg6yVo0T8Zjzs5svMH-iFJnjDBp5RRni_9sJMZOLgGBrkj9yseKH5lenCqBFCga-WnHQgxe8gjG_C2Rj7Ltgbd6Rvn29WJapTgurp2hLKSZsJZKNHh-v-MjDE17/s640/IMG_1658.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This pic shows the back wall where I was not done making changes. You can see the big coffee sack framed to the upper right. I decided to take that down and put some open shelving up. Open shelving is red hot and trending right now. It is not always the best thing to jump on what is trending but I decided to go for it. That area has always been a challenge for me for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with the kid kitchen that lives just below it. Or not.<br />
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Anyway, I picked up some small wooden corbels at Home Depot and painted them white. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3lzXFfVfZcVCAeGaPluN427l0f8wSZG48pKq9DOZMTnB1Tubvj3df-b-PuhFKVzRkDN4BSBAgpcp8r0Ey-e2PtHPc5FiWpuLWu8iPZe892Ls02uda5OyFqQoRlbECJ9Ip6Z4Wn_JIJOS/s1600/IMG_1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3lzXFfVfZcVCAeGaPluN427l0f8wSZG48pKq9DOZMTnB1Tubvj3df-b-PuhFKVzRkDN4BSBAgpcp8r0Ey-e2PtHPc5FiWpuLWu8iPZe892Ls02uda5OyFqQoRlbECJ9Ip6Z4Wn_JIJOS/s640/IMG_1020.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Then I hung them on the wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90Ea8uwLPXvep_rBLM-oRqSreUYjxoHz5GtrF6cuUi911y6Hcyjju4OiTqB2yrwfBUlIbZDCkNtm0sE-ybqsbELP7s33kLvwI_ok6j-xFKJSNFUIsNniskC-IyWv3xbEIuq8PmiksrVcO/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90Ea8uwLPXvep_rBLM-oRqSreUYjxoHz5GtrF6cuUi911y6Hcyjju4OiTqB2yrwfBUlIbZDCkNtm0sE-ybqsbELP7s33kLvwI_ok6j-xFKJSNFUIsNniskC-IyWv3xbEIuq8PmiksrVcO/s640/IMG_1022.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Then I bought a pine board and had the Home Depot guy cut it down to give me 2 30" boards. I stained them with my favorite stain mixture, 75% Minwax classic grey and 25% Minwax dark walnut. I placed them centered over the corbels, predrilled some holed and screwed the boards to the corbels. Done. Then came the hard part, decorating/staging the shelves...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscmtPXPotdSHKLmeVVmq0_MppFRm12pYEG-TVpIC0gvTazcYXjaUTX8U6yg82b_kFvADXaVGfTR_EQhKY9WrXj9Vlv2VZn9qh71P8Kg-8YENWbH0N5vMJ_Ffw6JhLDC5VZ717IGqUG28I/s1600/IMG_1702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscmtPXPotdSHKLmeVVmq0_MppFRm12pYEG-TVpIC0gvTazcYXjaUTX8U6yg82b_kFvADXaVGfTR_EQhKY9WrXj9Vlv2VZn9qh71P8Kg-8YENWbH0N5vMJ_Ffw6JhLDC5VZ717IGqUG28I/s640/IMG_1702.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used all stuff I had on hand already, meat grinders, basket, baking ware, sifter, scale I got from an antiques mall, bird houses and the Craftshop orb.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAsWhfqy6wPoYDwiawvB_ePGhw0r5H80F4I18EmXjuNcvwJc9dufQcKJ2VXlvVj41FApPdR_SKOyNkvwApxc32JRkBwEJ81-sb_qHyvx1uComAo2HkWPJassS2KqcRdRSBsdSYoperH0B/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAsWhfqy6wPoYDwiawvB_ePGhw0r5H80F4I18EmXjuNcvwJc9dufQcKJ2VXlvVj41FApPdR_SKOyNkvwApxc32JRkBwEJ81-sb_qHyvx1uComAo2HkWPJassS2KqcRdRSBsdSYoperH0B/s640/IMG_1709.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, and I got some chairs that I am in the process of painting white with chalk paint. I have one coat on and I.just.can't.paint.them.again.right.now. So that is how they will live for a bit.<br />
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Stay tuned for more changes to this wall!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-87845589080729895542015-06-19T12:09:00.002-05:002015-06-19T12:09:36.852-05:00Balance<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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It has been quiet on the blog lately. Life is so full these days. Which is awesome and great and wonderful. And exhausting. Like all parents out there, I find it hard to find perfect balance in my life. A perfect balance that allows me to be efficient and effective at work, present at home and fulfilling to myself. I am not perfect so at any given time, something usually suffers. Lately, it has been the blogging. Although, I have been quite busy on projects, makeovers and crafts. I just have not shared them because I could not put the perfect words to the perfect pictures with the perfect lighting (or as perfect as I am capable of with my limited photography skills). <br />
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You see, I have this problem with perfection. Sometimes it is crippling. If I can't do it perfectly, why do it? I don't want to put a product out there that was not put out there with my best efforts. This problem with perfection has been with me ever since I was little. If I could not be one of the best players on the team, why play (basketball, softball)? It can make your life really small. Until you are living in a tiny box, terrified of not being perfect. <br />
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I am old enough and know myself well enough now to see it for what it is. After about 2 weeks, I realized where I was heading. Instead of being disappointed I had to go back on my medication, I was relieved I had a solution. Grateful to have something to pull me back to where I want to be. <br />
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So lets not waste anymore time and let me show you what I have been up to....<br />
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Here is a before pic of my dining room. Lots of room for parties:) We used it a lot when entertaining but not at all when not entertaining. I wanted this to be a more useable space. I mean, its huge and it was just sitting idle most of the time. And my craft/sewing/toy/guest room was busting at the seams. So I thought, why not move all my craft supplies to the dining room and get a nice, big table to craft (and dine) at? And that was the purpose behind the change. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7YGFT7FywXSVX2WitfVf7WrZCOl7eEl_TLe8V0RsgwO5GPQH4hTzUHqQkj4xcysmX3t9EJclsXfHX86SOdeMEcwfBwZLnTQ1_6V61iTNYBXsvr0udSKIpmJV5-vwV_ljBDExpNx7ZGZA/s640/blogger-image--867930830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7YGFT7FywXSVX2WitfVf7WrZCOl7eEl_TLe8V0RsgwO5GPQH4hTzUHqQkj4xcysmX3t9EJclsXfHX86SOdeMEcwfBwZLnTQ1_6V61iTNYBXsvr0udSKIpmJV5-vwV_ljBDExpNx7ZGZA/s640/blogger-image--867930830.jpg" /></a></div>
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Also, I wanted to purge the laminate book shelves that I painted black 10 years ago. It was time! And I wanted to change up my gallery wall.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PxuCe_ZZclE5D6XYLYdjuAGDLVdfQ30LxkxGWn2FXd_Q0wzzwYFpQYmH4MLqbTZ_iCTI5sSjv4Y2e9xXLe81jn98xpH1WU7-ym92ocEBLINL72v_fCt8VOz6gc3cOoLyfIgJS2WKWjxg/s640/blogger-image--2090105301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PxuCe_ZZclE5D6XYLYdjuAGDLVdfQ30LxkxGWn2FXd_Q0wzzwYFpQYmH4MLqbTZ_iCTI5sSjv4Y2e9xXLe81jn98xpH1WU7-ym92ocEBLINL72v_fCt8VOz6gc3cOoLyfIgJS2WKWjxg/s640/blogger-image--2090105301.jpg" /></a></div>
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This the best before pic of where my fireplace was that was taken within the past 6 months. Oops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzYyulu-qbyiLZZFK7MF1d6kIQy2Ut9UkP6dkslmd8clc4GkYMdF1mZ9ISu9cnbB5l8MXoPeUD2Yq2TNQT8qemyFM95KNT7HzUbcuCTLMYUVws8Oup3A1V3gyzt0afUvIys_CmvSAzI7S/s640/blogger-image-1705895737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzYyulu-qbyiLZZFK7MF1d6kIQy2Ut9UkP6dkslmd8clc4GkYMdF1mZ9ISu9cnbB5l8MXoPeUD2Yq2TNQT8qemyFM95KNT7HzUbcuCTLMYUVws8Oup3A1V3gyzt0afUvIys_CmvSAzI7S/s640/blogger-image-1705895737.jpg" /></a></div>
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After selling my table, chairs and bar stools, I moved the fireplace to the area where the dining table was. Between the patio door and window. Immediately, the room felt different. More cozy and it made sense. I should have had it there all along! Gah!<br />
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To fill the empty wall this move left behind, I searched thrift stores for a small dresser or cabinet and I was fortunate enough to find this guy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimOsBeISldLcR1rbLFcMjS_XryCJ3AG_olNE9jML4QZ9ywja0WQNtdiLdWCeSYqw1fj1CZyPmtL3Y69MgRDqA2k_qOUJyzEjCyF8U_cAKdsA1EfeAkNMrqQEgVmtp_9GZY1T242V7ml5u/s640/blogger-image--1283870012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimOsBeISldLcR1rbLFcMjS_XryCJ3AG_olNE9jML4QZ9ywja0WQNtdiLdWCeSYqw1fj1CZyPmtL3Y69MgRDqA2k_qOUJyzEjCyF8U_cAKdsA1EfeAkNMrqQEgVmtp_9GZY1T242V7ml5u/s640/blogger-image--1283870012.jpg" /></a></div>
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I sanded it down (I LOATHE sanding). Then I took a 50/50 mixture of white latex paint and water and painted sections then rubbed it off. Like I was staining. I put the knobs back on and it turned out PERFECT! Double bonus, it is on wheels!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecDBDbyIbtETVLoPh4LU9jyC-phrG7k3mRO7RqPJAygFkCRmJrdsQP1gn0svxXYawACfZaecaC0T78a3sGIAzd13c5BDne1Jd8sFgJQVVDTc3SUAMZcSjGpwgITmg8_IIRjhNixaH-fF6/s640/blogger-image-556826026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecDBDbyIbtETVLoPh4LU9jyC-phrG7k3mRO7RqPJAygFkCRmJrdsQP1gn0svxXYawACfZaecaC0T78a3sGIAzd13c5BDne1Jd8sFgJQVVDTc3SUAMZcSjGpwgITmg8_IIRjhNixaH-fF6/s640/blogger-image-556826026.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgFBP-67YYXwSYEhJx_JKCAQLPt-YO8N1GfhmIEICbpoMwN3sxO-gevPUEWdBNK-d_KhvMntq_jxzv-qeGiAjb44B2gM_o9VGLm8rlYunF1isfYyfzGmHEV3btEhwFrCnv9Yqp5dr_W9Y/s640/blogger-image--515068988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgFBP-67YYXwSYEhJx_JKCAQLPt-YO8N1GfhmIEICbpoMwN3sxO-gevPUEWdBNK-d_KhvMntq_jxzv-qeGiAjb44B2gM_o9VGLm8rlYunF1isfYyfzGmHEV3btEhwFrCnv9Yqp5dr_W9Y/s640/blogger-image--515068988.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now it houses all the craft supplies I could possibly cram into it (decorative paper, felt, scissors, writing utensils, cards, laminator, chalk, glue, stapler, ribbons, etc). Next to it, I hauled up a wicker chair from my basement for some additional seating which can also be pulled up to the new table.</div>
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Speaking of the new table, I wanted to go with a big farmhouse, chunky table. My parents came and I put my dad to work immediately building me one. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqNBUCZcmdGtiivMtcwtXy4Z6_Sst4LudP2SGbe1TxNnJurnCl8r7WgGp_x_Km-TQzYC6NfDW3TM9q6HTZ-4VZ6o0O5P1hJGmv0L3GdFjmquqsHXl3UtVB7SZLM3tlND-Xr8twq4cn3Fd/s640/blogger-image-1435801216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqNBUCZcmdGtiivMtcwtXy4Z6_Sst4LudP2SGbe1TxNnJurnCl8r7WgGp_x_Km-TQzYC6NfDW3TM9q6HTZ-4VZ6o0O5P1hJGmv0L3GdFjmquqsHXl3UtVB7SZLM3tlND-Xr8twq4cn3Fd/s640/blogger-image-1435801216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Look at him! What a guy!</i></div>
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Once done, we brought it in and placed it right in the middle of the room. I bought a nice sisal rug off of Rugs USA (they had a 70% off sale + free shipping) to anchor the table. (I got a good teasing about having 8 rugs on this floor of our house from the hubs. He hates rugs. I love them. I win.)</div>
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<i>See what I mean about the new fireplace placement? Its perfect!</i></div>
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But the table was not done! I stained it with a mix of Minwax Weathered Grey (75%) and Minwax Dark Walnut (25%). It looked really pretty but it was not quite the style I was going for. Too dark and competed with other elements in the room. So I white washed if like I did the new cabinet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrLlgq0GVFCgmrQpp2OeeymhePXtQKJX8ccT1LRKuTrwJhiFnp2i4R-LtrPB65fvzE9dFQE_HcqjzgJFlcSJ6BzY7IOtK00JBpWFnqTgDSYJTejARcCyzn86Ejmgx5E6TDZtysLne5Rqj/s640/blogger-image--565636416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrLlgq0GVFCgmrQpp2OeeymhePXtQKJX8ccT1LRKuTrwJhiFnp2i4R-LtrPB65fvzE9dFQE_HcqjzgJFlcSJ6BzY7IOtK00JBpWFnqTgDSYJTejARcCyzn86Ejmgx5E6TDZtysLne5Rqj/s640/blogger-image--565636416.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Pic during the white washing process.</i></div>
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<i>The top white washed.</i></div>
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Then I sealed it with 3 coats of clear Polycrylic.</div>
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I painted the skirting and legs white and the table was done. </div>
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<i>Pay no attention to that back wall. Still working on the details there.</i></div>
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I bought two of these mid century modern style chairs off Overstock for the ends of the table. I am still working on what to do for the rest of the chairs. I will figure it out but have a few options I am considering (lucite, wood, benches).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-E2CpoCtgJhDRi6308XxGFccCBfa5GNspNbgtCNTPljkI1Bp_1Q0G6JF99l7sRGOzUnZeqBNZgRlrz1mnnwl72DAlVRK2JRyt1LvZ0kimyRawd7FykDZw-ykO7NpwdYDHD34fmff305L/s640/blogger-image--611311131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-E2CpoCtgJhDRi6308XxGFccCBfa5GNspNbgtCNTPljkI1Bp_1Q0G6JF99l7sRGOzUnZeqBNZgRlrz1mnnwl72DAlVRK2JRyt1LvZ0kimyRawd7FykDZw-ykO7NpwdYDHD34fmff305L/s640/blogger-image--611311131.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i>I embellished the chandelier with some wooden beads I strung on fishing line. I have more and plan on adding to it at some point. </i> </div>
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It is certainly coming together. From here you can get a glimpse of the new gallery wall. </div>
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I wanted to get Syd's silhouette up and I wanted to extend the gallery wall to wrap around the corner. Everything else was worked in going away from that point.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4D0BPS9l6VGzreQRHpU0fUiCneRHTjBHtjEy9Js7kYRKWZ-PdzqEUI1tQDXtxd9JbweqYothS0lqZcx3OFYsovCl1vtAe0bdb_2rv-OfOCDcDAKYB6JWhyuQXaAs5jFIUeQEq5yHX_NV/s640/blogger-image-167001420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4D0BPS9l6VGzreQRHpU0fUiCneRHTjBHtjEy9Js7kYRKWZ-PdzqEUI1tQDXtxd9JbweqYothS0lqZcx3OFYsovCl1vtAe0bdb_2rv-OfOCDcDAKYB6JWhyuQXaAs5jFIUeQEq5yHX_NV/s640/blogger-image-167001420.jpg" /></a></div>
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The furniture in this area was also rearranged. Feels good to change things up. They had been the same for SOOOOOO long.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfPq6KRi2INoRmokFStSE9WDm47BptDcG2nIzFkPMSQbhf3RmEarxix9upyKiwbnDnCf8Jo_gCfUF5VOZAbqhjq6ZHRY4dx-S_AynPt-jcQ22FG5k52dIlJeAni2U9BYwKOxhkFOUnDsj/s640/blogger-image--728746927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfPq6KRi2INoRmokFStSE9WDm47BptDcG2nIzFkPMSQbhf3RmEarxix9upyKiwbnDnCf8Jo_gCfUF5VOZAbqhjq6ZHRY4dx-S_AynPt-jcQ22FG5k52dIlJeAni2U9BYwKOxhkFOUnDsj/s640/blogger-image--728746927.jpg" /></a></div>
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I mean, come on....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsBX19BTbKQbHar33hQvTU3AZvt3he4QrIv21INX-0H7P29HRkVZ5MdT3AjusgwYCtys9NWIZqFIAWKll-yFAS89r9_hA2EF2SNbYp7dJEQKPDwZCDpctYYXN-55TQVTNb4AHLTBZkfIF/s640/blogger-image-1583310859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsBX19BTbKQbHar33hQvTU3AZvt3he4QrIv21INX-0H7P29HRkVZ5MdT3AjusgwYCtys9NWIZqFIAWKll-yFAS89r9_hA2EF2SNbYp7dJEQKPDwZCDpctYYXN-55TQVTNb4AHLTBZkfIF/s640/blogger-image-1583310859.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYGSBXhXBa5Ep5twiq1QVHN8mEMjnfULzsOZXhakDirZqophPJGX9tfLwCSw3Yl0l9yUQhqwgK0jif8wZdO6Va1yZniacLOxERM8YiSi-Peu8ViwCtd59Lj5QrCKaM_8HXG1O8JA5Rdho/s640/blogger-image--79150104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYGSBXhXBa5Ep5twiq1QVHN8mEMjnfULzsOZXhakDirZqophPJGX9tfLwCSw3Yl0l9yUQhqwgK0jif8wZdO6Va1yZniacLOxERM8YiSi-Peu8ViwCtd59Lj5QrCKaM_8HXG1O8JA5Rdho/s1600/blogger-image--79150104.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>I am thinking it is time for the blinds to go. They seem too reddish now.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRzqwrObCngCTkp7Zsa2hjPiMFvU5rLbawFFUBR_pAuKVqZi-Q4AXGUo78fU7CgGTpTHNEYQ71oORPVMgvKUSTmoKu73vXh3VKni_M2zZLbH016PNfqPjevu69vgh9iQH4f6K3kTi4wuY/s640/blogger-image-1500839717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRzqwrObCngCTkp7Zsa2hjPiMFvU5rLbawFFUBR_pAuKVqZi-Q4AXGUo78fU7CgGTpTHNEYQ71oORPVMgvKUSTmoKu73vXh3VKni_M2zZLbH016PNfqPjevu69vgh9iQH4f6K3kTi4wuY/s640/blogger-image-1500839717.jpg" /></a></div>
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And there you have it. Still a work in progress. But it is coming along nicely. What do you think? Suggestions for side chairs or benches?</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4278113783703517963.post-49204425229347287842015-05-18T13:12:00.000-05:002015-06-01T15:40:41.824-05:00Plank projectHey all! I have not posted in over two weeks but I assure you, I have not been idle! I finally caved into the planking trend. What better place to try it out but in a small, very doable space, my downstairs bathroom. <br>
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It is a small bathroom and I didn't think I was up for a full room plank yet. So I decided on the back wall, or what looks like the back wall when you look into it.<br>
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(I apologize in advance for the yellow-y tone is some of these pics but this is a tricky room to photograph due to the placement of the window. I have to have the light on or the pics are super dark.)<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAx5vO3Mj7ba4xoPJxe-7vbd5IallR1hbJX6QXyenahZrcr9X5yD-lrM53KmWJb0m9D6BZSQDly_gsXQDbGSmpfHuQU2zLDXP1yIZrfIhyQZs5w1mf-ox2vK_us9Pixp9BBHN8U-Mocq9y/s1600/IMG_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAx5vO3Mj7ba4xoPJxe-7vbd5IallR1hbJX6QXyenahZrcr9X5yD-lrM53KmWJb0m9D6BZSQDly_gsXQDbGSmpfHuQU2zLDXP1yIZrfIhyQZs5w1mf-ox2vK_us9Pixp9BBHN8U-Mocq9y/s640/IMG_1478.JPG" width="426"></a></div>
<i>See that big window grid with fabric on it next to the toilet? Yeah, that is covering up an awful little secret. Lets just say it involves a rookie homeowner and a can of texture spray. </i><br>
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I tried to get a closer pic of the "texture" below.<br>
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So I removed the towel rods and shelves and toilet paper holder. I decided I wanted my planks about 7" after doing some math so I could get the strips precut and I would not have to trim any of them the long way. Then I measured how many I would need at each length and went to Home Depot. I picked several large sanded 1/4" ply wood sheets and the Home Depot guy was nice enough to cut them for me. Side note: if you are going to have them cut these for you, DO NOT GO ON A WEEKEND! I made the mistake of not getting enough cut the first time (because I was not sure I was going to do the wall behind the toilet and had to go back for more). The weekend crew was too busy and aren't super happy to make a ton of cuts for you.<br>
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Back at home, I painted my planks (highly recommend this step) before putting them on the wall. I wanted a little contrast between the planks so I chose to keep the wall color as is instead of painting it white. I painted my planks with the generic Behr paint+primer white. I think it is a non-color but whatever. It is nice and bright. I used it on my board and batten in my entry way and liked it so I used the same on the planks. Once those are dry, I applied a caulk adhesive the backs like so...<br>
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Then I placed my first plank up at the ceiling and used my pneumatic nail gun to nail it on. (I started at the ceiling because I was going to just put my trim back on and figured if I messed up on the math and had to cut the plank the long way and use my jig saw, the trim would cover up the not perfectly straight cut I would have to do.) I did not try to find the studs at all (thank you for saving me that step, Allie). And thanks to the blogosphere, I found out about the nickel trick to space my planks. See below.<br>
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Place a nickel between the planks and your spacing is done. Nail it on and move on to the next plank.<br>
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<i> Forgot to pre-paint a few of those little pieces. </i><br>
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I caulked at the ceiling and where the board met each other and along the shower. I was almost done. But I wasn't digging how I messed up caulking the seams were the walls meet. Some of the caulk got stuck between the planks and it looked sloppy. So I decided to use a little piece of trim were the planks meet the walls to cover up any imperfections. You don't have to do this step but it was really bugging me so I had to. <br>
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Here is what I mean. <br>
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And here is the little piece of trim I used in the corners. <br>
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I still have to fill the holes and paint it but it cleans it up nicely. <br>
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I also placed this edging on the ends of the wall but the window and the toilet wall.<br>
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I filled the holes on the planks and touched up the paint. Then rehung the shelves, towel rods and toilet paper holder and there you have it!<br>
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I have a few other decor changes that will take place in here but for now, I am very happy with it! I think I will plank a half wall in my craft room with my leftovers. I was not anticipating the texture of the planks to be quite so rough so I think I will sand the leftover planks myself and then white wash them for a little different look (translation: I am too lazy to go buy new paint to paint them solid white and I don't need much paint to white wash a few of the planks). Stay tuned for that project!<br>
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Linked up to:<div><br></div><div>http://www.thoughtsfromalice.com/?m=1</div><div>www.thriftydecorchic.com<br><div class="blogger-post-footer">Tara</div>Mama Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551890025240989741noreply@blogger.com2