Jumping ahead of the game

I have an issue. Before I finish one project I'm off thinking about the next. So I'm not moving forward on the office at all and yet I'm thinking about Halloween.

I asked Liv the other day what she wanted to be for Halloween. In all honesty, I didn't think she knew what Halloween was or understood the concept of picking a costume. She told me very clearly Go Go Go Gabba Gabba Gabba. Normally I try to convince them away from the overly commercial characters but I'm almost inclined to cater to her this time. Of course even Oct 31st here can be hot so I try to find a costume that she won't melt in during the day but I can add layers to for the evening. A Foofa tutu costume is cute and comfortable if not exactly Foofaish but the image on her chest could help in identifying her.


Or I could sew her a little fabric sandwich board like last years ladybug costume and add an flower in her hair or a hat.


I'm not sure anyone will actually know who she is suppose to be. Maybe some shoes will help?



I of course have a couple of ideas of my own. Olivia the pig would be cute and super simple if I just modified a red dress and buy some striped tights. This might be better if I could get her to wear pig ears and a nose. Not sure that will happen but by the time I can be confident she'll wear accessories on she may no longer let me decide what to dress her as.



This PBK owl cape is adorable but probably too hot.


I could make a modified thinner version and she might actually get some use out of it this fall.


Add in a cute embellished t-shirt?



Tinkerbell would be sweet with her little blond bob. Not a great evening tricker treating costume.



And I'm fairly sure I can convince Kian to be Spiderman. Maybe he needs a Wonder Woman side kick.





Favorites?

Office in Progress

I still need to find a before shot of my home office but suffice it to say it was bad... very, very bad. We spent the last 6 years with our office as a small, dreary room with no closet or shelving and a table with no drawers as a desk. Once kids came I stuck a lock on the door to baby proof and continued to toss everything that I didn't want a child to touch in the room (sometimes without actually entering the room - just a toss). Then I shut the door.

So this room has been on the to do list for a while. Someday I'd love built-ins like this...



With glass doors like this...



But for now, I'm going with something that requires a little less of an investment. I started with a $50 Craigslist dresser *with drawers* that I updated with new paint and hardware (more before and after pictures to come). I hate to say it but I spent more on the rental of a truck to transport it and materials to refinish it then I did on the piece. And time, a lot of time - but at least now I can say I have officially refinished a piece of furniture. Cross it off the list and know better next time. Refinishing furniture is not worth my time.


Then a lot of organizing and a bright coat of paint. Its Benjamin Moore Pale Avocado but I think it might be not quite ripe avocado. I'm getting use to it and hoping that once the rest of the pieces are put in it will be the perfect pick me up color.


A tailored slipcover like this one is in the works for the table. It was built by my grandfather so something I want to keep but not exactly my style so this seems like a good solution. Also to come are 4 large photographs of the kids with big thick mats. My original plan was to hang these above the table since the table is too deep to make the wall space above it use able with shelves or a whiteboard or anything. I just can't decide if it would be better to center them on the wall or center them over the table or come up with some other purpose for the wall.


The wall above the painted desk could be left as is or add something like these picture ledges or deeper shelves. I could use some magazine storage. Any thoughts on what to do with the tiny off centered windows?




Does the window treatment need to be coordinated with the french doors?


And the final wall... I feel like I should have a nice upholstered chair or bench here but that conflicts with the decorate without spending money plan. Other options are to paint a big chalkboard wall, add a pottery barn organization center, these chalkboard calendar decals which may or may not stick to my walls, or make my own with two fabric covered large frames - one as a pin board and one with glass as a white board.











I think the ceiling fan will stay or maybe get spray painted in oil rubbed bronze. Part of me wants a big drum shade, part of me remembers I live in Houston and those french doors and not well insulated.




The more that's done, the more there still seems to be that needs to be done.

One of my favorite moments

Zac and I trade off who gets the kids to bed each night. I tell Kian that daddy and I have to take turns so that we each get a chance to read them stories but in truth we both savor our nights off. Most evenings one of us will look at the other one and asks - "Is it your night?" Hoping, wishing it isn't our night. I love my off nights with no battles to brush teeth, no whining over one more book, an extra 20 minutes to straighten up the house or just sit in bed and waste time in silence.

Just as I sit and relish the silence of my night off I hear footsteps padding down the hallway. That positively adorable sound of chunky little legs awkwardly running in diapers. I hope I always remember the preciousness of that sound. Liv pops in with her cute little expectant smile. "Do I get my hug?" "Yeeesss!" "And a kiss?" "Yeeess!" A sweet little hug and kiss and off she goes running again with that perfect little sound all over again.

I'll always savor my nights off.