bright Brighter BRIGHTEST

So, we have all heard that babies can't see color until after they are months old so that is why you often see baby toys with patterns on them but here is something I learned just a few weeks ago from the peds doctor at the Navy Hospital. Babies can't see sharp images until they are close to 3! Their sense of smell is developed very quickly and they also recognize voices and sounds so that is often why they turn their heads and smile at mom and dad - they can't see their faces but know it's them in other ways.

With that in thought I was more bound and determined to make Cameron's nursery as bright as I can because I want it to stimulate her growing little brain. Too bad I learned this AFTER Ibought these light pink totes to go into the bookcase to substitute as drawers. For $5 a pop at Ikea I really couldn't go wrong though but it did bring the POP down to a fizzle :(

So after sitting and wracking my brain I came up with a brilliant idea (which was inspired by my friend Julie's little business "Tutu's by Julie") where she makes the amazingly cute little outfits for babies and kids by ironing on fabric so why couldn't I iron on blocks of fabric to the front of the canvas totes to add some pop? Answer: I totally could!!

After consulting Julie about what I needed and her thoughts on if it could work I headed to Walmart and got my iron on adhesive and brighter pink fabric. I then cut 14" x 14" squares, ironed each side in by 1" to make them look finished...

And then I cut the iron-on adhesive in 12" x 12" squares following the easy directions and then ironed them on to the front of the totes. Now I don't know if you can tell from the first picture but there are folded down areas at the top of the totes that are used as handles which I didn't want to cover up so I slipped the fabric under them before ironing them on. The finished product:

The POP is back :) Now...I just need to find a brighter changing pad cover - OR I might just make my own! Stay tuned.

Mobile Makin

So, I have been home in California for a little less than 2 weeks and boy have I been busy! I can't seem to sit still lately (especially long enough to put together a full post!) but believe me when I say I have stock piled quite the collection of topics and projects so that when this crazy 'nesting' stage ends I have something to keep my brain occupied :)

One of the very first projects I started on when I came back was a hand made mobile. I saw one very similar to this in a store:

However, the price that went along with it ($$) was not what I was interesting in paying so with a fabulous mother who works for the school system and has access to this wonderful machine called an Edison Die Cutter I was able to cut out hundreds of butterflies in minutes compared to what it would have taken by hand and make my own colorful version.

First I started off by finding scrapbook sheets that had all the colors that I was looking for. I wanted something bright and fun. After doing some research I realized that babies can't actually see solid shapes for quite sometime but, quicker then that they can see colors so solid white was out of the question for me if the purpose was to stimulate Cameron's tiny and growing brain. Bright Pink, Vibrant Yellow, Outrageous Orange, and Tiffany Blue. I managed to find all those colors solid and then one in an awesome pattern :)

Then...the next step was figuring out how to make the top portion of the mobile and all of a sudden the shopping gods (NOT to be confused with our actual God) opened this shining glimmer in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby. Do you know how wonderful this is! It is a curse to all female shoppers that as soon as they begin looking for something specific (shoes, sweater, belt, jewelry, accessories you name it) it is no where to be found no matter how high or low you look. It was shopping miracle when I just happened across this "Baby Shower Mobile" with brown and pink dots for...brace yourself...$9!

Yes, how cool right?! I, however, want to stimulate her brain not make her have a headache (thats a lot of dots isn't it?). So after stripping of all those little dots so that just the fishing line was left behind I started the tedious task of gluing on the butterflies on. I took 2 butterflies, no 2 alike touching, and glued a straight line down the center of their little bodies and put the fishing line between. After they dried I folded their little wings back to add a little more dimension and to keep the lines straight I added matching white butterflies to the end of every strand that are made out of matte board to weigh down every strand. Here is what I got :)

Ta-Da!!!! It's enough to want to keep looking at it but not enough to make her tiny little head go bonkers once she can start making out the colors and shapes :) I love it!

Nursery Checklist Update

Ok, so I have been back in Cali for 3 days and I feel like I have done a pretty good job balancing relaxing and working on the nursery and I have managed to get quite a bit done for 3 days (one of which I ran errands to get the supplies to start this nursery extravaganza :) I am defiantly tired when it's time to go to bed but who isn't? AND I have managed to enjoy the pool for 2 of those 3 days! I'm gonna continue inching my way along but here is where I stand as far as the list that I published in this post.

• Sell our queen size mattress, box spring, and metal frame.

SOLD! The guy came to pick them up minutes before I headed home for a month! $50 towards projects :)

• Paint the walls

I bought the paint and will begin painting all the edges this weekend so that when I (or we because I have friends that are helping) begin the rolling process it will be much easier! The "we" part really depends on how patient I am ;)

• Finish sanding and painting crib

Sanding is done - painting has yet to be started.

• Finish sanding and painting the rocking chair

almost DONE!!!! Post to come.

• Find dresser

I can't seem to find exactly what I want for now but I have a 'Plan B' which I'm pretty excited about!

• Make a mobile

DONE (did you see that - I'm actually DONE with something!!!)

• Find curtains

DONE! (Well...they aren't actually purchased yet but they soon, very soon, will be!)

It does still leave me quite a list of to-do's but soon enough they will be to-done! I just gotta take a few words from my favorite gilled girl - Dory

"Just keep swimming....Just keep swimming..."

Vacation Update

So, again I was a bad blogger and I let a whole month go by without a single post! Who can blame me? I've been on 'vacation' from my California life...yes, I just said that. Even though, every single day practically has been overcast and rainy (and the day I leave by the way it jumps from the 60's to the 80's go figure.) I have really enjoyed my time back east.

I flew into Chicago over 3 weeks ago and have been bouncing back and forth between my parents house in Indiana and my in-laws house in Michigan. In the time I have been home I have been enjoying my time with family and friends before Cameron comes. The next time I come home we will be a family of 3 and as hard as that is to imagine I can't wait for that time to come.

I have also enjoyed being forced (in some sort of way) to do nothing for a few days. Once I go back to California you had better bet this blog is going to be blowing up with all sorts of DIY projects I have lined up. (Stay tuned!)

So, in the time I've been home I have been blessed with 2 baby showers (and a third this weekend) and I have to say I can't think of another time in my life where I felt that Jake and I were so loved. We have gotten so much that we needed for Cameron and the weight that it has taken off our shoulders has been amazing. I can not thank those who have given to us enough!

And was the Maid of Honor (because I'm not old enough to be a matron...) in my best friends wedding. I'm not lie - Mrs. Gillis was the most b-e-a-utiful bride! Here, You be the judge:

Isn't she gorgeous! (And no, her and her family are normal height - her new hubby is just abnormally tall (love you Steve!)) The bridal party was a lot of fun to be with as well. I was not the only expecting bridesmaid and thanks to the great dresses, which you can find the site to here, there was no alterations needed for our growing baby bumps. Not only was all the pre-wedding fun but the actual wedding was full of fun little surprises as well.

Like another wedding I attended in September, they had a photo-booth and honestly I think that this should become another staple at all wedding receptions! I was able to get fun pictures with the bride and the groom along with other friends who I unfortunately don't get to see very often (and I have another one of these to put together!) One of my favorite pictures from the booth for the night was this one where we managed to fit the whole bridal party into the photo-booth:

I have a little less then a week left here in the east before I head back home. In a way I don't want this vacation to end but in another way I can not wait to get home to get started on Cameron's nursery! I will most certainly keep you updated on that and am going to force myself to break my habit of long hiatus' from my beloved blog - promise.