Our Cottage in the Heartland

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

Cardboard Playhouse :-)

2012-02-08T17:09:00.003-06:00

On one of our thrifting adventures today, we found a brand new, still in the box, cardboard playhouse kit from JcPenney. :-) It was only $12, which I thought was a good deal. The boys began to have a blast with it from the minute I started putting it together. ha

I think it will take them quite a while to get all the coloring done. Which is good. ;-) I had to keep myself from supervising the coloring too much, and hindering their imperfect creativity. Ha

I think they will get many hours of imaginative play time out of this!

"Bye, bye! Come back soon!" ;-)

Pink Pigs In The Kitchen ;-)

2012-01-28T18:09:00.002-06:00

For Christmas, my brother, knowing my love for all things pink, sent me a food scraper in the shape of a pig. :-)
As I was wandering down the kitchen aisle at TJMaxx today (have I mentioned that I love that store?) I came upon more pink pig gadgets! Hehe I needed kitchen tongs very badly, so I bought a pair of those, and a cute sink strainer which will prevent silverware from encountering the blades of the garbage disposal. ;-) Too cute, don't you think? Teddy thought so, too. He was my shopping companion. He kept saying "Cute, Mama!" about everything we looked at. Haha

And although it wasn't piggie themed, I bought this pink wire whisk, too. My old wire whisk has a broken wire, so it was time to replace it.

~ Jessica~

Words On Our Wall :-)

2012-01-26T14:00:00.002-06:00

I haven't been doing too many projects around the house of late, as I have been sewing American Girl doll clothes to sell. And having a lot of fun with that, I might add. ;-)

On a recent visit to Hobby Lobby, I bought a stick on phrase for the family/play/sewing room, since they were half off. I think it looks pretty cute, but I would have liked it a little better if the letters were bigger. This is fine for now, though. Teddy is teasing Priscilla with her toy in the above picture. ;-)

"Rejoice in the Lord always!" A very inspiring reminder to read on the way downstairs everyday. :-)

Jessica

My new historic doll clothing blog! :-)

2012-01-11T10:32:00.003-06:00

I just started a new blog, selling adorable, period style doll dresses! I sewed a lot of doll clothes for the American Girl dolls when I was about 10-14, and I decided to start doing that again. Only now I have some really cute patterns from the Regency/ Jane Austen Era, as well as the Edwardian and "Romantic" era that I am really excited about, being the Jane Austen and period drama fan that I am. ;-)
I just finished this gorgeous rosebud dress Jane Austen style dress. I love the detailing on the back of the dress, which you can see better in the closeup pictures on my new blog. ;-)

I would love for you to visit me at http://thewell-dresseddoll.blogspot.com ! :-)

Changing from Christmas to Winter

2012-01-04T08:15:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! We had a very nice first Christmas in our new home. :-) It was a special time for our little family after being apart for Christmas last year, separated by the ocean!
We didn't get a white Christmas, but we did get some snow flakes the Thursday before Christmas, so we were happy with that. :-)

After Christmas time is over, there are still about 3 months of Winter left. So, since Spring is much too far away to decorate for yet, I wanted to have a few Winterish decorations left around the house after taking down all the specifically "Christmas" stuff.
I added this berry garland to the fireplace, and I really like it there.

To ease the pain of all the Christmas cheer being taken away, Nathanael and I decorated the white tree for Valentine's Day this year! We have never done this before, but I think it is really cute. We found a couple packages of Valentine's heart ornaments at Hobby Lobby, so I guess some other people must do it, too. Ha

I really love this snowy looking wreath on our back door, and it is a perfect example of how some Christmas decor can double as just Winter decor.

I like to have a few lights around the house all year, such as in this tree in the corner of our reading room, by my desk. :-)

Happy Winter decorating! ;-)

Jessica

Joining in the Open House party at: http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/

Christmas Decor Details :-)

2011-12-09T07:54:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd show you some of our Christmas decorations close up, plus I have added a couple more. ;-) The bottle brush tree was another TJMaxx find. ;-)

Nathanael loves this little snow man who is counting down the days with him. :-)

Some of my favorite ornaments on the white tree....

Cardinals seem to be a theme on our "real" tree this year, which is appropriate, since there are real cardinals in our our yard and at our feeder all the time. :-) Such pretty, Christmasy looking birds!

I am linking up with Julia's Holiday House Tours http://hookedonhouses.net/2011/12/08/hooked-on-holiday-house-tours-a-show-us-how-you-decorate-linky-party/. :-)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas :-)

2011-12-01T01:00:00.013-06:00

Welcome to our home, where Christmas has definitely arrived! :-)

This is the best pic I could get of our tree, for some reason. Ha

I love these vintage style Christmas houses, and I looked online everywhere trying to find a good price. Then, I went to TJMaxx, and happened to see these ones for $12.99 each! And they are much bigger than the ones that cost way more. I think that store is one of my new favorites. I found some cute vintage looking ornaments there, too. :-)They are glass, however, so one has already been broken by a certain little 2 year old....

I couldn't get a great shot of this wreath, on the inside of our back door, but it is actually one of my favorite Christmas decorations this year. So Wintery!

Some little Christmas touches in the Kitchen. :-)

I love my little, white "shabby chic" tree. :-)Heading downstairs, this is the view from the lower level. We have a split entry, so you can see all the way up to the big tree from down in the family room.

"Silver bells, silver bells..."

I found this little tree at a thrift store. It is pre-lit, and I put most of our red ornaments, and a lot of the boys' cute little toy type ornaments on it. :-)

Our Christmas village. The new addition this year was a fire station, Nathananael's choice. ;-)

This is the front porch entry at night. I tried to take a picture with the flash off first, but the picture was too dark. ha

Hope you are enjoying the beginning of the Christmas season this year! We sure are. :-)

Jessica

I am linking up with Julia for her "Holiday House Tours" http://hookedonhouses.net/2011/12/08/hooked-on-holiday-house-tours-a-show-us-how-you-decorate-linky-party/. :-)

And the Christmas Home Tours at
http://theinspiredroom.net/2011/12/12/virtual-christmas-house-tours-linky-party/

And The Nester

http://www.thenester.com/2011/12/2011-christmas-tour-of-homes-2.html

Our trip to the Christmas tree farm! :-)

2011-11-25T22:39:00.004-06:00

We went to a nearby Christmas tree farm today where you cut your own tree. It was really fun! They had wagon rides and hot chocolate while you wait for your tree to be shaken and tied. Teddy especially loved the wagon ride! He even ventured a quick pet of the horse. ;-)

Not a great shot of us, but the only one with all of us together...

Teddy headed straight for this tractor! Haha

My pictures ended up backwards order on here. Ha Oh, well.

Sawing the tree down....

The chosen tree. :-)

We have the tree mostly decorated, but we need to get some more balls or something to fill in with. The tree is big, so we don't have nearly enough ornaments. Ha I have two other small (fake) trees, so a lot of the ornaments got used on those. ;-)

I will take a lot more pictures soon of our house all decorated for Christmas and post those. :-)

Jessica

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

"O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name: make known his deeds among the people".

Psalm 105:1

I am so thankful to the Lord for the many, many blessings he has given me. Most of all I am thankful that he saved me as a 6 year old little girl! I am so thankful that I was raised in a Christian home, and was given the opportunity to receive the Lord as my Savior so early in life.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
Jessica

A Quote For Today :-)

2011-11-14T08:39:00.002-06:00

I came across this quote in a book called "Storybook Cottages" by Gladys Montgomery:

" It often happens that some modest cottage, all chaste and simple and expressive, but in strictly correct taste and good keeping, awakens in our minds a far higher pleasure than the most costly saloon, bright with gilding, and rich with satin and velvet, where we only discover magnificence and expense without taste or propriety. We feel that there is some living spark of genius in the former, but in the latter- only unlimited credit at the banker's. "

- Andrew Jackson Downing, The Architecture of Country Houses, 1850

October Glory

2011-10-27T08:24:00.004-05:00

October has been such a beautiful month! Mostly great weather, and a wonderful time with my family visiting from Idaho. :-)

Our "October Glory Maple" in all it's splendor: More front porch decor. The "mums" are a late housewarming gift from our realtor friend. :-)

While my family was here, we went to a few houses in the local tour of homes. My sister and Nathanael posed for me in the girl's nursery in my favorite house of the tour. :-)

The leaves on our maple tree were so beautiful, but shortlived. They are already half dropped off now. :-(

At the American Girl Store in Overland Park, Kansas.

I still love these dolls. ;-) "Rebecca" is my new favorite.

We had a nice little tea party on the back deck, after which we played "Authors", which is my little sister's favorite game. It is quite fun when you are as fond of books as we are. :-)

It was a little sunny outside. Ha

Last pics before the visit ended yesterday:

My dad was here for a week of my family's visit, but I didn't get any good pictures of him. :-/I think he would rather I didn't publish the ones I did get. Haha

Have a wonderful last few days of this beautiful month!

Jessica

Big Boy Bunk Beds!

2011-10-07T09:05:00.002-05:00

Teddy was outgrowing his crib, so it was time for a big boy bed! We decided to get bunk beds to save space in their room, plus kids love bunk beds. ;-)

Nathanael and Teddy, all ready for bed.

We did a little rearranging of wall decor, as well as furniture, since the Peter Rabbit quilt was hidden behind the bed. The room seems really spacious now!

Making the bed! :-)

We had the "N" and the "T" on the wall before, and Ben came up with this good idea to put them on the beds instead. I think it looks really cute. :-)

Changing Up The Family Room :-)

2011-09-29T14:30:00.005-05:00

The first two pictures are how our family room looked until about a week or two ago. My sewing area, etc were mixed in with the boys' tent and table at one end. And most of the boys' toys were with the sofa and chair at the other end. So, pretty much what you saw when you walked in the front door and looked downstairs was toys. Not so good, expecially when they weren't picked up like they are in this photo. Ha

I changed the furniture around so that there are now two distinct "rooms" in one big area.

This is now the view to the downstairs from the front door. :-)

Much better!

The toy and school area are at the other end now, where it is also easier to keep an eye on things from upstairs. ;-)

At the other end is the family room seating area as well as my sewing stuff. The seating works much better now for viewing the TV, too. Which didn't matter before because we just recently put a TV down here.

The whole effect is much cozier now, too. Before it seemed like everything was just scattered around a huge space.

The sofa and the pillar divide the "rooms" nicely while still having an open plan feel.

My sewing corner, and the TV cabinet.

The boys love their new play area! :-)

I just started Kindergarten with Nathanael and he loves it! He is doing really well, too. Teddy has even been picking up some things, which is so cute. :-)

Jessica

Seasonal Decor Changes In The Master Bedroom

2011-09-23T13:34:00.004-05:00

As we are heading into the colder months, I put our warm comforter on the bed instead of our light Summer quilt. Of course, then the curtains didn't go at all, so I bought some new ones at Lowes. I actually love their selection!

This is the Spring /Summer look in our bedroom. :-)
I also got a lampshade from Lowes and paired it with a dark lamp base I had in the dining area previously, for Ben's side of the bed. It ties in nicely with the blue upholstery on our chair, I think. ;-)

I love the puckered detail on the curtains! They remind me of silk taffeta. (They reminded Ben of shower curtains at first, but I like my description better. ha)

And they "puddle"on the floor perfectly....

All warmed up now for the cold weather that is comimg soon!

Jessica

~An Autumn Welcome~

2011-09-16T14:13:00.015-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I last posted! We had a fun Summer, ending with my brother's visit from Idaho. :-) The day he left the temperatures dropped, and with a couple exceptions, have been more "Fall-like" since then.

Since it seems Autumn has arrived, I put up our Fall decorations yesterday.

I don't think I have shown any pics of our entryway yet, so thought I'd include this pic of where our "Give Thanks" sign is. ;-)

The "mantle-scape"....

And, our best Fall "decoration"- our new October Glory Maple tree that the boys were helping Ben to plant last night. :-)

I will show more pictures of the tree when it is in all it's deep crimson glory. ;-)
Enjoy the cozy days of Autumn!

Jessica

I am linking up to Melissa's Fall Party at http://theinspiredroom.net/2011/09/15/fall-nesting-party-2011/

Tour~ The Deck

2011-08-18T13:36:00.003-05:00

I decided to do the back deck next in my little home tour, since we just got a table and chairs for it. Pier One has all of their Summer furniture on 1/2 price clearance, so I bought the set I've had my eye on since Spring. We only bought 2 chairs for now, but we have a wicker chair that we use with it, too. Makes it more eclectic, right? ;-)

You can see Ben's trusty little Weber BBQ in this shot. He loves it!
Nathanael, Teddy and I love eating our breakfast and lunch out here. So relaxing.

We drag Teddy's highchair outside for these occasions. My favorite thing about our back deck is the lovely view! Living somewhere that looks like this outside has been a dream come true for me. Missouri is beautiful!

Closeup of the new table and chairs.

The weather hasn't been so hot the last week, so we've been enjoying being outside a lot more.

Hopefully it will stay nice for my brother's visit next week! We are so excited to be able to spend some time with him. :-)

Jessica

Room by Room Tour ~ The Kitchen

2011-08-04T16:25:00.004-05:00

Our kitchen is on the small side for our house size, and a little short on storage, but we love it and it works well for us. :-) Although I love white kitchens, I also like the warm tone of our wood kitchen. It provides a contrast for all of the white and cream furniture in the living areas around the kitchen.

The dishes in the rack are not drying. I display them this way. This has sometimes been misunderstood. ha

I do decorate above my cabinets, but I understand why some people choose not to.

(Sorry about the blurriness in a couple of these shots.)

Well, that's all for today, folks. ;-)

The boys and I explored a local thrift shop today, and I picked up a couple things to decorate/use in the laundry room. So I may be doing a post on that project soon. :-)

Jessica

A Sewing Project Completed~My Yellow Blouse

2011-07-31T16:33:00.003-05:00

I bought some top patterns a couple years ago, and finally bought some fabric a couple months ago. I worked on the sewing off and on for several weeks, and finally finished a blouse yesterday. :-)
I haven't sewn anything for myself in ages, as I am usually disappointed with the fit. However, I am pretty happy with this pattern. Besides being a little broad in the shoulders, it fits well, in a loose sort of way. Ha

Ben took this picture this morning. Nathanael wanted to be in it because he was all dressed up for church. ;-) I took this closeup myself. Haha

The pattern I used this time was New Look 6781. It was a combination of views A and E.

I may try the other pattern this fall. :-)

Room by Room Tour- the boys' bathroom

2011-07-22T15:18:00.004-05:00

Today I will start on a tour of our house that we moved into on the last day of March this year. It isn't completely done being decorating, but well on it's way. Of course, it will probably always be changed a little from time to time anyway. If it was all the way finished, where would the fun be in that? HahaI think Nathanael and Teddy's bathroom is one of the only rooms that my Australian friend, Melissa, hasn't seen many photos of. At least not with it's current decor. So, this post is in Melissa's honor, as she has been requesting more photos. ;-)

I tried not to make this bathroom too feminine, but I couldn't resist adding a couple blue flowers pictures to tie in with the blue and white decor. The boys in my family like flowers, so it's all right. After all, God is a male and he created flowers, so why shouldn't men enjoy them, too? ;-)

We still haven't changed the white towel rail for the ORB one that is still in the cabinet under the sink....

This bathroom is very small, so getting decent pictures was nigh on impossible for me. Ha

So, hope you enjoyed this little tour.

Jessica

Newest Additions To Our Landscaping

2011-07-13T15:40:00.002-05:00

Nathanael and I planted trumpet vines on our new arch today. They were already so long that I was able to weave them onto the arch for instant results. :-) They are supposed to have yellow flowers that attract hummingbirds in the Summer.

I think this will be a beautiful spot to relax with a good book. ;-)

We got some annuals on sale yesterday, too, that we planted in front of the mini roses this afternoon. It's a little late in the year, but the price is better now. Ha

We made this flower bed and planted the roses a few weeks ago. They are doing really well so far!

This isn't exactly landscaping, but I got a new Summer wreath to replace the 4th of July bow I had on the door.

Also, a mixed flower pot for the plant stand. Our old plant was looking very sad.

I love plants, trees and flowers! Ben does, too, so we are hoping to fill the yard up in the next few years. ;-) We already have a head start with the beautiful native trees, shrubs and vines that line our backyard.

Slipcover Make-Over In Our Family/Play Room

2011-06-18T16:19:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, I found a sofa with a pull-out bed in it at a yard sale for only $50. It came with a drab grayish colored slipcover, which was ok. Certainly better than the somewhat worn, small scale red gingham fabric the sofa was originally covered in.
However, last night we went to the Penney's outlet to make a return, and I came across an ivory colored, two piece slipcover brand new in the package for only $19.95!
I think it looks and fits a lot better than the other one we had, and like the fact that the seat cushions have their own separate cover. It also has piping, which I don't think is visible in the pictures. It's easier to fit, with elastic at the corners, whereas the old one had 4 buckles in the back, etc.
I put the "after" pic first because it is prettier. ;-)
Before:

Closeup:

We use our lower level family room mostly as a play room and a sewing space for me. :-) The boys love having such a big room to play in, and since it is downstairs away from our main living areas, I don't worry as much about the mess they make. Haha I do try to get the family room all neat again at least once a day, though. I can't help myself. Ha

The boys love their tent from Grandpa and Grandma S. :-)

Our new little church also meets down here in the family room for now, until we grow big enough to need a rented facility.

So, as you can see, our family room is a very hardworking and multifaceted space. :-)

Hope you enjoyed the little tour!

I am joining in Sarah's "before and after" party: http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/07/before-and-after-goodwill-table.html

And also Twice Owned Tuesday at http://creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/07/twice-owned-tuesday-party.html

Jessica

~Window Embellishments~

2011-06-07T18:48:00.003-05:00

Since our living and dining area windows frame such a beautiful view, I didn't want to cover them at all. Still, they looked so bare that they needed something. I found exactly what I had in mind at Hobby Lobby (of course-ha).
These wrought iron fleur-de-lis scroll thingies were half price. :-)

I love how they look topping our 3 windows that face the back yard. They tie in well with the "ORB" light fittings and door hardware, too.

Garage Sale Chair and More Decorating Done

2011-05-13T14:54:00.007-05:00

The boys and I and went garage sale-ing this morning and found this beautiful antique chair for our master bedroom. The lady was asking $40, but I got it for $30, which I think was pretty good deal. You can feel that the upholstery is original, though the wood has obviously been refinished.

Today I got a lot of things hung up on the walls, and our bedroom is pretty much finished. for now. ;-)

(I put this pic on twice, and can't figure out how to get it off-ha.)

I got this little curio wall shelf on eBay to replace one that the movers left attached to our wall in Australia. I always need more tea cup display space! :-)

Little by Little

2011-05-03T17:19:00.006-05:00

I am starting to decorate our new home, one thing at a time, while still working at unpacking. So, I thought I'd share a few pics of some of the things we've done around the house lately. :-)

We bought a couple of bookshelves at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the desk is from Craigslist. My first ever experience with Craiglist, by the way. Haha
The lovely painting by my sister was a gift. The master bedroom. Our dresser and nightstand came (very) flatpacked from Target, and Ben put them together last night and this morning.

Lamps are 1/2 price at Hobby Lobby. ;-)

This vintage lamp was my Valentine's gift this year.

I just hung my favorite quilt up on the wall today.

Another lamp from Hobby Lobby- I love the detail on the soft pink shade!

The other bookcase is down in the play/family room on our lower level.

The boys love playing down here, and I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time in the lower level this Summer, as it is always cool!

I am definitely not nearly done hanging things up and decorating down here, but it's a start. :-)

Little Details and 101 Posts!

2011-04-06T15:23:00.007-05:00

Hello Friends! :-) We are finally in our new, although nearly empty new home. We love it and are so excited to live here, and get to know the neighborhood and area. We are really enjoying our new church and getting to know the special people who are part of it. We had a "Bring a Friend Sunday" last week, with around 35 visitors and 2 people accepted the Lord as their Savior! What a blessing! ---------------------------- We have been very busy around the house, starting to do little things to make it our own. :-) I wasn't overly fond of the plain white towel bars in the bathrooms, as they didn't seem to go with the oil rubbed bronze finish on the light fixtures and door hardware. So, here is a little before and after for you. ;-) Before: After:

Ben installed the new double rail, which wasn't easy because of a defect in the kit. I got the cheaper set from Walmart. Oops! Haha But with some extra drilling, he made it work.

Plant shelf and pretty light fixture:

Gorgeous ceilings:

There wasn't anywhere to hang hand towels, so Ben installed these towel rings in both of the upstairs bathrooms. We found them at Target.

Master bathroom spa tub! (and Teddy)

Shower and "toilet room"

Double vanities:

The boys' bathroom:

Obviously I am not done decorating their bathroom yet, but I think it looks pretty cute so far. :-)

I will post more pics of our new home once our furniture arrives from Australia- hopefully next week!

I just noticed that my previous post was my 100th! In honor of that, I would like to do something a little different (and hopefully fun) and ask anyone who ever reads this blog to leave a comment and let me know you are there. :-) I would love to hear from you!

Jessica

Sneak peek of our new house :-)

2011-03-19T11:41:00.003-05:00

We expect to move into our new house within a couple weeks, but in the mean time, here are a few pics I took of the house when we were house hunting. :-) Great room, staircase/entry and glimpse of formal dining and kitchen.

View off the back deck- one of our favorite features of this house.

Kitchen and breakfast room.

Fireplace in the great room.

I look forward to sharing many more pics once we move in! :-)

Jessica

Our Temporary Abode :-)

2011-03-11T09:54:00.004-06:00

We are finally all together again and enjoying settling in to life in Kansas City, Missouri! We just arrived last Saturday, after a 3 day drive from Idaho. It was a long trip, but we enjoyed the mountain scenery in Utah and Colorado along the way.

Another Baptist church in the area has been gracious enough to allow us to stay in one of their lovely missionary houses until we can move into our new house. We expect the closing date to be at the end of March. Can't wait! :-)
Below are a few pictures of the house we are staying for the next few weeks: The Living Room

The boys "golfing" in the spacious kitchen. ;-)

Formal Dining Room

The Loft Study Area

Master Bedroom

We are busy trying to find a car to buy, doing paperwork for our house purchase, buying some furniture and appliances, etc.

Hopefully it won't be as long before I post again next time! Ha

Jessica

Better Late Than Never- Christmas pics

2011-01-15T11:31:00.004-06:00

My pictures are backwards in timing. Haha So, the most recent is first in this post. Oh, well.
We had Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. My sisters, cousin, nephew, Nathanael, my brother and my Dad. :-)

Nathanael with his cousins.

Teddy loves my cousin, Nathan. :-)

Opening presents with Auntie...

My parents, the cute couple. ;-)

Nathanael loves the doggie from his Uncle.

More opening of presents.

We went caroling the day before Christmas Eve. It was cold, but very fun.

Hope you enjoyed the highlights of our Christmas season. :-)

Jessica

~Vintage Dishes- my best ebay find so far!~

2011-01-09T15:06:00.003-06:00

Well, we are still at my parent's home in Idaho, waiting for Ben to come back. Our house still hasn't sold, so we don't know how long it will be yet before we get to Missouri.
Meanwhile, I spend my time shopping on ebay. Just kidding. ;-) But I did find a 20 piece set of antique dishes for only $4.99! I absolutely love them. They are so delicate looking, and have just the right amount of crazing and discoloration. There are 7 dinner plates, 6 cups and saucers and 1 platter. And they are made in the USA. :-)I plan to put them to good use in our new home while we are waiting for our household goods to arrive from Australia.

This lovely bouquet of 18 roses arrived from my husband on Friday, which was a very sweet surprise, and really helped to lift my spirits. I love the color of the roses, and I like them all the better now that they are opening up more. They even smell good, which is an unusual trait in hot house roses, I find.I hope to post some Christmas photos soon (just a bit late). :-)

Jessica

Merry Christmas from Idaho!

2010-12-24T14:01:00.002-06:00

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. We have been very busy with all our travelling. We flew to Idaho for Thanksgiving with my family, then spent 10 days in Kansas City, MO visiting our new church there and house hunting. We really enjoyed spending time with all our lovely new friends there. And we found several house choices that we loved.

Ben had to return to Australia until our house and car are sold. We miss him, especially at Christmas time. The boys and I are enjoying spending the Holidays with my family here in Idaho, though.

We are hoping and praying that the house will sell first thing in the New Year so we can all be together again and move to our new home town! It is very exciting, but the waiting and suspense is not too fun...

I will try to put some of our latest pics on here soon, maybe after Christmas. :-)

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Jessica~

Our Bathrooms

2010-11-12T00:54:00.003-06:00

I am joining in the "Show Us Your Life" party this week with Kelly of Kelly's Korner. :-) The room of the week this time is bathrooms.

Have fun touring all the cute bathrooms over there! http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2010/11/show-us-your-life-bathrooms.html#disqus_thread

This is our ensuite bathroom, which is much smaller than the typical "master bathroom" in the USA. There is no tub, just a shower that isn't in this picture. This is mostly Ben's bathroom, so it works fine for us.

I didn't care for the border tiles used in this bathroom, so I put a wallpaper border over them. haha

The boys and I mostly use our hall bathroom, and it is also the guest bathroom. I decorated it in my favorite color- pink! ;-)

We have only a week and a half left in this house before we leave for the USA. It has been a special home to us and we will miss it, but I am excited about choosing a new home in Missouri!
And decorating it. ;-)

The Big Move

2010-11-08T19:16:00.003-06:00

We have been very busy lately preparing for our big move to the United States! Ben will be pastoring a Baptist church in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although we will miss our friends here, we are so excited about how the Lord has led us, and can't wait to get to our new home in the USA!

We are in the process of trying to sell our house and car at the moment. We will be heading over to the US very soon, and Ben will make a short trip back to Australia in December to tie up loose ends here.

We will get to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Idaho, which will be great. :-) And I'm looking forward to a white Christmas, if the weather cooperates. Haha

I guess I will need to find a new name for this blog, now that we won't be "down under" anymore. Ha

I will keep you posted as I can on the move, our new home and church, etc. We would appreciate your prayers, especially that our house and car will sell soon!

Until next time,

Jessica

Highlights from our trip to the USA

2010-09-13T21:17:00.008-05:00

Be warned that this post is composed of a million pics! haha

We went with my family on a picnic to Lucky Peak. My Mom and I had fun floating on an air mattress, but no one took a photo. ha
As you can see, Nathanael was having a good time.
Some people got worn out, though. hehe

My cousin, Andrew, got married while were in Idaho. It was special to be able to attend the wedding. :-)

Teddy's first ride in a swing!

Nathanael's 4th Birthday!

We gave him an 1/8 size violin. Hopefully he will follow in his Uncle Seth's footsteps. ;-)

Nathanael and his cousins had fun running around in the sprinkler park.

Ben and I celebrated our 7th anniversary a little early, since Mom was there to watch the kids for us. We ate at a romantic fondue restaurant.

For Teddy's 1st birthday, we had a "Teddy Bears' Picnic"! :-)

I can't believe Teddy is one year old already! It seems like he was just born...
He loved his party at the Boise River greenbelt. :-)

Cousins Laban and Nathanael loved playing together.

The partyers. haha

A teddy bear made out of cupcakes. :-)

Teddy loved the birthday song.

He required a little encouragement from Aunty Melody to dig in. haha

A rare shot with me in it. haha

My brother, Seth, with his lovely girlfriend, Rachel. ;-)

I was so excited to meet her. The birthday boy! :-)

We took a day trip to McCall-I love the mountains in Idaho!

Teddy in the woods. :-)

Our last morning in Idaho, Mom, Melody and I went to breakfast and tea with Rachel. It was so nice to have some girl time together. :-) We took a short trip to an antique shop, too.

Uncle Seth gave Nathanael a quick fiddle lesson right before we left, too. Nathanael doesn't last very long just yet. Haha

Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the pics of our month away. :-)

Pink Handles--done! :-)

2010-08-03T23:59:00.005-05:00

Before This is our kitchen when we first moved in. (above)I added a lot of decorative touches since then.
I love pink glass handles, or any glass handles for that matter. Haha So, about a year ago, Ben started replacing the boring stainless steel handles with some pink glass ones I brought back from America last time we visited. He intended to finish them sooner, but we ended up living with them half done since then. Just the other day the job was completed! I'm so happy with the result. :-)

We do have one of the old handles left. Ha I paid for and didn't receive an

extra, in case of breakages, and of course one of the handles broke during the

installation. We are going to the USA this Saturday(excitement), so I

will find a replacement while I am there. :-)

The finished effect!

I am linking to Sarah's "Before and After Party" http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/08/before-and-after-party-clock-turned.html

And to Debbie's "Before and After Party, too. :-) http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/2010/08/ok-we-need-shrink-before-and-afer-party.html

Hope Chest ~before and after~

2010-07-06T00:26:00.003-05:00

I was almost 18 when my parents bought this hope chest for me as a graduation gift. At that time, I liked unstained, unpainted wood (not sure why)so I never did anything to the wood except add a very light coat of clear sealer. I've been wanting to paint or stain the hope chest for a while now. I decided to paint it- white, of course. ;-) Actually, I would have preferred a more off white color, but I can always add another coat of paint easily. This is nice for now.

We had some pure white paint left from other projects, so I just did 2 coats of that over 2 days during Teddy's afternoon naps. Each coat only took me about 15 minutes, so it wasn't bad at all.

I plan to add some handles to the front later on, since it is made to look like there are 2 big drawers.

I am linking to a "before and after party" with Sarah, the Thrifty Decor Chick. :-)http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/07/before-and-after-party-craigslist-love.html

A Few Christmas/Winter Touches In Our House :-)

2010-06-23T00:37:00.003-05:00

As the weather gets colder in June/July, I start to feel "Christmasy". Haha Last year, we had Christmas in June, but when December came around, we ended up going all out again. This year I don't feel having Christmas twice. But I just couldn't help myself. I had to at least put on some Christmas CDs and I put out just a few Christmas decor items that mostly seem more Wintry. Nothing too extreme. ;-) I added last year's Christmas wreath to our TV cabinet. It looks like chunks of ice or snow, all glittery.

A tiny white tree

Snowflake tea light and white berry candle wreath.

This quilt will help keep Teddy and I warm in the evenings. Leather chairs get cold!

Winter gets boring if you don't do something to break up the monotony, I think. This should help. ;-)

Modern Apartment Tour

2010-06-17T23:48:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week, we went up to Brisbane, Queensland for a church conference. I thought you might like to see our apartment in the apartment complex/motel we stayed in for 2 nights. It is a very modern style that is popular here in Australia, which I thought might interest my American readers. ;-) It's not at all my style, but it was a nice, new, clean place to stay. Teddy loved the cushy rug. :-)

Open plan kitchen, living and dining.

Closeup of the kitchen.

Outdoor dining on the huge balcony.

Another outdoor living space.

The bathroom.

Master Bedroom- the bed was very comfy. :-)

The boys' bedroom

So, what do you think? Could you live somewhere like this? Although it is far too stark for my liking, I think I could make it livable with the addition of some pretty rugs, pillows, pictures, quilts, etc. And of course a good dose of pink. Haha

I will leave you with some cuteness- our friend Sarah, and the cutest little Teddy bear ever. ;-)

Chandelier Installation

2010-06-07T00:49:00.002-05:00

About 6 years ago, we bought a very special chandelier at my favorite shop (which has since moved out of town). We bought it for the kitchen in our old house, and paid much more for it than I would ever pay for a chandelier of it's size now. Haha Anyway, we ended up selling that house before the chandelier was ever installed, and then we rented a house (now referred to by Ben as The Bat Cave, because it was so dark and moldy. ha) for over a year while we searched for a new house to buy. We have lived in our current home for 3 years, and still hadn't put the chandelier up! Finally, I decided that I would like it be in our master bedroom, since the existing center light fitting would make the installation much easier than in the living areas of the house, which only have down lights. So, for my birthday a couple weeks ago, Ben installed our lovely chandelier and a ceiling rose I brought back from our last trip to Idaho. As you can see, Ben came up with an ingenious contraption for holding the ceiling rose in place while the "liquid nails" was drying. I have to admit, I was a little frightened the books would end up falling on our heads. Haha

I love having something beautiful hanging above our bed now. :-)

Tour of Our Home

2010-05-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome! I am so excited to be taking the readers of Poppies At Play http://poppiesatplay.blogspot.com/ on a tour of our home! We bought our "cottage down under" 3 years ago, and have taken it from a very plain modern look to a much more romantic look, mostly using paint and many decorative touches. Nothing structural. We have also added quite a few trees and flowering plants to the front and back yards. In fact, we named our house "Daphne-Rose Cottage" in honour of the many rose and Daphne bushes. :-)It is late Autumn now in Australia, so the yard is not at it's most exciting. Hence, no photos of the yard today.

Let's start with the formal living room. This is one of the rooms in our house where we have used dark colors and wood. It has a very cozy feel. :-) I hung curtains at the entry to the living room from our sewing, reading and play room.

This fireplace mantle is one of the few antiques in our home. I just love it's shabby ornateness, even though we don't have a fireplace. Haha

In the kitchen and dining/family room, I have used my favorite color scheme- white, cream and pale pink. :-)These rooms are very "shabby romantic".
Ben is working on changing all of the handles to the pink glass ones. :-)
I made most of the quilts and pillows, etc. in our family room.

Our white dining table was a special Christmas gift last year.

Ben drove a 5 hour round trip to pick it up for me. :-)

My sister painted the beautiful picture above our TV cabinet.

We have used a lot of dark wood in our master bedroom. When we bought our bed 6 years ago, I liked it, but Ben loved it!

I'm a fan of using "fairy" lights around the house at all times of year. ;-)

I love our very feminine, pink guest room. ;-) We actually decorated it while I was early in my pregnancy with Teddy, and if he had been a girl, we planned that the baby would have this room.

The main bathroom is adjoined to the guest room.

The boys' Peter Rabbit themed bedroom is one of my favorite rooms in our house! Partly because I love our babies so much, and loved feathering their little nest, and partly because it just feels so relaxing in there.

My friend, Melissa, made this lovely collage for me. :-)

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour, and that you will all come back to visit me again. :-)

Happy Mother's Day!! :-)

2010-05-09T00:03:00.001-05:00

~Words Around Our House ~

2010-05-06T23:04:00.008-05:00

I love using words and letters as decor around the house. Starting with a welcoming sign at the front door. :-) The name of our "cottage" and a little sign that almost everyone ignores. Ha

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

"Beatrix Potter" letters in the boys' initials, below.

And just to prove that our house isn't entirely "feminine decor", below are some words found in Ben's masculine study. :-)
" Born to fish; fishing is life; trout, catfish, bass"

This sign was a gift from my youngest sister. Haha

I am joining Richella's "Special Touches" party today. :-)

http://impartinggrace-richella.blogspot.com/2010/05/those-special-touches.html

New Winter Curtains

2010-05-05T23:36:00.003-05:00

I bought some curtains to go with our new bedding that I showed you previously. They are thermal lined, so when they are closed at night, they should keep us nice and cozy. :-)
As you can see, the curtains are somewhat wrinkled in these pictures. Since I am allergic to ironing, I figure the wrinkles will hang out with time. Haha ;-)

I love the tasseled organza tie backs that I found to go with the curtains. Something a little bit different, I think.

Autumn Colours

2010-04-21T01:03:00.002-05:00

I took these during our afternoon walk yesterday. :-)

This is our front yard, below.

My new little garden statue.

Bedroom "makeover" for the colder months :-)

2010-04-15T20:37:00.004-05:00

These were the only pics I could find of our Spring/Summer quilt. Haha! I was sure I had a recent picture of our bedroom, but I guess I was wrong. :-/ So, you'll just have to get the general idea from these pics, the second of which is rather embarrassing. Hehe

A little closeup. :-)

Sleeping in a few months ago. N is pretending, of course. Ha

And below, here are several pictures of the bedding set I bought from eBay. It is from JCPenny's, but their site didn't have the comforter sets available for shipping until mid May. I wanted to be warm now, not sometime in June or July (when they might finally have reached us in Australia-Penny's has been slow every time I've ordered from them). By then Winter would only have a couple months left!Haha
I am really enjoying having warmer colours in our bedroom for a change. And the comforter certainly keeps us feeling very warm, too! We will have to turn the heating down at night. :-)

I got a king size, even though our bed is a queen size, because I like the quilt to hang down a lot on the sides, plus we might get a king size bed someday....

I am thinking of getting new curtains, too, since the pink in them clashes with the cranberry colour in the bedding.

I stole the rectangle accent pillow from the living room since it goes so well. Hehe

Helping Little Brother :-)

2010-04-12T19:05:00.003-05:00

"I can't remember when I've had this much fun!"
~Nathanael~

Teddy was so happy to have Nathanael feed him his yogurt. It was so sweet.

Our little boys are such a blessing to us! I love spending every day with them.:-)

Easter Tea Party

2010-03-28T23:04:00.006-05:00

This year I decided to have an Easter Tea party. :-) I haven't ever decorated for Easter until now. But everything goes so well with the colours in my house, that I really should have! Haha Nathanael, Teddy and Teena partying together. ;-)

Nathanael went a little wild with the Easter stickers. ha

Teddy and Caleb listen while Melissa and Teena chat. :-)

Brothers

2010-03-17T20:00:00.003-05:00

"Teddy is my best friend in the world."

"Mommy, I love Teddy so much!"

~Nathanael~

Rocking Chair Makeover

2010-03-01T01:00:00.003-06:00

I am joining in on the "Before and After" party at the Thrifty Decor Chick's blog. This is my first "bloggie" party, so I'm quite excited. Haha http://www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ I couldn't get her fancy button thing to work ( I'm not so great at technology. Ha) So, this link will have to do.

Anyhow, here is a rocking chair that I bought a few months ago at a second hand furniture shop. I needed it badly at the time to nurse my newborn baby boy, so I made the cushion for it before painting it. It worked well, but I didn't care for the finish, especially not with all my cream and white furniture in the family/dining room.

So, I gave it a rough coat of white paint (Dulux Once brand) and added a decal. The paint job is far from perfect, but I got the whole thing done during one of Teddy's afternoon naps, and that was the important thing to me. And now, I think the chair is way prettier. And imperfections are very "shabby chic", anyway, right? Haha :-)

Hope you are enjoying looking at everyone's befores and afters! I always love it.

A Vintage Treasure

2010-02-24T19:57:00.004-06:00

This vintage ( I am guessing 30s-50s?) tablecloth was found on a recent thrift store shopping excursion. I have it laid out on the guest bed for display for now. Mostly as it was the best place to have it for photographing it. :-)
Yesterday I had it out drying on the line, and Nathanael asked me what that white thing was. I told him it was a vintage tablecloth and he said" Oh! A treasure!" Isn't he the wise one? :-) Hehe

I think was a good find, although a little more than I wanted to spend at $15.

It is a treasure from the past. :-)

Hearts Around Our House :-)

2010-02-11T22:01:00.004-06:00

In honour of Valentine's Day, I thought I would show all of the heart shaped things in our house. :-)

This arrangement is in our dining area.

I made the heart garland, and the small heart wreath

is from JoAnn's Fabrics in the USA.

A homemade heart hangs from a humorous sign. :-)

Another of my heart garlands hangs in our formal living room.

Hearts that I made from the book "Sew Pretty Homestyle".

Somehow this pic of my bridesmaid gift

from my friend, Melissa, ended up sideways. :-/

And, of course, I don't know how to fix it once it is on here. Haha

Melissa gave me the larger heart box, and I store my

earrings in the small pink one. :-)

And here I am with my little sweet hearts. :-)

Ben couldn't be in the picture because he is taking it, of course.

I would have liked to decorate for Valentine's Day, but I didn't think of it in time to make or order anything, and they don't seem to have much in the stores here for Valentine's Day. After Christmas, they skipped straight to Easter! Haha

Have a very happy Valentine's Day!!! :-)

~"Dick and Jane" nursery pillow~

2010-02-08T23:20:00.002-06:00

Both sides of the pillow. :-)

After finding 2 different "Dick and Jane" theme fabrics on sale in a quilt shop at the coast, I decided to decorate our newly built church nursery in this theme. I am making two of these pillows for our new soft gliding chairs we have to nurse the babies in.

The other fabric, I am planning to make into valances for the windows. After the wood blinds have been installed, that is. I also bought 3 "Dick and Jane" prints which I plan to frame for the walls. Those will have to wait for the plastering and painting to be done, though. :-)

When the nursery is all done, I will post pics of the finished project, complete with little models, Teddy and Caleb. :-) How cute will that be? Hehe

~Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ~

2010-02-02T22:26:00.002-06:00

Thought I'd share this recipe that I adapted from my Better Homes&Gardens cookbook. :-)

3 Eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

8 tablespoons cooking cocoa

1/2 cup cooking oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract ( I added this to taste, so I'm not sure exactly how much)

2 cups all-purpose flour

Sifted powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, cocoa, oil, baking powder, vanilla and peppermint with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough for 1-2 hours.

2.Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in powered sugar, place balls 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 375F (or about 180C) oven for 8-10 min. or until edges are set and tops are crackled. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

These ended up very soft and yummy. :-)

~The Blessing of Friendship ~

2010-01-22T01:26:00.002-06:00

Brotherly companionship :-)

Teddy and Caleb are friends - aren't they too cute holding hands? Hehe :-)

Tips For Keeping Your Home Presentable :-)

2010-01-18T21:49:00.003-06:00

Since I love reading other people's housekeeping and homemaking tips, I thought I'd put a few of mine on here. :-) I think it's very important that we wives/mothers make our homes a happy and peaceful place for our families, and I don't think this is possible if the house isn't at least half way presentable. Haha
I do admit to loving books on decluttering and cleaning; I think because these things are part of my "job description", as my mom says. :-)

* Have a housekeeping schedule/chart so things don't pile up on you. I get overwhelmed if I feel I have to get everything done in one day, so I spread the cleaning and laundry chores out over the days of the week.

* Try to pick up all the toys and other items that family members may have left around the house before you go to bed. Straighten everything up ready for the next day.

* In the morning, tidy anything up that you didn't get to the night before. :-)

*When you walk in the house after going out, put your coat, bag, etc. away where it goes right away to avoid clutter piling up.

*Try to clean up as you go along when preparing meals, so you won't have a huge mess to clean up after eating.

*If you don't have time to do the dishes, at least stack everything in the sink, not all over the counter tops.

*Fold laundry in the laundry room or your bedroom, so that if you are interrupted (which you will be if you have children-ha) everyone won't have to see the piles of clothes, towels, etc. sitting around.

*Keep the living room clean and picked up in case of unexpected company. :-)

*Always make the beds in the morning. This makes a big difference.

*And of course, have a place for everything and everything in its place. I can't stand clutter. Haha Not only is it unsightly, but when you go to find something you need, you will waste a lot of time digging through piles of stuff.

My house isn't always perfectly clean and neat, but I know if I keep the basic things going right, it won't take me long to get it clean again. Which is important when you have a baby and 3 year old who take up a lot of your time. They are very worth it, though. :-)

Do you have any homemaking or house keeping tips you'd like to share?

A Christmas tea party and our real Christmas tree!

2009-12-22T21:46:00.006-06:00

One of our tea party guests, Netta, with Nathanael and Teddy.

The table all set for the party.

Above is the tree we cut down last Saturday at a local Christmas tree farm. There is a picture on my sidebar of Ben, Nathanael and Teddy after we chose our tree. :-)
We decorated this tree in a very traditional style and colours, with ornaments we've collected over the years, and some from my childhood.

Real trees smell so good!

A Christmasy corner of the living room. :-)

The ornaments are stored in these hatboxes during the year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :-)

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

2009-12-15T00:36:00.003-06:00

Which isn't likely, considering it's Summer here in Australia- but at least I have a white tree! Haha
Since we had "Christmas in June" this past year, I didn't feel like putting up ALL of our Christmas decorations again, especially since I now have little Teddy to help keep me busy. :-)
But here are the ones we have up, in case you'd like to have a peek. :-)

I've had this little doll for several years.

This was my ornament for 1998- Mom bought

one for each of us every Christmas. :-)

Ben and I bought this one.

Teddy's "1st Christmas" ornament

Mom gave this to me for my last birthday-

I love anything teacups, teapots, etc.!

The "fireplace" in our front room.

We are still considering getting a tree from a Christmas tree farm for the front room. We shall see. :-) If we do, I'll be sure to post some more pics.

Our "new" dining set :-)

2009-12-06T23:48:00.002-06:00

I've been searching for a long time for an affordable white or cream "shabby chic" style dining table and chairs to buy. After several months of looking on eBay, I finally found one close enough (sort of, haha) to go and pick up. It was about 3 hours each way. It is my Christmas present from Ben, and I just love the way it looks in our family/dining room!

There is a set just like this one at Everyday Living that I really wanted, but it cost too much for us. This was about half the price, including the fuel we used. So, that was a blessing. :-) Also, our old table and chairs sold quickly on eBay and paid for 1/2 the cost of this new set.

The white chair pads were an unexpected bonus. :-)

A fresh, airy look, just in time for Summer. :-)

Nathanael and Teddy's Room

2009-12-02T22:03:00.005-06:00

I've shown you photos of Nathanael's room before, but things are little different now that Teddy has moved in, too. :-)

The change table with some furry friends and an adorable
pillow made by Kathryn at http://ourshabbycottage.blogspot.com/

Notice the new "Beatrix Potter" curtains found on eBay. :-)

The boys' initials in Beatrix Potter letters. :-)
And a picture of Teddy in the bath- 3 months old. :-)

Finished Rocking Chair Project

2009-11-18T20:18:00.002-06:00

I love rose decals....

Nathanael wanted to model the chair. :-)

The rocking chair has a fairly rough coat of paint. But that makes it more "shabby chic", right? Haha

Actually, I just don't have time to try for a perfect finish. And the overall effect is much better now. :-)

Newest photos of Teddy :-)

2009-11-17T22:14:00.003-06:00

The three boys- they're a cute bunch. :-)

My friend, Jessica K. and I were making Teddy smile at church. :-)He is 10 weeks old in these pictures.

Big smiles for Daddy when he gets home from work- 11 weeks old.

I finished painting my rocking chair today. One coat, anyway, so when I bring it in the house again, I'll post some pics of that. :-)

Tummy Time With Teddy :-)

2009-11-05T22:14:00.001-06:00

Teddy is 8 weeks old and new rocker project :-)

2009-10-28T23:00:00.003-05:00

I got the pictures in the wrong order. Haha So, here is the rocking chair we bought at a second hand store so that I have somewhere to nurse and rock Teddy in the family room. ( My main"feeding chair" is in the living room.) I made the chair pad while Teddy was napping the other day. The fabric was a piece I had been saving for a while that I bought at a quilt shop with my mom last time we went to Idaho. :-)

I will paint the chair white as soon as I get a chance. Of course, then I won't be able to use it for a little while until the paint dries. Haha :-) I think that will be a big improvement, though. The wood colour doesn't look the greatest with our other furniture.

Teddy and me after his bath. He is starting to enjoy them now. Even smiling. :-)

He enjoys taking his morning snooze in the swing.

Big brother in his new suit. Teddy has a matching one, which is still too big.

Teddy just discovered the mirror above his head in the swing. :-)He was quite fascinated.

When we took Teddy to his 6 week checkup (he was actually 7 weeks, though) we found out that he now weighs 12 1/2 pounds! Quite a chubby baby. :-) I'm glad that he is growing so well. Nathanael was always a skinny baby, so this is a new experience. Hehe I love his chubby cheeks and the rolls on his legs. :-)

Announcing the arrival of Theodore David on September 2nd!

2009-09-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

Teddy's first Sunday at church.

4 days old

With Nathanael, just after we got home from the birth centre.

So Teddy is still less than a day old in this picture.

We are very excited to announce the safe arrival of our little Teddy. :-) The labour went very well, lasting only 3 1/2 hours (or about 6 hours after my water breaking). My midwife did a wonderful job supporting us throughout the labour and birth. A much different experience from Nathanael's birth 3 years ago.

So far Teddy is a very easy baby. He seems to have a very laid back personality in contrast to Nathanael's more intense one. Which will be good as they grow up together. :-) Nathanael already loves his little brother, and enjoys getting to hug, kiss and hold him.

I will probably not be able to post on this blog as often now, as we concentrate on enjoying Teddy's newborn days, but I will try to post new photos, etc. now and then. :-)

Nathanael's 3rd birthday party :-)

2009-08-30T18:51:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from Nathanael's "Thomas the Tank Engine" birthday party. I think he really enjoyed turning 3. :-) It ended up that almost all of his presents were "Thomas" related. Haha He loves playing with his new train sets! They are taking up half the floor space in my sewing/reading room. Haha :-) Nathanael's friends from church, Zach and Chloe.

The birthday cake.

Opening presents.

Daddy lighting the candles.

Nathanael decided it was his job to cut the cake. Haha

Me, Carolyn and Diana

Happy Birthday Boy! :-)

The newest "Peter Rabbit" projects. :-)

2009-08-20T01:12:00.005-05:00

These are the Peter Rabbit bumper pads I've been working on. I still actually have the last long side to finish, but I ran out of ribbon for the ties. And the side of the crib isn't back on yet, anyway.

A lovely friend of mine who loves Beatrix Potter things as much as I do, gave me this cute frieze for the boys' room. :-) Nathanael loves it.

My friend, Melissa, gave me this Peter Rabbit print, which I put in a white, ornate frame I had on hand. I think it adds a nice touch to the entrance of the room. :-)

Things are going pretty well in these last days/weeks of my pregnancy. Although I found out at 29 weeks along that I have gestational diabetes, I've been able to control my blood sugar levels very well with diet. So, other than not being able to eat some things I crave, it shouldn't be a problem for me or the baby.

I am now 36 weeks along, and since Nathanael was born at 36 1/2 weeks, I am prepared for going into labour anytime from now on. Haha I am finishing up a lot of last minute projects and chores around the house that I want done before the new arrival. I guess it must be "nesting"! Haha

I'm so thankful that we live in a lovely, bright house for this baby's arrival. When Nathanael was born we were renting a house (while looking for one to buy) that was old, dark and dusty. Ben calls it "The Bat Cave". Haha The darkness made me feel depressed after the birth, and I think contributed to Nathanael having a bad case of jaundice.

Sorry, I don't have an updated side shot of pregnant me. Hopefully I will be able to post one before the baby is born. :-)

Goodbye to a Wonderful Mother, Grandmother and Mother-in-law.

2009-08-17T05:47:00.004-05:00

We recently returned from a trip to South Australia to say goodbye to Ben's dear mother. We were there for a week, and were able to be with and talk to her before she passed away.
This photo was taken about a year ago.

I am so glad Nathanael got to see his Grandma again before it was too late. It was a special time for all of us, but very sad, too. We will miss her so much! But what a comfort to know that we will see Ben's mom again in Heaven some day. She truly loved the Lord, and trusted in Him as her Saviour.
I am so thankful for Ben's wonderful parents. Their love for each other is an inspiration, as was so evident in his Dad's care of Miriam in her last battle with cancer.

"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory. " Psalm 73:24

Baby Shower! :-)

2009-07-27T02:39:00.006-05:00

Ben and Nathanael leaving before all the ladies arrive. Haha

Some shots of the adorable decorations. :-)

My dear friend, Melissa's, profile. I hope she doesn't mind too much that I included this pic, but I wanted to have one of her, since she put so much hard work into making the shower lovely. :-)

Jesse, who also helped make the shower a success. :-)

Julia Korda, me and Tanya ( Julia's sister in law)

Jesse's cheesecake was SO good!

All the lovely guests, except Melissa, who was taking the photo.

Opening the thoughtful presents. :-)

My friends, Melissa and Jesse, gave me a beautiful baby shower last Saturday morning. It was held at a local cafe/gift shop. Melissa did a wonderful job on the decorating and invitations, and Jesse's cheesecake was simply divine. :-) We also played 3 cute shower games, which everyone enjoyed. Lots of laughs. Haha And, of course, opening the gifts was very fun. :-)

I am so thankful for all the time and work that went into making the shower such a special time.

Decorating the hallway with my latest "finds".

2009-07-22T23:05:00.002-05:00

This table and mirror came from a discount home wares store ( Home Art). It is the perfect size for the wider area at the start of our hallway. And it camouflages the outlet for our ducted vacuum system. :-)

I just found this beautiful lace at a local coffee/cafe and gift shop. I love it because it has an antique look to it, and is so soft and drapey.

My friend, Melissa, spotted this pitcher and bowl set in a thrift shop window for only $5! Of course, I went in and bought it. :-) The doily was also a thrift shop find about a year ago.

A close up of the lace detailing.

Peter Rabbit baby quilt- finished!

2009-07-16T06:47:00.003-05:00

The Peter Rabbit/ Beatrix Potter quilt I have been working on for our new baby boy is now finished. :-) I hand quilted all the blocks in the main part of the quilt and part of the borders, then machine quilted the corner blocks and the other parts of the borders that needed more quilting. I was planning to hand quilt all of it, but I wanted to save time since I still have the crib bumper pads to make. They will be made of the same fabric as the border on the quilt. :-)
I am now 31 weeks or 7 months along in this pregnancy. So, not that much time left! Especially considering that it's very likely that the baby will be born at least a couple weeks early. Nathanael was born 3 1/2 weeks before his due date, and he was already over 7 pounds and didn't seem like a "preemie" at all. It's exciting that the time is drawing near for the new baby to be born, but I do have quite a few things I want to get done first. Ben thinks it is taking forever, but I think the time goes by fairly fast. Haha

Christmas Day :-)

2009-06-27T03:14:00.003-05:00

Just before Christmas dinner- you can see that the new baby is growing very big inside me. Haha :-)

Nathanael loves his new Benjamin Bunny. I was so pleased to have found this one for him. I couldn't find any on the internet, and this was the last one at The Teddy Bear Shoppe.

He loves Jelly Belly jelly beans- takes after his mother. :-)

Although it was a fairly warm day for Winter, at least it wasn't Summer weather. No snow, though. :-( Oh, well. I guess that would be expecting too much. Haha

We ended up with way too much food for just us. So lots of leftovers, as usual. It is hard to cook Christmas dinner for just 2 adults and a 2 almost 3 year old, I think.

Ben is very busy getting ready for a business trip, so it wasn't quite the Christmas Day I had hoped for, but still nice. I think Nathanael had a lot of fun.

Our Christmas In June :-)

2009-06-03T02:26:00.004-05:00

I decided I wanted to have a cozy Christmas this year. The only way to achieve that, I think, is to have Christmas in Winter. So, we are having Christmas Day on June 27th, which is the closest I could get to December 25th, season-wise, in the Southern Hemisphere. (We have to have it on Saturday, since Christmas in June is not a public holiday. Haha)

Our formal living room is decorated with my traditional Christmas tree and decorations. We have a flatscreen TV playing a fireplace DVD in the fireplace mantle/surround. So that gives a very cozy effect. I just love this room all decked out for Christmas. :-)

When I was in Idaho last Christmas, I bought several Christmas candles and melts, so the house smells like pine trees, cinnamon, etc. Too bad I can't add the scents to my blog. :-)

Nathanael loves all the Christmas decor! :-)

In my more "shabby chic style" family room, I have my white tree, which includes some vintage pink balls among other very sweet, pink ornaments.

The pictures of our trees didn't turn out that well, because they don't show the lights. I can't figure out how to turn the flash off, though. :-/

If you read this blog, I would love to hear from you and have you wish us a Merry Christmas, via the "comments box". :-)

Diaper Bag :-)

2009-05-19T22:46:00.004-05:00

I just finished the Beatrix Potter diaper bag for the new baby. I think it turned out really cute, although the directions I had were flawed and hard to understand. It was easy compared to the bag I made when I was pregnant with Nathanael, though. So that was good. :-)

Nathanael loves all these Peter Rabbit projects I've been working on- I think he thinks they are for him. He can help by carrying the bag for me when the baby arrives, so he will probably be happy with that. :-) He might want to play with the sling, too, when it's not in use.

The baby quilt is next on my agenda, also Beatrix Potter, of course. Haha I'm sure it will be a couple months at least before I'll be putting the finished quilt pictures on this blog. The quilt doesn't look the easiest, and I plan to hand quilt it. So who knows how long that will take! It will be adorable, though, I'm sure. I love all these cute prints. :-)

Peter Rabbit Baby Sling :-)

2009-05-17T19:41:00.002-05:00

I recently sewed a baby sling for our new baby boy out of some cute Beatrix Potter fabric I ordered online. It was really fast and easy. Hopefully it will be better to use than some baby carriers I have tried. I got tired of all the all the fastenings, etc. to get the baby in and out. This sling is all one piece. I think it would have been better with a slightly stretchy fabric, but I really wanted a Peter Rabbit print. :-)

Nathanael had fun modeling the sling using his baby doll. :-) Of course, it is much shorter on me. Haha

It's a boy!

2009-04-29T22:15:00.002-05:00

My ultrasound on Tuesday went well. The baby appears to be very healthy, and we found out that we are having another boy. Although I was hoping for a girl, I'm sure a little brother will be lots of fun for Nathanael. :-) From the profile shot, we think he will look a lot like Nathanael, too. The baby seems to be due a week earlier than the first due date I was given, which I expected. I knew the first date was off by about a week. So I am probably 20 weeks along today, rather than 19. :-)

Our new little boy will share Nathanael's "Peter Rabbit" bedroom, so I bought an adorable Beatrix Potter quilt kit to make for him. I'm also going to make a Peter Rabbit diaper bag, and baby sling. I'm working on a maternity dress now, so I have my work cut out for me. Haha But I'm sure I'll have lots of fun sewing such cute stuff. :-)

Pregnancy update- 18 weeks along

2009-04-23T19:12:00.003-05:00

Here is my 18 week pregnancy picture. I am wearing the same top as last time, so you can see exactly how much bigger I am now. Haha
I am feeling a lot better, but still feel sick before dinner, etc.
My 18-19 week ultrasound is this Tuesday. We are so excited! I told Nathanael he will get to see pictures of the baby on a computer screen, so he is pleased about that. :-)
I can't wait to find out if the baby is a girl or a boy! Then I can start getting more baby things ready. :-) Fun!

Newly decorated guest room, etc.

2009-04-13T22:34:00.002-05:00

Over the Easter long weekend, my dear husband, Ben, painted the guest bedroom a pretty pale pink. Then we put up the rose border together. I am very happy with the results. Actually, I like to spend a lot of time in there now. Haha If the baby is a girl, she will have this room. If not, it will remain a lovely guest room. :-) Almost everything in this room was either second hand ( free or inexpensive) or handmade by me.
I thought I'd share a picture of the new netting and bumper pads I bought for the baby's cradle. It looks so cute! The cradle is actually Ben's (and his sisters') from when they were babies. Very special. :-)

I'll have to get Ben to take a picture of me again soon so I can post another pregnancy update. :-)

Pregnancy update- over 12 weeks along. :-)

2009-03-15T17:57:00.002-05:00

My little sister has requested a picture every month so she can see how the baby and I are growing.:-) So I decided to do a pregnancy update post every now and then. As you can see, at 12 1/2 weeks along, I am not "showing" very much. But this was about how big my tummy was at 3 1/2-4 months with Nathanael, so it's true that you start showing sooner with the second baby.

I still feel somewhat sick much of the time, but it is starting to get better now. Hopefully the sick feeling will be completely gone in a couple of weeks.

When I was expecting Nathanael, I wanted to give birth at our local birth center. But as there is limited space on their midwifery program, I didn't make it past the waiting list. So we are really excited that this time the Lord worked it out so that we got in much quicker and easier than we expected. :-) My first visit with my midwife will be next Monday. I haven't met her yet, so I am looking forward to that. I would have liked to have a home birth, but the cost for that was over AUD$5000! The birth center and hospital are free (socialized medicine has it's good points. haha), so it is such a blessing that we actually got in with the birth center this time.
My hospital experience wasn't terrible, but there were several things I wasn't happy with. Although they try to encourage "natural birth", I still felt that there was too much intervention. The midwives at the birth center seem much more relaxed, and I am hoping for a better birth experience this time around. :-)

Exciting news! :-)

2009-02-01T21:19:00.003-06:00

We have some exciting news to share- our second baby should be arriving in late September! :-)
I am only about 6 weeks along (as the doctors date pregnancies) or 3 1/2 weeks ( the age of the baby). I had an ultrasound today to get a due date and it was very special to see our tiny baby's heartbeat for the first time. :-) The baby resembles a kidney bean more than anything at this point. Haha But they develop so quickly from this time on! We have a book with very good photos of babies at every stage of the pregnancy, so it's fun to keep track of what's going on that way.

I have been feeling sick for about 1 1/2 weeks now, so that hasn't been too pleasant. Let's just hope it doesn't get too much worse! I've had to be very careful not to let my blood sugar drop between meals, so I've been trying to eat little healthyish snacks between. :-) I am thankful that so far I haven't been nearly as sick as my mom and her sister were during their pregnancies. I just try to bear that in mind to encourage myself. Haha

Anyway, we are very excited to have another precious little baby in our family. I am hoping for a girl this time, but will be happy with either, of course. :-)
Nathanael doesn't really understand what's going on yet, but I'm sure he will get excited closer to the time. He turns 3 in late August, so I think that should be a nice age gap.

Please forgive me if I don't blog as often, as I am very tired, etc. and am having a hard time getting the basics done around the house. Things should return to normal by the 3 month mark I am hoping. :-)

Beautifying My Bathrooms :-)

2009-01-15T19:01:00.004-06:00

Since I returned from our trip to the USA, I have added some touches to our bathrooms that I thought I'd share with you. :-)

I bought the "Simply Shabby Chic" brand shower curtain at Target while I was in Idaho. The pattern is called Apple Blossoms, I think. Also, I bought the crystal/diamond look shower hooks by the same brand. You can't see the hooks very well in the pictures, though. For some reason they look dark.
We have a seperate shower, so putting the curtain over the bath is purely for decorative reasons, though it does offer some privacy.

In the master bathroom, or ensuite as they call it here in Australia, my friend Melissa and I put up a cute bathroom border that I found at Walmart. Good old Walmart! Haha

We put the wallpaper border over the existing border tiles, which I didn't care for at all. I think this is a big improvement. :-)

There were also a couple of accent tiles, hence the squares of wallpaper here and there. Haha

I had a cute porcelain teapot shade on the nightlight, but it was broken during the wallpaper border project. Extreme sadness! :-( At least I had this little beaded shade to replace it with for now, although it doesn't really fit the light very well.

Back In Australia....photos of our trip to Idaho :-)

2009-01-11T15:40:00.006-06:00

The Christmas tree at my family's house.

Christmas morning.

Nathanael loves his Levi's from Grandma. :-)

My niece and cousin.

Jason Korda, my dad and my sisters.

Adorable cousins. :-)

Great Grandma's birthday on New Years Day.

The happy couple, Delana and Aaron.

My sister and brother playing in the wedding.

Delana is an old friend of mine. :-) I was so happy to see her get married at last.

Cousin's 3rd birthday. :-)

Nathanael wasn't too sure about the snow. :-)

My family and I doing a Christmas music special at church.

Brunch at a tea room. :-)

We just arrived back home on Friday. We all really enjoyed our visit to the USA. I really miss my family now, though. :-( It seems like no matter how long I'm there it isn't a long enough visit. Nathanael keeps asking to see his cousins. He had such a good time playing with them. I'll have to try to find some little play mates here for him. That might not be easy, however. I'm pretty particular. Haha We shall see. It would be wonderful if some more families with small children join our church sometime soon. I guess we'll make that a matter of prayer. :-)

Hope you enjoyed all the photos of our time in Idaho. :-)

Home For The Holidays! :-)

2008-11-23T19:34:00.003-06:00

We are going "home" to Idaho for the Holidays, so I probably won't be posting on here until I get back in January.

This is the first time I will get to spend Thanksgiving with my family since 2001. In 2002, I was visiting Ben and his parents during Thanksgiving. Then we got married in September of 2003.

This will be our 3rd Christmas in Idaho since we got married. Which sounds like a lot, I know. We have spent 3 Christmases here, too, though. And although there are some similarities in the way Australians and Americans celebrate Christmas, the differences make me feel a little sad and nostalgic during the holiday season here. Of course, the weather is so much different- the middle of Summer. I am looking forward to a cold, if not white, Christmas. :-) We can always hope for snow! Haha

I am staying past New Years in Idaho, and will be going to a dear friend's wedding in early January. Fun! :-)

Since I won't get to decorate our house for Christmas this year, I plan to have Christmas in July, or maybe June next year. So then I can enjoy all of our Christmas decorations, too. :-)

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

~Embellishments~

2008-11-19T21:00:00.002-06:00

I added some beaded fringe from our local crafts/fabric store to the plain shade that came with this lamp.

This beautiful lace edged mantel scarf (which is actually a runner) came from a temporary stand/store at our local mall. I changed around my mantel display since last time I posted a picture of the fireplace, too. :-)

The bead trimmed shade I found at a discount store called the Reject Shop. Haha That name makes me laugh. The white base was on sale at Target. I love that store. :-)

Jessica K's Victorian Tea Party

2008-11-16T16:49:00.004-06:00

Jessica putting the finishing touches to her ensemble. :-)

The Jessicas in hats. Haha

The pink and green tea table.

L to R: Julia, Sarah, Jessica K., Melissa S.

Jessica's mother, Julia.

Lighting the candles.

What a gorgeous birthday cake!

Sarah preparing the tea.

Opening presents

My friend, Jessica, is turning 13. She had a Victorian Tea Party to celebrate the occasion. Ah, a kindred spirit. :-) I thought I'd share some pictures of the party. I helped Jessica decorate the tables the night before. Doesn't the party look so pretty? And very Victorian. Jessica's sister, Sarah, put on a British accent the whole day. Haha So cute.

My shabby "new" fireplace! :-)

2008-11-06T16:35:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, Nathanael and I went on a little trip to Mossvale in the Southern Highlands with our friends, Dan and Melissa. We went shopping, of course. Haha There are so many cute shops in Mossvale. I was so excited whe I spotted this beautiful fireplace surround and mantel piece in an antique shop. I was told that it is circa 1910-20.

Here is the firplace in our formal living room. Doesn't it look cozy? The owner of the antique shop was kind enough to deliver it for free. :-)

I'm not sure I will leave the fireplace in this room yet. It may end up in the family room. We shall see.....

Tour of Our Home- the back yard blossoming

2008-10-27T23:27:00.003-05:00

The white flowering vine is jasmine. It smells so good,
and the scent even drifts in through the kitchen window.

The banksia roses are very pretty, but they have

don't really smell like anything.

I think the strawberries will be very good this year. :-)

The first roses on my little pink rose bush.

Our yard isn't perfect by any means, but we love it. And we add a special new plant now and then, like the small mock orange bush in the photo above. So the yard is already much improved since we bought the house one and a half years ago.

Tour of Our Home- the Bathroom and Toilet Room

2008-10-21T04:04:00.017-05:00

Here in Australia, most newer houses have a seperate bathroom and toilet room. So the bathroom has a bath, shower and sink/vanity, but no toilet. That's how our house is, too. :-)

I love "my" pink, romantic bathroom! Ben almost always uses the ensuite bathroom in our bedroom. So this one is basically mine, Nathanael's and of course the guests'. :-)

Some lovely quotes for the day. :-)

2008-10-14T00:58:00.003-05:00

I came across a couple of good quotes in a decorating magazine, that I thought I would share. :-)

"A comfortable home is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience. " Sydney Smith

(I don't know who Sydney Smith is, so if he or she isn't a good person, I didn't know. Haha)

"It is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all. "
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tour Of Our Home- Family/dining room

2008-10-14T00:03:00.013-05:00

My sister painted the beautiful picture above our TV cabinet.

The dining area is part of our family room.

I made the pink check and floral pillow to sell. :-) It is sitting on my wicker chair for now.

Closeup of my quilt.....

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. "

I made this scripture sign with my friend Melissa's supplies. Such a nice pal. :-)

Tour of Our Home- Kitchen

2008-10-06T02:29:00.010-05:00

My beloved KitchenAid appliances. :-)

I painted the recipe box and put on the decals.

The pink edged doily was a thrift store find.

Tour of Our Home- The Front Garden

2008-10-01T01:23:00.012-05:00

Just click on photos to enlarge.

Instead of an actual room, I thought I'd do our front yard this week. The weeping cherry tree is in bloom now. It looks so pretty. :-) And our new birdbath looks very cute, I think.

Completed cushions!

2008-09-29T00:16:00.004-05:00

Jessica and Sarah with their cushions (showing the front sides).

Back of the cushions.

The Korda girls finished their cushions today. They look so pretty! They would go quite well in our house- as you can see in the photos. :-) Hehe

I'm sure Jessica and Sarah will enjoy displaying these lovely cushions on their beds.

Our next sewing lesson project will be skirts, I think. That should be fun. :-)

Tour of Our Home- Formal Living Room

2008-09-23T21:14:00.006-05:00

Our formal living room is the other room besides our bedroom, that is decorated in a darker Victorian style, rather than the light romantic/shabby style that I love now. Since we already had the furniture in this room from when we first got married, I decided to go ahead and paint the bottom half of the walls in a burgundy colour to match. We bought the border on sale a few years ago, and it was nice to finally get to use it. I like the dark wood, Victorian look. I just prefer light, pink and romantic now. It is really nice that we can have both styles in our house, as the formal living areas are separate from the kitchen/dining/family room open plan area.

Even in this room, I have a few light coloured things, such as the coffee table and table lamp. I am hoping to find a bigger coffee table second hand somewhere, in a mahogony type colour.

Right now I have the seat cushions on our sofa covered with a crocheted lace table cloth I bought last Saturday at a car boot sale. However, I don't know how long I'll keep it there. Haha Just experimenting. :-)

Tour of Our Home- Master Bedroom

2008-09-18T00:10:00.006-05:00

I am going to try to do a post once a week with pictures of a particular room in our house, until all the rooms are used up. Haha This week is the master bedroom.

Ben and I bought our huge four poster bed when we had been married for a few months. I loved dark wood furniture at the time, and Ben still prefers it. I like it, but if I had to choose a bed now I would probably get a white painted wood or wrought iron bed. I have tried to lighten the look by using light coloured bedding and accessories, though. The most recent addition to our room is the square painting on the right side of the bed. Which is the side I sleep on. :-) We found it in a shop down the coast at a very good price, considering it appears to be hand painted, unlike most of the art in our house. Haha

Spring has come to our garden!

2008-09-16T01:29:00.009-05:00

The blossoming tree at the top is a peach tree. It has such delicious peaches, as we know from last year! :-) I planted a lot of flowers recently. Like the pansies, the bush with pink star-like flowers, and the tulips and hyacinths. The weeping cherry tree in the front yard should be beautiful when it blooms!

Our 5th Anniversary!

2008-09-15T18:59:00.004-05:00

Ben brought me these beautiful flowers on his lunch break.

Friday the 12th of September was our fifth wedding anniversary. I am very blessed with my wonderful husband, Ben. Sometimes it doesn't seem like 5 years ago that we got married, and other times it seems like we've been married forever. haha

My mom sent us these cute vintage pillowcases. I like to think about the lives of the couple these pillowcases were made for so many years ago. :-)

Sewing lesson :-)

2008-09-08T01:41:00.003-05:00

Most Mondays Sarah and Jessica Korda come over for a sewing lesson. They are doing really well, and pick things up very quickly. Today we started on some pretty cushions for the girls' rooms. You can see from the photos that Jessica and Sarah share my love for all things pink and floral. :-) It is a pleasure helping such sweet young ladies learn the useful art of sewing. Nathanael has a great time "helping", too. Haha Jessica(left) loves chandeliers, and brought her mini one to lesson today. It looks so cute hanging on my dining chair. :-) She named this little chandelier "Iris". While she was here today, she also started trying to think of names for all the cushions in my house. Haha Hilarious, but very cute.

Nathanael's "new" bed. :-)

2008-09-01T18:24:00.005-05:00

Before

We were given a single bed about a year ago to use for Nathanael, but I really wanted a white bed to go with the rest of his bedroom furniture. So my good friend, Melissa, and I painted it. I like it much better now. :-) I found the Peter Rabbit bedding on eBay, as well as the Peter Rabbit fabric that I used to make the square cushion. We had the bed all set up in time for Nathanael's birthday party day. I had wanted it all done in time for his actual birthday, but we had a few problems getting a mattress in time.

Nathanael loves his new "big bed". Especially loves jumping all over it. Haha

Nathanael's 2 year old Birthday Party!

2008-09-01T01:00:00.009-05:00

Nathanael's 2nd Birthday party was last Saturday. It was a "Peter Rabbit" theme, which was cute. :-) Since Nathanael doesn't really know any kids his age, we invited a lot of his "older" friends from church. He especially loves his friend, Sarah (11) whom he calls "Wang Wang". We don't know why he calls her this, but it's cute. Haha

Everyone seemed to enjoy the party. :-)

The finished effect!

2008-08-29T00:29:00.008-05:00

Pastor Ben is adding some finishing touches. :-)

Moving back in.......

View from the platform(above)

This is the view from the back as you walk in off the street.

Our church sanctuary is finally finished, so I thought I'd post some "after" photos of it. I think it looks beautiful now. :-)