Projects Update

I bet you thought I didn't get that owl up, huh? 

You were wrong.

I did it! 

I didn't do it the night I promised myself I would. It got down at about 7:17am the next morning, between collecting the trash and brushing my teeth, but I did do it. The owl now resides on the wall like a respectable piece of art.

 

Now, if I can just get him some buddies and finish the wall art compositions in the nursery.

I'm giving a lecture on my dissertation research to the Anthropology Club at KSU tonight (Hale Library Room 401 if you're interested) so I'm planning any major project progress for the evening. I did just ask Austin if he would measure the bracket so I can order it and rehang that blind. It remains to be seen if Norie will allow it.

1. Buy a bracket and rehang the blinds in the bedroom
2. Plant the mum by friend Nancy gave me
3. Write something on my DIY Chalkboard
4. Finish my fall mantel
5. Take Norie's four month pictures before she's five months old
6. Finish the wedding plate wall art
7. Make some bunting for my office
8. Build a pallet bar/wall art to cover up the attic fan switch
9. Make a DIY ribbon chandelier for Norie's room
10. Do something with the shutters my aunt got me last year
11. Put the label plates back on the enormous drawer thing and label the drawers
12. Finish the wall art I started for the Song print I got for donating to Love Without Boundaries
13. Finish my desk
14. Finish the table scape for Campbell Family Thanksgiving 2012
15. Hang the awesome owl latch hook my sister gave me at Norie's baby shower
16. Clean up the porch
17. Finish the October page in my pregnancy scrapbook (yes, that would be last October)
18. Fix the leg on the coffee table and finish repainting it
19. Sell the coffee and end tables
20. Make a coffee table
21. Create a gift wrapping/gift wrap organizing space
22. Start working on fun holiday decorations
23. Finish the other Dream Dollhouse from last year's Make Two Challenge
24. Make some DIY cake stands from wedding plates and candlesticks.
25. Make map mats for vacation photos

Introducing Norie to Solid Food

When Norie was born I planned on exclusively breastfeeding her until she was six months old. That's what the American Pediatric Association recommends and you know how I like to follow the directions. When I did start her on solid food I planned to make sure it was mostly pureed fruits and vegetables I made myself like smushed up sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas and peas.

Then we hit 23 weeks and Norie was waking up every 45 minutes all night long and wanting to nurse every single time. I was worried she had developed a nursing crutch and just couldn't go to sleep unless she nursed. I don't remember exactly how the decision process went (sleep deprivation had some negative effects on my memory), but we started giving Norie infant cereal a couple of weeks ago. 

It is the most amazing thing ever. For both of us.

The first time I tried it she practically lunged out of the bumbo trying to get it in her mouth and ate like she had been starving to death. That night she only woke up three times. It was glorious. Lately she wakes up once, maybe twice a night to nurse, but otherwise is a full and happy camper. She's also drinking more milk than I seem to be able to produce, but that's another issue. 

I've been giving her fruits and veggies too. She's tried bananas, and apple sauce and peas (don't worry Mom, they were all on different days), but so far at least she's not really a fan. She sticks out her tongue to try to get them out of her mouth and makes a horrible face. As a result, the vast majority of her diet consists of breastmilk and infant cereal. She loves it.

 

Solid food is a misnomer. It's more like soquid food. She is a mess. Good thing she eats right before bath time.

UPDATE: Austin just sent me this picture of her response to carrots. I guess she doesn't like them either. 

There is no House Fairy

I attended a webinar a couple of weeks ago by Laura Roeder of LKR Social Media. She made a great point about how you're either going to have to make the time to work on your website or pay someone else to do it. While there is a Graphics Fairy, there is no website fairy that is going to come make it happen without you putting in the money or the time.

It made sense in terms of a website, but I've been noticing that it really applies to just about every aspect of life. You either need to put in the time to do something yourself or pay someone to do it.

There is not generally a no money, no time required option.

Then it hit me yesterday while I was reading a post by my blog bestie, Crystal. It was about the wall art she made from a Restore find and a frame from IKEA.

Source: 29 Rue House, http://29ruehouse.blogspot.com

She made that for $14 bucks in forty minutes. Impressive, right?

Here's the thing though. It still cost $14 and took 40 minutes. I've been lollygagging on my house because I haven't been willing to spend any money to make it into our home. I haven't exactly been putting in the time lately either. Instead of realizing that we are going to have to pay someone to do it or DIY it I've been waiting around like if I waited long enough the House Fairy would come visit and it would just magically happen without me putting in a dime.That's why I haven't made any forward progress on my 25 projects; they all require time and/or money. Most of them both and in what are actually pretty small quantities.


1. Buy a bracket and rehang the blinds in the bedroom - like $7 and the time to measure the bracket)
2. Plant the mum by friend Nancy gave me
3. Write something on my DIY Chalkboard
4. Finish my fall mantel
5. Take Norie's four month pictures before she's five months old
6. Finish the wedding plate wall art - $2 for hangers and maybe 1/2 an hour
7. Make some bunting for my office
8. Build a pallet bar/wall art to cover up the attic fan switch - this one has some serious time needed, but I can pick up pallets for free
9. Make a DIY ribbon chandelier for Norie's room - $2 to buy a hoop from my neighbor if she still has them and a hour or so
10. Do something with the shutters my aunt got me last year - I've spent a year thinking on it so who knows
11. Put the label plates back on the enormous drawer thing and label the drawers - a good hour
12. Finish the wall art I started for the Song print I got for donating to Love Without Boundaries
13. Finish my desk
14. Finish the table scape for Campbell Family Thanksgiving 2012
15. Hang the awesome owl latch hook my sister gave me at Norie's baby shower - Long enough to find a nail and a hammer
16. Clean up the porch
17. Finish the October page in my pregnancy scrapbook (yes, that would be last October)
18. Fix the leg on the coffee table and finish repainting it
19. Sell the coffee and end tables
20. Make a coffee table - This could be free and take a couple hours if I can convince my daddy to give me the wood
21. Create a gift wrapping/gift wrap organizing space - 3 hours, maybe?
22. Start working on fun holiday decorations - I could spend my whole life planning Christmas :)
23. Finish the other Dream Dollhouse from last year's Make Two Challenge - I finished the last one from this stage in roughly 6 hours. It will probably take $5 in glue, paint, and scrapbook paper.
24. Make some DIY cake stands from wedding plates and candlesticks.- Buy glue ($8?), thrift for candlesticks
25. Make map mats for vacation photos - $5 for mats and some spray glue.

Tonight, come hell or high water, I am going to hang that owl latch hook in the nursery. Yes, that is the one that requires the least amount of effort, but at least it's something. I've got some other irons in the fire and I'm trying to be realistic