31 weeks, day 3

Rolo

Rolo's new spot perched at the top of the stairs overlooking everything!

branches

Thinking about trees, and branches.. I have an idea that i'd like to paint a tree onto the mirrored door of the wardrobe that is staying in the baby's room, but then I also like the idea of branches on walls, maybe to break up the turquoise a little, but, it is just an idea. Some of these images caught my eye.

Almond Branches in Bloom by Van Gogh.

Royal birds

I just love this wallpaper. Mum sent me an image of it being used in a magazine, and I tracked it down to a German supplier. It's in my basket ready to checkout, just need to make sure Mum hasn't bought it first as I asked her to get it if she could find it! I think it will look great on the sides of the dressser that we are going to re-do, and maybe on a wardrobe door. Who knows. I think it's pretty cute, but not too over the top. I still like the Quentin Blake, but this is good too!

Easter nieces!

Antiques hunting

 



Good Friday, and MFJ took a half day, and instead of working on the house, and stressing about what needs to be done, we took off to Livingston antiques and perused the endless booths for what seemed like hours. A few treasures got to come home with us, including the amish print pyrex bowls and the ball jars in the picture. A lovely day.

wellies and bellies!

Looking for a dresser

Scouring craigslist and estate sales, trying to find the perfect dresser, came across this one below, but it had sold. So, now on the lookout for a good deal like it... Just thinking it would be painted with new hardware etc... Sods law its sold!

Going to look at this one on thursday, after a lick of paint, I think it could work, although there is something niggling at me to hold off to find the style of this first one...

A list of to-do's!

• Make birth announcement cards
• Make thank-you cards
• Paint baby room
• Find dresser for baby room
• Make up shelves for wardrobe
• Sand crib
• Paint crib
• Order nursing chair - Mike Snr
• Order stroller - Mum & Dad
• Choose fabric for curtains in baby room
• Decide on colour for dining room
• Gutters cleaned and repaired
• Call inspector re: basement
• Clear bookshelves in dining room
• Look for frame for ABC poster

Baby shower!

I have just returned from my first baby shower, and I am tremendously overwhelmed with how lucky we are to have such amazing friends. For me, coming into a culture that is for all intents and purposes seem the same, there are so many things that don't stand out to be different, but today demonstrates an American tradition that is filled with such generosity and love. So, I took the 'English' jokes on the chin and had a lovely time!
I turned up to Christine's early to see Bill and Christine busy in the kitchen, cooking delicious food, in the basement I hear Dede, well, being Dede giving instructions in a way like no other! Not one other person could rival the personality that is Dede! Kate and Melissa are putting the finishing touches on the tables and food display.

                 

 Some of the amazing decorations my amazing friends did for the shower... I just love the windmills with the vintage paper, I took them home to put in the nursery somewhere!




One of the games we played was new to most people it seemed. Kate told me how she got told late the night before to bring 'diapers'! So the game involved guessing what was inside 5 different diapers. Each one heavy and warm, like a baby's nappy so often is! Inside was melted chocolate bars, each different... It was so gross but so fun at the same time!! Great to see people 'tasting' the poopy diapers!      

                   
                             

After the games, and all the delicious food, presents were opened, and no words can describe how lucky I felt to have such wonderful gifts for our baby!!
Here are just some of the gifts we received;

For some reason I just love this grass
drying rack!!!

And that wasn't even the half of it! I can't wait to start decorating the nursery, and putting all the great new books in there. Here are the titles of the books we got;

• Mister Seahorse - Eric Carle
• A day at the seashore
• Bear in underwear - Todd H. Doodler
• Dr. Seuss's sleep book
• D'Aulaires' book of Greek myths
• Knuffle bunny - Mo Willems
• Barnyard dance - Sandra Boynton
• Go away big green monster - Ed Emberley
• In My Tree - Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich
• Hug Hug - Lorie Ann Grover
• Dog - Matthew Van Fleet
• On the day you were born - Debra Frasier
• Are you my mother? - P. D Eastman
• Sheep out to Eat - Nancy Shaw
• The snowy day - Ezra Jack Keats
• Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey
• Chrysanthemum - Kevin Henkes
• The relatives came - Cynthia Rylant
• The rainbow fish - Marcus Pfister
• The giving tree
• Baby touch and feel wild animals!

Nourish Baby Organics

Check out Nourish Baby Organics HERE

New rug?!

Shopping in Anthro today, I saw the rug I wanted for the lounge, it's in a size smaller than we need, but I bought it to check out the colours, not sure yet. Love the pattern, think it's just a big difference to the plain 'ol teal one we've had for the last 5 years! Some re-arranging will need to be done if we do get it in the right size I think...

Counting birds

I bought these in Ann Arbor at the weekend. I saw them in my friend's house and loved them, and that was a couple of years ago, so I was over the moon to find the store she got them in still stocked them!

You can buy them online HERE

Ladybird, ladybird!

I would love this rug for the baby's room, if it wasn't so darn expensive!!

Ladybug rug

I love Design Sponge!

Once again, Design Sponge reveals yet another good idea... I have been preoccupied with finding the 'perfect' dresser for the baby's room, not wanting to buy a brand new 'changing table', as I don' think that is necessary, as a dresser could be just as good with a changing mat on top... so if I don't find what I have a picture of in my mind.. this may have to do! Then again, I could do a similar make-over on any old dresser, so I'm gonna scour some estate sales this weekend, and flat rock flea market is coming up next month.

Spring brings new shoots!