Referee Chic

I haven’t done many alterations since Sebastian was born but a couple of months ago my best friend was here and while shopping with her, I scored a black and white striped dress for three bucks at Dirt Cheap (it was Xhilaration, originally from Target).  I had Sebastian strapped to my chest per the usual so I didn’t get to see the inside of the fitting room but I just scooped it up anyway (knowing there was a no return policy) and home we went.  Then I tried it on.  The pattern?  Loved it.  The fit?  Bad, bad, bad.  I had do something and quick so I got out my sewing machine and slimmed the sides of the skirt.  Things went from bad to better and it could probably still use a little more slimming and shaping in the waist area but for now…
Much better, wouldn’t ya say?

In my haste, I didn’t take a-one picture of my process but basically I laid the dress out flat, pinned and sewed two straight lines down either side of the skirt, cutting out two triangular pieces of excess fabric from either side.  Having vertical stripes helped because as long as I followed those, I was good.

I love how versatile this dress is!  I can dress it up, down, and sideways.  I shared this sneak peek on Instagram awhile back.  Let’s refer to it as “The Concert Goer”:

[Except the last concert I went to was………..long before kids.]

Then there’s “Her Husband’s Date”:

[See how I still managed to keep the small curve up to the side seam?  I love that part.  :) ]

And the “Throw a Sweater Over It Because It’s Chilly”:


And my very favorite aspect, all the colors of cardigans that there every were can be matched up with it and live in synchronized harmony:

Fingers crossed, this dress brought me out of sewing stagnation so stay tuned for more snips and tucks!

Peace Out…and In

I’ve always had a plan in my noggin’ to have the words “Pax Tecum” somewhere in our entry way.  The phrase means “Peace be with you” in Latin.  I like the idea of wishing our visitors peace as they enter and leave the main entrance of our home and so a-brainstormin’ I went to figure out how to get those words somewhere around there – a wooden plaque over the door, a framed printable… 

On the other side of my brain, I’ve been trying to think of something out of the ordinary that could fill the empty space above the hook system in the entry.
 
My first thought was to whip up some colorful abstract art but the roman shade has all the abstract that space needs.  More picture frames just seems too normal and another mirror or two would just be too much since there’s a mirror on the opposite wall.  Two issues; one simple solution.  Words + empty space = words in empty space. 

You might’ve already guessed that if you saw this picture when I wrote about painting the front door:   
Those letters are simply cut out of computer paper and sticky-tacked up.  I wasn’t sure about the size and layout I wanted so we sat around with those hanging for a good month. 

The end result looks a tad different:

I saw these paper mache letters at JoAnn Fabrics a while ago and thought they’d be perfect for this project only I didn’t know if I should just buy them or attempt to make my own.  At $2.99 each they’re not quite as cheap as some DIYed versions could be, but in the end I weighed the number of hours it would take me to DIY them vs. throwing them in a shopping bag and, well, you know, kids, very little free time…buying them won out.  But, I waited for a sale ($1 off) and used coupons so in the end I ended up only paying about $1.70 a letter.  They also have some huge letters of the same sort that would be amazing monograms anywhere in a home.  They’re around $10 ($5 if you can get your fingers on a 50% off coupon!) and I’m thinking maybe the girls’ room could use some.  :)

The letters are the color of cardboard (an obvious note) and I actually didn’t mind them sans any sort of paint or paper addition but up against the tan wall in the entry, they were blah.  So I pulled out some white primer and spruced them up a bit. 

First I painted the edges of each letter.  I had to do two coats for full coverage.


I wanted a thin border around front edges of each letter so I used some painters’ tape to get straight edges.  This could definitely be free-handed and parts of the letters, like the curve in the P, had to be free-handed no matter what.


To attach them to the wall I used these Command mounting strips.  They’re like velcro.

I didn’t realize until I was unpacking these things that there were only four strips vs. the eight I had thought (says it right on the package…face palm).  So, I improvised by cutting them in half (vs. running to Walmart with three kids for one little thing).


I did a lot of thinking about how to use these strips in the days before I hung the letters, over-thinking that is.  In my head my process was to mark with a pencil where the wall strip would go right on the wall, hold the letter up, trace a part of the letter onto the wall…well, let’s just say all this thinking was completely unnecessary.  I’d blame it on lack of sleep but everyone in this house has been sleeping through the night so I’ll have to get back to you with another excuse later……….

Ehem, as directed on the package (which I didn’t read until it was go time…heello), I attached one side of the strip to the letter being hung…
 

then velcro’ed it’s counterpart to it…


…peeled off the sticky backing to the wall strip, and stuck the letter to the wall.  I used our level to make sure all was on the straight and narrow.


Even with the velcro strips holding them up, the letters still wiggled a bit (maybe because I used halfsies?) and even though no one’s going to be wigglin’ them, I added a couple of pieces of sticky tack to them for added stability.
Those letters ain’t goin’ nowhere.

Pax Tecum y’all.


.           .           .

A One, A Two, A One Two Three

Disclaimer:  This post is ALL about our kids – read:  grandparent and relative reading.  So, if you enjoy reading minor details about other people’s kids, this one will fit your bill.  If not, well, you can’t say I didn’t warn ya.  ;)

July was a milestone month ova here.  The twins turned big TWO on the ninth and little (big) Seb turned point five on the third.  Crazy.  I’ve never been that mom who cries tears over her babies growing up mainly because, yo, having three kids under the age of two is SO HARD!  Seriously.  In all humility I tell you, there is no juggler more able to juggle than me.  We have zero family within seven hours of us so most of the time, we’re on our own as far as the raising part goes (but we do have some incredible friends, thank the Lord, who have stepped in willingly during dire situations).  BUT, I’m that mom now.  All of a sudden these two tiny baby girls are big girls and our little man is a chunker and I’m in a fit of sadness because, where has the time gone??!!  I’ve been living day by day, literally surviving some days, longing for the day when “they can sit on their own”, “they can finally eat real food so I don’t have to breastfeed two at once so often”, “they sleep through the night”, “they can walk so I don’t have to carry them eeeverywhere”, “they can just tell me what they want so the guessing games can stop”, “he can sit up on his own so I don’t have to carry him and deal with two tots scratching at my legs to be held becauseI’mhomealoneandIonlyhavetwoarmsandtheyallneedmeatonceI’mgoingtogoinsanehelpppp”.  Breathe.  And now, take me back.  Back to those lamby cries and the ultra-dependency…okay, only for a minute though.  You know?  If you have triplets or twins or multiple little children, you know.  If you have one kid, you know.  You might not know all of the craziness that inhabits this place but, you know. 

Anyway, let me indulge you with my pictures of and details of our kids to make myself feel better.  Here they are, three ducks in a row:

[Onesies > Personal Creations | Headbands > homemade | Jorts > Target | Shoes > Target via Dirt Cheap] 
These are my attempts at a little b-day photoshoot.  It was me, the kids, the backyard, and five thousand mosquitos trying to thwart my efforts, not to mention childhood ADD.  But, despite all that, how cute are the baseball rompers that Personal Creations sent us?  They were so sweet and even customized them.  I asked them to put the girls names on theirs and stamp Sebastian’s to mirror daddy’s high school football jersey.  I’m thinking the blank fronts are going to make a great medium for some freezer paper stenciling, right? 
 

So, let’s break it down now, one-by-little-one.

Seraphia.  First born.  Pretty much the atypical oldest child.  Shy.  Super sensitive.  Won’t go outside of a five foot radius of mom and pops in public.  Has mad skills in leg-hanging.  Copies everything Cecilia does.  Gets mad and makes an angry face but can’t hold it long enough to make anyone thinks she’s serious.  Tough (person in) crowd…a.k.a. hard to get her to laugh.  Excellent fake crier (proof).  The silent, smart type. 

Has wavy hair with super curly ends that makes the cutest little ponies and piggies.  Funny runner.  Loves walking on her tip toes.  Listens when we say ‘no’.  Has an attitude that comes out when she’s needing attention that she’s not getting.  Scared of many things – the ocean, jumping off the couch, sliding down slides, bugs, Cecilia… 

So affectionate.  Loves to kiss mommy and daddy’s knees (because they’re right at her level) and feet.  Has earned herself at least 10 M&M’s for doing her business in the loo in the past 10 days.  Compared to C, rarely sits in time-out.  Etcetera, etcetera.  In a nutshell, she’s a real sweetheart with a large side of lush and a small side of sass.

[Swimsuit:  Target]


Cecilia.  Second born (by five 60-second chunks).  Oh boy, this girl.  Claiming neutrality when it comes to sensitivity.  Let her loose in public and good luck finding her.  Professional instigator.  Laughs at everything.  Dramatic crier.  Talks way more than her older counterpart, counts, yells the ABC’s.  However, she goes mute in public.

Perm not needed.  Jumps, runs, and dives like a five year old.  Anthony used to call her his “little linebacker” and she still is…pint-sized but the girl packs a punch.  “No” is a game.  Attitude Central.  Scared of the dark, some bugs, and nothing else.

   Pretty affectionate.  Needs all her “owies’ kissed right away.  Rough with Seraphia; gentle with Sebastian (usually).  Forget the toilet.  Knows the time-out corner very well.  Sometimes I want to squeeze her for being so dang cute and others for being so dang defiant.  You know how it goes.
 

 

Oh our girls.  The best of friends and the worst of friends.  Their two year doc appointment showed their stats to be almost the same making them…you guessed it…!twins! in almost the fullest degree.  Small heads, tall bodies, small weights.  Grounded apples close to their trees.

[Seraphia’s dress:  thrifted (Xhilaration) | Cecilia’s dress:  hand-me-down (shirt w/out tags)]


And then, Sebastian.  It’s now a few days before he hits seven months of age but I might as well throw in his sixth month picture:

Generally happy.  Very attached to his momma; much more so than his sisters were at his age (although sometimes I feel like he just views me as food…will have to have a talk with him about objectifying asap).  Currently on day/night three of sleep training and it’s going pretty well.  Sitting on his own.  Up on hands and knees any chance he gets.  Loves when I sing to him.  Mega-watt (and two-toothed) smile.  Giggles when his sisters fall to get his attention.  Excellent eater.  Seriously.  Caught on to spoon-feeding like that.  We haven’t been to the doc for his six month check-up yet but I’m betting on pretty high percentiles in height and weight. 

[Owner of one, mean bald spot.]


One, two, and three.  We love them so dang much and can’t wait to have more so…..

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…..meday. 

;)

State of the Knobs, Mirror, & Hinges

Remember last year when I knocked off some Anthropologie knobs from some plain ones I found at ReStore?

Well, I’m happy to inform you that they’re still looking fantastic. 

The two on the left are the ones that are used the most as they are on the cabinet that holds the laundry paraphernalia.  There is nary a scratch or place of wear and tear to be seen.  The point?  Spray painting/painting metal knobs to create your own knobs of art works and works well not to mention is p to the erfect for those who can’t afford to spend $14 a knob!

Here are a few I’m crushing on that are great inspiration for some DIY knobs:

[from Anthropologie > 1  |  2  |  3  |  4  ]


[from Pottery Barn > 1  |  2  |  3  ]

Also in the laundry room, you might recall this mirror that I found for a few bucks at Dirt Cheap (though it’s original home was Target) and adorned with toothpicks stuck on with regular old craft glue.  It’s also doing great.  No broken or missing toothpicks. 


Not sharing the same happy fate as the mirror and knobs are the laundry room cabinet hinges I spray painted shortly after we moved in.
 
The paint has worn off where the hinge swivels and metal meets metal.  Probably could’ve guessed that one before I painted them but c’est la vie.  In the grand scheme I have grand plans to move those cabinets around a little and maybe add some decorative trim so if we ever get that far, the best solution will probably be to just replace the hinges with new nickel ones.  Nickel spray paint is basically a sparkling silver anyway…not really what nickel looks like.

Stay tuned for more updates on how our projects are holding up!  They’re all a part of a ‘State of the…’ series that I started back with this post on the painted rug in the kitchen and all to let you in on how projects around here really stand the test of time.  :)

Vacay

Hello from sunny Myrtle Beach!  We are basking in the sun and snug and secure in relaxation station, not moving from our spot until the weeks end.  See here:













 
We’re here with Anthony’s entire family and loving it.  We’ll be sure to keep Instagram stocked with glimpses into the fun until we meet and cross the overgram line so check there if you want to live vicariously through us; we don’t mind.  Don’t mind at all.  :)

So, while the blogger’s away, the readers will play.  Does that make sense?  No?  Okay then, well maybe these will:

Our trip here was an 11 hour one.  Read:  a tortuous long one when you are traveling with wee kids.  So, getting them to sleep as much as we could while we plugged away at the miles was optimum.  Great except that sleeping in the car for the girls meant hanging heads meant sore necks meant no sleeping so I did a bunch of research on neck pillows before we left and we settled on these Summer Infant Cradlers.   They were awesome and have our stamp of approval.  We recommend them for any fam bams traveling the weary roads with sleeping babies.  (Link is an affiliate link which means that if you decided to purchase via the link, we’ll get a few cents.  This is not a ad and we paid for the pillows with our own cash money.)



I was browsing swimsuits on J. Crew dot com last week and the detail-oriented-ness in me caught a discrepancy in the ‘thigh gap’ of these two models…only I’m 99% positive that it’s actually the same model whose gap has been subject to a little digital altering.
 
[photo from jcrew.com]
The question I have to ask all these companies getting caught up in photoshopping perfectly normal bodies is “why”?  Seriously.  Epecially you J. Crew.  Your clothes hold a high level of esteem in the quality department and your pictures should too.


My sister introduced me to Oana Befort and the free calendar wallpaper she generously supplies every month to those looking for form and function via their mobile/computer device.  Get one for yourself and have the prettiest list of days at the click of a button.


Have an old, plain basket or two?  Freshen them up in a few minutes with a little bit of ribbon just like Deme did.  You can never ever ever ever go wrong with baskets for storage plus stripes.  Never.



Do you have a George Foreman grill?  If not, skip ahead.  If you do then you know how amazing they are when it comes to grilling up something quick and easy-like but how much of a real pain in the arse they are to clean afterwards.  It almost takes all the quick and easy out of the whole process.  Well, it’ll be news to your ears then that Kelly and David figured out how to clean these things without the sure-to-follow frustration.

.           .           .

And that’s all I’ve got this week.  I’ll be back next week, all nice and tan with those sporadic white spots all over my extremities from holding babies covered in 3854 spf.  You ‘rents know the ones.  :)

No Slip, No Slide

Let’s talk about new-parentisms.  You know the ones.  You have your first baby (or babies) and high-alert kicks in.  You use baby detergent and only baby detergent on anything baby touches/wears/smells/spits up on.  You check and recheck car seat installation and then you don’t even leave the house anyway because you never know what might happen if you do…bad things.  You don’t let anybody come within a five foot radius of the kid because germs are now your worst enemy.  A request to hold the kid?  Your worst death stare is doled out.  You cry along with baby when baby gets shots.  You get a security system on your house in your safe neighborhood or you up the ante on the one you already have.  Clothing baby with new clothes that haven’t yet hit the washer?  Ha!  Get real.  That’s right.  You know exactly what I’m talking about.  One of the weird isms we had to take care of before the twins were born was the comfort factor of our living room rug.  It was a low-pile rug which also translates to pretty hard and more for aesthetic purposes than cloud-like comfort for footsies.  Definitely not cushy enough to lay our soon-to-be bundles of joy on it.  So, the hunt for a rug pad was on.  It needed to be fairly cheap and add a little padding.  Cutting to the chase, we ended up finding a good enough one on super clearance at Kohl’s.  On clearance meaning we paid $30 for it.  [In case you needed a visual.]
It was one of those cut-to-size ones that I ended up having to trim a few inches off.  Under the rug it went and lay baby after baby we did.  End of story. 

But not really.  A few weeks ago, Rug Pad USA asked me if I’d want to try out one of their rug pads in return for writing a review on it.  Funny timing too because my mom was here the week before and was constantly telling me how I really should do something/get something to make our kitchen rug stay in place.  The girls are constantly beating it with their wheeled toys and other toddler paraphernalia and it usually just ends up all bunched up by the baby gate.  So, naturally, I asked Rug Pad USA if they’d send me one for that rug.  They happily took the measurements (because you can get whatever size you want!) and I had the pad under the rug in a week.
   

They sent me their Premium-Lock pad and it is awesome.  Seriously.  I didn’t even know rug pads like this existed!  Our other rug pad is screaming in jealousy and I’m screaming at our old rug pad for not telling me there were better to be had.
 

Not that I really minded the flat-woven texture and zero cush of the kitchen rug in the first place, but adding this rug pad made having a rug over tile so much more gratifying.  It’s so comfortable that I’m guilty of picking the rug up and moving it the few inches closer to the sink when I do dishes because it gives rest to the weary feet.  With that in mind, did you see Mandi’s (from Vintage Revivals) latest DIY, no sew floor cloth?  Freaking amazing!  It’d be a perfect idea to pair with a Rug Pad USA rug pad anywhere in your house, especially that pleasant sink area where dishes pile up.  Get rid of those ugly rubber floor mats and whip up your own rug comfortized (so not a word) with one of these rug pads!  You can have form and function and THAT is a beautiful thing!  :)
Coming full circle though, I didn’t even think about laying Sebastian down on our kitchen rug whilst I did my domestic duties, but with our new pad, now he’s down there at least once a day.
And the girls?  Well, they’re still movin’ but our rug ain’t movin’ with them anymore.


A few other things we love about this rug pad (and btw, Rug Pad USA didn’t ask me to say any of these):
-It has a rubber backing so if I ever decided to move our kitchen rug to a carpeted area, all we have to do is flip the pad over so that the rubber side is touching the bottom of the rug and bada-bing.  No bunching on carpet.
-It’s made from 100% recycled products.  We’re big fans of conservation and recycling/repurposing so the fact that Rug Pad USA is lessening the fill in our landfills is A-o-k with us!
-You can get whatever size rug pad you want!  Have an odd-sized rug like ours?  Our kitchen rug is 71 x 32 inches and Rug Pad USA cut the pad to fit perfectly.
-Going along with the previous point, you don’t have to worry about buying a rug pad and messing up trimming it to fit.  Give them your measurements then buy it, get it, lay it.  That’s it.
-They cut pads for any shape rug – round, rectangle, oval, runners, and square!  My dream rug for our living room usually is a round one in my head and there is no way I would attempt cutting a round rug pad for it myself.  Enter Rug Pads USA and I don’t have to.
-And random but, it doesn’t smell like chemicals.  I remember taking the rug pad we purchased at Kohl’s out of its package and how it had a strong, chemically smell to it.  I pulled this one out of it’s packaging and it smelled like oatmeal.  No joke.

All in all, I really love the rug pad.  I have nothing bad to say about it.  Head over to Rug Pad USA and check out the different kinds of pads they have.  There are pads for every budget and rug in any size and shape you want.  P.S.  Rug Pads USA is offering a 15% discount to all of our awesome readers whose rugs are in the market for a life partner.  Just use code pr15off at checkout!

When Rug Pad USA contacted me about the review, they said it best when they said “it’s not the most glamorous thing to write about” but let me tell you, my feet think otherwise…and our babies bottoms, backs, bellies, etc…
 

Have a great week!