Quick Bathroom Update

Our new house has a lot of quirky features. If we weren't renting, I would be going full force on updates, but with a baby coming and since we are just renting I'm all about the quick and easy (and cheap!) updates. 

This bathroom had (luckily) already been updated recently. The vanity and mirror are great and it's neutral enough to add our own accessories to bring in some color. The bad part about the room is that the shower is one of those glass sliding door showers. I really don't like those. Plus, the sliding door is too low for Zach so water was splashing every where over the top. 

My quick solution was to put up a regular curtain over the existing sliding door. We already had the gray shower curtain from our last bathroom, so we really just needed to pick up a curtain rod and some hangers. It took about five minutes and now we have some fun pattern going on in our neutral bathroom. 

We hung the curtain high so Zach wouldn't be splashing everywhere, but it does block out some of the light. Zach doesn't mind though and I usually leave the curtain open half way to let in more light. It's nice to keep it closed when we aren't using it though, to cover up the sliding door eye sore!

I like that it's such a simple improvement that makes a big difference! Now to add some art on the walls and some fun accents in that little book across from the sink!

DIY: Chevron Pouf Ottoman

I'm back with another nursery DIY project! I feel like I haven't jumped too far onto the chevron bandwagon yet, until I realized the two main areas I've used it in the nursery - the rug and this chevron pouf! It's so bright and playful for a nursery, how could I not? 

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make the chevron, especially using the tutorial from Better Homes & Gardens (find it here). I tried to take pictures as I went, but forgive me if I'm lacking a bit... the tutorial is really great though, so maybe just use that?

I found the fabric at JoAnn's and it's actually outdoor polyester fabric. It's really thick and I think it will be easier to keep clean than regular home decor fabric. I love the colorful chevron pattern and it works perfectly with the nursery colors. 

Supplies:

Once I cut out the paper pattern and taped it all together, it was super easy to cut out the eight fabric pieces to sew together. They recommend using a liner, so I used an old sheet. I also used polyester outdoor thread. It's super heavy duty and I figured it would hold the whole thing together better in the long haul.

I tried my best to cut the fabric consistently so I could line up the chevron, and I think I did a pretty decent job. Next I just sewed all the pieces together - two sections of the four pieces each (check out the tutorial as I didn't take pictures... I was on a roll!). 

After sewing all the pieces together and leaving a big gap at the top, it was time for stuffing! The pouf is actually really large and to stuff it solely with fiberfill would be crazy expensive. The tutorial suggested using old towels/jeans/rags, so that's what I did. Two birds with one stone since I didn't have to bring all that stuff to Goodwill anyways! Boom. 

Once I got a good base with my towels and jeans (beware - it gets heavy!), then I started stuffing with the fiberfill along the outside to give it good shape and then along the top (about the top two inches) to make it soft enough to sit on as well. Then I just sewed it up as best I could (and not very pretty since I knew it wouldn't show once the top octagon piece was on). 

The hardest part was sewing on the top part... I didn't use the suggested method in the tutorial because I didn't like the zig zag look. Too obvious and reminded me of a baseball or something. Instead, I just used a blanket stitch as best I could around the exterior of the top only (not down each side stitch like in the tutorial). It was a pain! The angle is so awkward and it definitely took me a while, but I am happy with the result. It's not too noticeable, and that's what I was going for.

That's it! Actually an easy project until the end top stitching and for much cheaper than you could find on Etsy! The only thing is that when you use the towels/jeans/etc for stuffing, it gets heavy very quickly. I can't even lift it up by myself! It's OK because I don't think I'll be moving it all that often and I want it to be sturdy anyways. I can't wait to use it in the nursery as a foot rest while I'm rocking Little Miss to sleep at 2am (except maybe the 2am part...). 

Can't wait to share the rest of the nursery with you soon! Just need to get some pictures up on the walls! :)

Weekly Bump Photo (Week 37)

37 Week Interview

How far along? 37 weeks! Full term - WOOT! 

Baby’s size? Winter Melon, about 19 inches, about 6.5 pounds

Days until next doc appointment? Today! Baby girl is doing good! She's measuring at 38 today, so a little ahead! Doctor said she is on track to be an 8-8.5 lb baby - Eeeek!

Total weight gain/loss? 28 lbs

Maternity clothes?  Yes! Getting so uncomfortable!

Stretch marks?  A couple little ones...

Sleep:  About the same as before... waking up to use the bathroom and tossing and turning, but I'm so tired I usually go right back to sleep.

Best moment this week:  Getting our maternity photos taken by the amazing Katia Hudson! Can't wait to share them! Also, having a sewing day with my Mama to finish up some nursery projects. :) 

Movement:  Feeling a little less movement this week, but I think it's due to me being so busy and not taking time to notice the movements. Tonight she was going crazy though!

Food cravings:  Nothing too exciting, just have to have my ice cream every night! Tilamook Mudslide is the best!

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Can you guess???

Have you started to show yet?  She's getting big and it's getting even harder to do things... I'm hoping I don't have a 10 pound baby in there! :) 

Missing anything?  Being able to do normal things like bend over to pick something up without groaning or having to ask my hubby to pick it up for me. :) I don't like not being as mobile as I used to be... but it will all be worth it! Only three more weeks...

Gender: Baby girl!

Labor signs?  None yet, although I'm wondering about the Braxton Hicks contractions and if I've possibly had a couple? I'm just not sure what to expect...

Belly button: Still not completely out, but almost there! 

Wedding rings on or off?  Off... too hot! Still wear my wedding band all the time though.

Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy and a little moody just because I'm anxious to get the house fully unpacked an organized (can you say nesting?!?!). But mostly happy to meet my little nugget!

Weekly symptoms:  Heartburn. Shortness of breath. Not fun.

Looking forward to: My weekly checkup (mainly hearing her heartbeat) and finishing the nursery. I just can't wait to meet her!!! I am finally feeling ready. If she came now I know we would be fine. I guess we should probably get that car seat installed just in case though.... ;)

OK now back to the Bachelorette finale!!!

Master Bedroom Inspiration

Hey guys! I'm back! It's been a busy couple of weeks for us - moving, getting ready for Little BK, and just general life business. I'm excited to share more of our new place with you guys and eventually I will, but today I wanted to show you my inspiration for our master bedroom. 

Oh, by the way, I'm in MAJOR nesting mode right now. Like, everything must be finished and in its place before she comes, nesting. It's partly new house nesting too, but mostly I just want to have as much done as I can before she gets here because I know once she is here I won't have a lot of time for anything else!

If you remember our old house, our master bedroom was green, but now that we have our West Elm gray and white striped duvet, I wanted to change it up a bit. Luckily, that is an easy thing to do with accessories! 

1. Coral Shell Print Curtains - I loved these curtains for a while and would stalk them every time I went to Target until I finally broke down and got them! I can't wait to put them up.

2. Gray Tufted Headboard - This one from Wayfair is fabulous (and my friend, Kim, actually just bought it for her new place in NC!). But, we do already have our cream colored tufted headboard, and my plan is to recreate the Wayfair one but using this tutorial from Sarah M Dorsey Designs blog (she's a DIY genius!). We even have some leftover fabric from our chair upholstery project!

3. Coral Lamp - I love the shape of this lamp from Lamps Plus. The shade of coral is perfect. We do have some old black IKEA table lamps from years ago though, and I'm thinking I might try and do a little coral spray paint magic to update the bases and save some dough.

4. Fun Coral Patterned Pillows - These geometric pillows would be great for accents on the bed. Thinking I might make pillow covers for some of my existing pillows though. We all know I love making pillows. :) 

5. White Hemnes IKEA Nightstand - You can't go wrong with a simple IKEA nightstand. The good news is that we already own a pair of these. The bad news is that they are in black. I'm thinking it will be a quick fix to paint them white...

6. Map Art - I have quite a few old maps that I might use for the walls.

7. DIY Yarn Letters - These are staying in there. I love them. 

8. Let's Get Lost Art - Love this print. Just love it.

9. Love is Spoken Here Art - Also love this one. The colors are perfect and it's just so pretty.

10. West Elm Gray and White Striped Duvet - I got this set for Christmas and so far I love it. I can't wait to add to the room to make it all come together!

11. Argonne Rug - The pattern on this rug and the color is amazing.

12. Fresh Flowers - You can't go wrong with a little pop of freshness!

13. West Elm Striped Sheet Set - Love these sheets. I like how the small stripes match yet contrast the striped duvet cover.

14. Light Gray Wall Paint - Zach actually painted the bedroom today in Martha Stewart's Heavy Goose!

Paint is on, so next step is putting it all together! Can't wait to share when it's done!

Weekly Bump Photo (Week 36)

36 Week Interview

How far along? 36 weeks!

Baby’s size? Honeydew

Days until next doc appointment? Had an appointment today (today started the weekly appointments) and everything is on track. I got confirmation that we can have a natural birth (woot!) and baby is measuring right at 36. My doctor said to plan on having a 7 1/2 - 8 lb baby. Hopefully she won't get much bigger than that!

Total weight gain/loss? 26 lbs

Maternity clothes?  Broke down and bought two more dresses - one maxi and one knee length - because I am getting bored with my rotation of other dresses. I love Old Navy! The prices are great and they are super comfy. 

Stretch marks?  Finally getting a couple... I think due to moving. :( Oh yeah, and maybe because I'm growing a human in my belly!

Sleep:  I'm so tired and never have a problem going to sleep and lately I've had a few nights where I don't even have to get up! But still tossing and turning...

Best moment this week:  Finding out we could have a natural birth!!! Also, setting up the nursery (finally!).

Movement:  She's a movin' and a shakin' - they hurt too! Especially the ones up in my ribs!

Food cravings:  Nothing really crazy (thank goodness no pickles), just sweet stuff and treat receipts from Starbucks (decaf, of course). :)

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Can you guess?

Have you started to show yet?  Yes, she's getting so big! I don't know how there's any more room in there, or room to grow... how much more can she expand?! It's crazy.

Missing anything?  Being able to lift things and not have to ask the husband to do a million things for me because I can't.

Gender: GIRL

Labor signs?  None yet

Belly button: I'd say it's about 3/4 out right now. At some times it pokes farther out than others.

Wedding rings on or off?  Off... too hot!

Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy! So excited for her to get here already! Trying to just relax and enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy.

Weekly symptoms:  I've been getting some nasty heartburn. The kind that wakes you up at night and boy does it burn. Ugh. Tums are my saving grace.

Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and soaking up these last few weeks with just the husband and me (oh yeah, and the pups). 

Weekly Bump Photo (Week 35) & Some Good News!

Hey everyone! I'm a little late with week 35, but we have been super busy this past week and a half. We moved into a bigger house! I'm so excited to have more room. It has three bedrooms plus a bonus/man cave room for Zach! Best part - we have a nursery! And there's plenty of storage. I think we might even have an extra cupboard or two in the kitchen that isn't being used. Just how I like it - everything has a place. :)

No interview this week, but I did have an ultrasound today! Zach got to come with me, too. I've been having so many ultrasounds because I had Placenta Previa (marginal) which means my placenta was very close to my cervix (not covering it though). When it's too close or covering the cervix you have to have a C Section because you either won't be able to deliver vaginally (because it's blocked by the placenta) or delivering vaginally could cause hemorrhaging and put you and the baby at risk. 

We've been hoping and praying for a few months now that it would resolve itself (my doctor said it was fairly common and does usually resolve itself) but after two extra ultrasounds through 32 weeks, I was keeping my expectations low and assuming the worst (because that's what I do) that I would have to have a C section. It wouldn't be the end of the world, and ultimately I just want Little BK (and myself) to be safe and healthy through the delivery, but I would definitely prefer a regular vaginal birth. 

Good news today at our last ultrasound (last chance for change!) - no more previa!!!! Woohoo! We are all in the clear and hopefully after my next regular appointment on Monday my doctor will clear me for a regular birth! Such a good day and we are both really excited! Although, now I better seriously prepare for some hard core pushing! :)

On top of that, we got to see our beautiful little girl and she finally showed us a good profile pic. At first she was being shy, but then she moved her little hands so we could see her sweet face. I'm so in love already, I just can't wait til she's here. :) 

I might continue to be a little slow with posts this week, but once I get unpacked I promise I'll be back with some more fun projects (mostly for the nursery). Can't wait to share with you!

Weekly Bump Photo (Week 34)

Yes, the nightie still fits! We had our Childbirth Preparation class yesterday and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Not too much of the breathing stuff, but a lot of information. Makes me feel just slightly more prepared for what's to come. Zach already knew pretty much all of it though - he was a good sport for coming with me! Thanks husband! :)

34 Week Interview

How far along? 34 weeks!

Baby’s size? Large cantaloupe/butternut squash

Days until next doc appointment? Had my appointment today and everything is looking good! Measuring at 36 and BK's heart rate was awesome. I love that sound so much!!!

Total weight gain/loss? 23 lbs

Maternity clothes?  Mmmmhmmmm

Stretch marks?  None so far. 

Sleep:  Not great... lots of interruptions (bathroom, tossing and turning). It probably takes me a full minute to turn over to my other side now. Not fun! But when I'm asleep, I'm out - definitely more exhausted these days!

Best moment this week:  Seeing her crazy movements! I took a video of her squirming around it was so awesome! Literally she pokes her knee/foot/elbow out on my right side and it is kinda freaky. It just looks so unreal and weird. Like, there's not supposed to be anything protruding from my stomach regularly. But it is so amazing at the same time because I love seeing her in there kicking butt!

Movement:  She is so strong! Getting more and more of those kicks that make me stop and go whoa!

Food cravings:  Chocolate. Definitely feeling the sweets lately - chocolate croissants, cookies, brownies, etc.

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still eggs. I'd probably be fine, but I'm just staying away.

Have you started to show yet?  Getting bigger and bigger! No twin comments this week though, thank goodness. :)

Missing anything?  Sleeping soundly. Moving around easily. 

Gender: Girlie girl (or maybe probably tomboy)

Labor signs?  None yet

Belly button: We're at about half innie/half outie status... still! Come on, man!

Wedding rings on or off?  Off these past couple days - the heat is getting to me!

Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy happy time. But, very emotional this past week. I feel like I could start crying at the drop of a hat for no reason (and maybe I have once... or twice). Also, feeling anxious and nervous for all the changes to come... 

Weekly symptoms:  Leg cramping, exhaustion, heartburn, swelling feet, insomnia... you name it!

Looking forward to: My next ultrasound next week and moving into our new place so I can (finally!) set up the nursery!!!