Extreme Nesting Projects

Inspired by a shadowbox done by my friend Lauren, I put together a small part of the vast collection of bow ties from Chris' grandfather.  Chris wears some of the others, but these are the more colorful and worn favorites of his Grandpa Jacobs that have been laying in the bottom of the box.

We have the bow ties hanging in the newly painted upstairs hallway.  Painting the hallways and stairwell was a huge project! They were the last rooms in the parsonage to be painted since we moved in 6 years ago (!).  I'm so glad it is done.  We love how it turned out.  Crying from the top of a very high ladder on the stairs may or may not have happened.

I made these minky blankets 85% by myself.  My sewing machine would not let me sew the binding on--there were too many layers.  I need to get a new foot for my sewing machine.  A friend from church helped me finish them.

I made these ties for Gus from the leftover quilt binding.  He loves wearing ties to church.  He prefers bow ties like his father and great-grandfather, but these will be easier for me to "tie" once Theo arrives.  I'm not looking forward to the Sunday morning chaos again.  It has been so easy to get everyone ready and out the door to church in a peaceful, timely manner for about a year now!

Our Extreme Nesting list contained plans for an "S wall" (a la Jones Design Company).  I have a few more S's, but we like this art arrangement for now.  It contains a capital S and a print of "Big Lex", which is a souvenir from our trip to Kentucky this past spring.  It is a variation of the painting Lexington, by Edward Troye.  Apparently the horse ate so much Kentucky Bluegrass he turned blue.

I have wanted a big chalkboard for our dining room/ homeschool room for a long time.  I craigslisted for years!  Most people charge $300+ for a blackboard this big.  This one was in rough shape and the lady just wanted it out of her garage. She gave it to us for free!  All the male members of my family helped pick it up, fix it up and hang it up over the Fourth of July weekend.  I love it!

This wall is still a work in progress. I need to hang some art work to the left of the blackboard to balance it out a bit.

Black Eye: A Progression

He fell down the stairs, probably 5 or 6 of them from the sound of it, at the beginning of July.  I was told to document the bruising, as he is too young to fully appreciate the awesomeness of his injury.  :)

Girls' Room

The hardest part of the girls' room makeover was finding the bunk bed.  I craigslisted for months looking for something we liked in our price range.  The bunk beds on craigslist were either too used, too expensive, or too cheaply made for us to buy.  In June we came to realize that we were waiting for the impossible and needed to buy a new bed.  Bunk beds are expensive!  We looked at 2 furniture stores, one high end and one low end.  We were also considering having something custom made by an Amish craftsman.  We were sick about how much money we were going to spend on children's furniture.  On a whim one evening, I typed "bunk bed" into craigslist once again.  Voila!  There it was!  I couldn't type my email to the seller fast enough.  Chris picked it up the next morning.  :)

1.  Bunk bed.

2.  Painted the walls turquoise by unanimous request.  I really don't like the color--Swimming by Sherwin Williams, but they do.

3.  Made a paper wreath with Lily.

4.  Made another paper bunting.  Love!

5.  I have matching pink duvets to put on their beds.  Soon.  I've been busy.

6.  Made and hung curtains.  I'm getting better at sewing rectangles!

7.  I'd like to find or make a headboard for Claire's bed, but it is not a high priority for me at this point.  We can wait!

8.  The girls would like cork boards.  Chris and I prefer that the walls stay bare, but understand their need to display things.  We are pondering a happy solution.

9.  We would also like a new, fun light fixture.  Maybe a paper lantern? 

Helping them keep their room neat and tidy is going to be a challenge.  I've moved most of their toys and craft supplies out of the room.  That has helped a lot.  I need to think of a few more organizational solutions.  The constant clutter and dirty laundry on the floor makes my blood pressure rise.

Boys' Room

Chris and I have been working our way through a long to-do list this summer which we have dubbed Extreme Nesting.  Preparing the boys' room was one of the major items.  Isabel moved into the girls' room, and we started boying up this room one tiny project at a time.  We can't wait for Gussy's new roommate!

I love that Lazy-Boy recliner.  My parents bought it for us 10 years ago when I was very pregnant with Claire.  I have nursed, rocked, and fallen asleep during night-time feedings with all my babies in that chair.  I am not a sentimental person, but that ugly rocker means a lot to me.

1. I made curtains!  What a feat!  So proud of myself!  They are lined with black out fabric and attached to the rods with curtain clips.  Love them.
2. We (my husband and male relatives) moved the beige rug into the girls' room, and put in this blue rug.  Very boyish.  No?
3.  I made a paper bunting.  I was going to make a cloth one, but it seemed too laborious and expensive.  The cardstock and ribbon was $3 total.  Perfect!
4.  The baseball bats are vintage Louisville Sluggers from a parishioner's garage after he passed away.   I thought it best to keep them up high.
5. I am planning to frame a few baseball cards from my husband's vast collection.
6. I would also like to find an oak headboard (preferably 2 matching), but I will patiently Craigslist until something appears. 

Bookworm Gardens

The Bookworm Garden opened two summers ago, but we went for the first time this afternoon.  Harry the Dirty Dog was the first stop.  Obviously, he needed a good scrubbing.

 Horton Hatches an Egg was next.

 Digging Up Dinosaurs

 The Three Little Pigs (probably my favorite--aren't those houses cute?).

 Some picture book about Japan that I didn't recognize, but the dragon statuary was pretty cute.

 Gong!

 Izzy loved typing in the Click, Clack, Moo/ Charlotte's Web barn.  Gus loved watering the Eating Vegetable Soup/  Johnny Appleseed Garden.

Izzy also swept out Mr. McGregor's tool shed.

I'm sure that it will become a favorite place for our family to visit in the summertime.  It was so quiet and the flowers were so pretty.  I can picture Claire and Lily (who were at Grandma and Papa's this weekend) curling up in the Magic Tree House with a chapter book and reading the afternoon away.

Third and Fourth, 8 and 31

Baby's Name

We've settled on Theodore Thomas.  We'll call him Theo for short.  If you don't like it (I know many of you don't), keep it to yourself.  :)  We like it.  You will learn to like it too.

We are so excited for his arrival!  Gus had an epiphany the other day that the baby is actually inside my belly.  I wonder where he thought his brother was?  Fun to see that light bulb turn on.