7 (1/2) months

I'm a little behind on Leah's monthly updates so here's month #7 with our little peanut cake.

Leah is still super mellow and quite a happy and content little lady. She's learning how to get to her Mommy when needed, but she's usually happy being held by anyone. She LOVES her big brother and he can get her giggling more than anyone else. She's got the greatest squished face grin ever-yet to be really captured in pictures. She's sitting on her own really well and rolling from belly to back if she's really motivated. Loves to be cuddled when she falls to sleep. Takes two, sometimes three good naps every day. Wakes up once a night-could be any time, it's unpredictable, though she just nurses and goes right back to sleep. She's a pincher-especially when she's fighting sleep. I've had more than one mark to prove the strength in those little fingers. Ouch! This girl will put anything and everything in her mouth-grass, leaves, her own feet, anyone's fingers, keys, shoes, Isaac's face-just to name a few recent tasting adventures. Her hair is getting just long enough to make a little ponytail (no pictures of this one yet either-though this one's my fault totally!). Leah Lynn makes us happy every day and we can't imagine life without our little cupcake!

Decorating HELP!!!!

Alright, I am in desperate need of some decorating assistance. My living room currently looks like this:









Sad, huh?

We are hoping to put our house on the market in the next 6 months or so and I am SO over this green color (which I liked a little more with the tan couch that is now in the family room in the basement). Knowing this, all my decorating ideas need to be staging-minded rather than what I necessarily like. The only two things that have to stay in this room are the couch and the carpet.

Everything else is pretty much going to be replaced or re-used. I found this fabric at Jo-Ann's and am planning on getting more of whatever I choose. I'm planning on painting the walls a very neutral color like a tan or beige. It's been a challenge to find something with gray and tan/beige. I LOVE the gray and yellow damask, but I think it's a little too limiting with only 3 colors. So I'm leaning towards the multi-colored print. However, I'm not a big fan of the stripes-it's a little country looking for the style we're wanting.



Having read all that and seeing what we have and the fabric I've found here are my main questions:

1. What fabric should I use? Should I use it for the curtains or throw pillows or both?
2. I have one white end table-the other is a nightstand that will go to the new bedroom downstairs. What color and style table do I get to replace that one? Do I leave the other one white or paint it another color? Or do I find a new one that's wood-colored?
3. I'd prefer to keep using the TV stand we have already. But is that alright with white end tables?
4. The book shelf is also going downstairs soon. Do I replace it with something or just have an empty space there?
5. I was thinking of getting something like this (only $25 today on craigslist!) to put near the door as sort of an entry/foyer table. Any thoughts? Should I look for something simpler/smaller/white? Should I just leave it as is and not put anything there?



6. Should I move the desk and filing cabinet to the basement so it's strictly a living room? If so, what do I put there instead? (Please say piano so we can get one) :) If we do leave the desk, I'm hoping to find an older wood chair and paint/stain it to replace the forest green card-table chair.

7. What color picture frames should I use (assuming I'm going to end up with some white and some wood-toned furniture)? I know to take down all the family/personal pictures.

The neon green toy basket on the white end table is going downstairs soon. I am also in the process of getting a new lamp shade to replace the yucky yellowish pleated one. And my fall deorations are out-those are just wooden leaves hanging on the other lampshade.

Ok, I think that's it for now. Don't worry-there are still like 6 more rooms to go. Yippee! Thanks in advance for all your help and opinions!

*You're not going to offend me no matter what-don't hold back!

Isaac

Ah...Isaac, what a little character. We love this little guy-who wouldn't?!?

35-3

Saturday was the Iowa v. Iowa State game. The Hawkeyes won, to put it lightly. We KILLED ISU...35 to 3. It wasn't really a fun game to watch because we totally dominated. Oh well, it was a fun excuse to have us all wear matching outfits!

Daddy and his little Hawkette


The whole gang


"Celebrating" after the game


Isn't she darling? I had been looking for a little outfit for her for months and never found anything. When we were in Clear Lake a few weeks ago we found a little black polo dress with a hawkeye head embroidered on it...it was $24!!! There was no way I was going to pay that much for a little 2 inch patch sewn on a $3 dress. So...I got creative. I made Leah's skirt out of an old sweatshirt from high school. I found the shirt on clearance at Wal-Mart for $1 and appliqued the hawkeye head (made from some fabric I bought at JoAnn) onto it. Then I made her bow-it's a korker bow and the first one I've tried of that style. Super easy. Get the directions free here. I already had the little diaper cover from a black dress she has. So I think this whole outfit, including the bow, cost me about $4.


Cheering on the Hawkeyes!


And, as usual, Isaac is missing some article of clothing while watching the game.

Headband Bows!

I found a website that sells the elastic to make headbands and so I've been making some bows for when I get it. Right now I only have a pink one and it's a little too big for Leah so I'm excited to finally get some headbands made that will fit her little noggin. Here's a sample of what I've done this week: (you can click on any of the pictures to get a close-up!)


This one is made from cotton fabric scraps-I just cut petal shapes out then basted them together and gathered enough to make the flower shape. I sewed the two layers together and hot glued on a button.


This is 8 ribbons laid out in an asterisk-like shaped, hot glued at the center, then folded up to make the flower/bow shape. Again, a button just hot glued on.


This is 4 ribbons-same process as above.


I found a pattern online for this one-the pieces are made out of felt and a rhinestone hot-glued on the middle.


This one was made from a piece of a t-shirt. (I used the rest of the shirt to make a bag-that's another post, though). I just stitched the edge with a basting stitch, gathered it into a circle, sewed the edged together and, you guessed it, hot-glued on a button.


Here's a shot of all of them plus a couple others. The big pink on the top left ended up being WAY too big for Leah's head so I'm going to add a pin and put it on my peacoat this winter as a brooch.


*Next project: tutu and monogrammed onesie!!!