been busy

With weather like this:

Some places around here got 8-12 inches of snow.  I don't think we had that much here, but schools are closed again (third day in 7 days!) because of the brutal cold.  It's 9:30 am and the wind chill is still -13 degrees!  Brrrr! Plus it just started snowing again!

combined with the fact that we aren't supposed to take Tate anywhere....I have had lots of time to get some of my projects done.  And it's a good thing too.  Jamie laid down the law last week and said I could NOT start any more new projects till I finished all the ones I had half way done.  So I got to work (and put Jamie to work.)  Here's a little preview of all my finished projects...and I have a whole list of new ones waiting to get started! 

vinyl above the bay window in Tate's room

the abacus that my handy husband built.  It turned out really cute. I love it.  I got the idea from a blog I follow - Under the Table and Dreaming. We changed it up a little to go in a kids room.  Hudson loves playing with it so I am sure Tate will someday too. 

the rag quilt I made for Tate.  I have never attempted a sewing project like this before.  I am really pleased with out it turned out.  Not perfect but handmade by mommy.

Close up detail of the quilt.  This is the fabric that was the inspiration for the color in Tate's room.

A sign I made from a tin plaque I bought off the clearance rack at Hobby Lobby.  I just spraypainted over the picture on it and then used my cricut to decopauge the letters on.

The shelf Jamie made that hangs over the changing table.  Found this idea on my favorite site - http://www.anawhite.com/. She's amazing!

Another sign I made and stickers I put on the picture frame.

I made this at taxgedo.com.  Really cool concept.  It takes words and makes a shape out of the words.  All I had to do was put in my blog address and it used the words from my posts to make this elephant shape.  Cute and meaningful since it used words from all the posts I wrote while Tate was in the NICU.  And I handmade the frame matte out of some leftover fabric from the quilt.

And the "T" mobile over Tate's crib.  I saw this idea on a website too - can't remember which one.  It's made from sewing circles and a wooden "T" that I spraypainted.  Then I strung it together with fishing wire and a couple beads and Jamie hung it from the celing.  Cute!

So that's all the projects in Tate's room (for now!).  On to the rest of the house:

I had the intention to put some vinyl letters up in Hudson's big boy room, but because of the circumstances, never got it done.  So since I had the cricut out - I put this up on his wall.  I really like it!



And I went a little crazy with the Cricut vinyl and since it's been 9 months since I redid the master bedroom, and I still hadn't come up with anythign to put above the bed, I went ahead and put some vinyl up to.  I like it too...but I already have several other ideas floating around my head to do above the bed, so we'll see how long it lasts!  Good thing it was free!



and my new mantel decor...minus candles for the candleholders and a picture in the big frame.  I am going to take a picture of the boys for the big frame...just waiting on Hudson's hair to grow out a little longer first.  Gigi cut it REALLY short right after Christmas and I want some of his curls in it...

We have lived in our house 6 years this month and I still had several windows without window treatments!  When we put the blinds up in Tate's room we also put blinds up on the 2 windows in the basement. So that left only 2 windows without treatments.  The back patio door and the bay window in the kitchen.  I actually started making curtains for the kitchen windows about a year ago and ran out of fabric.  So that's one of my goals in the next few months to get more fabric (if they still have it!) and finish those.  The other day I finally found some curtains and put them up on the back door.  I wasn't sure what to do here because it's a sliding door and we have a doggy door in, hence the reason nothing's ever been put up.  So I decided to just find something and go with it.   I found these panels for 9.99 each at Tuesday morning, and used my 40% off coupon for the rod at Hobby Lobby.  So I finished this window for less than $30 - and I love the finished look it gives the upstairs.  Should have done it a long time ago!  Now the only question is whether the dogs will be able to use the doggy door still.  I think they'll figure it out!  (And speaking of the dogs ...they have been at my grandma's since I went in to the hospital, and no, we haven't gone over to pick them up yet!  Some day soon!  When it stops snowing and warms up a bit!  She keeps telling me not to rush - so I'm not!)

So that's everything I've been up to...in addition to taking care of the boys, cooking, cleaning, paying our medical bills (yikes!) and getting caught up on clinic stuff.  I got the billing and posting reviewed through the end of the year. Now I have to do the books, then get started on our taxes.  I have a month before taxes are due, so I better get on it!