Daily Life Pics and Headboard for Grabs...on the side of the road

We have been in full baby prep mode over here. Yes, I know I am only 24 weeks but my nesting phase is much stronger this time around. I suspect it's because I am working and really can't get much done during the week. I have also had a lot harder time getting nursery inspiration for this little chick. Last time I had a lot of stuff that I pulled from other areas of the house, but with this one I am pretty much starting from scratch. My anxiety level got so bad that Matt met me at a fabric store last night to look for inspiration {hence the day-late post}.

Part of bringing another human into the world comes the task of clearing out a room for them. Luckily our house is big enough. When we moved in we had enough bedrooms for the amount of kids we want, not because we are great planners like that, but because a two-story house was cheaper than the smaller, one story houses we were looking at...have I told you we are slightly frugal?  I have tried not to fill the rooms too much, but I have filled the closets with storage stuff and the rooms became a collection of the projects and crafts I did in college. Saying goodbye to those things has made me a little bummed. I know they are things, but some are models and boards I spent countless sleepless nights on...and one thing I am really dragging my heels with is my upholstered headboard. 

When I first moved on my own, in college, I decided I wanted a chartreuse headboard to go with my dark purple/brown walls. I still love that room and headboard to this day. I figured out how to make it before the days of pinterest. I used the wrong type of thread to pull the buttons tight, I didn't have a staple gun to upholster so I bent finishing nails to hold down the fabric, and I didn't cut the mdf to make it lighter; I just used the whole monstrous piece. It was totally a "work with what ya got" moment and after 2 moves {both with sets of stairs}, and Matt and his brother breaking their back carrying the mdf and getting stabbed by the nails and cussing me out, I must say good bye to my rigged headboard. Matt is jumping for joy, but I might just spend one more night sleeping against the soft padding. Just a representation of my life and emotional state at the moment...I used to be a project badass, today I'm just a round, blubbering fool.  ;)

I would say come pick it up if you want it, but your husband might hunt me down.

Good thing I have my little man to distract me. Daily Life: A pic a day- Week 2

xo,

Nikki

Weekend Project: Recovered Accent Chair

I inherited a fabulous bedroom set from my Great Grandparents after they passed away. I love love love the lines of the furniture, but the yellow-white color...not so much. I am trying my best to hold off on repainting most of it to not upset my grandmother {for now}, but the chair that came with the set needed some help asap.

It was nothing a can of gold spray paint and some cheery fabric couldn't fix. 

I would say that this tutorial is for a chair that has separate seat and back cushions.

Supplies Needed:

Chair

Spray paint {color of your choice}

Staple remover

Screwdriver

Staple Gun

Fabric {yardage depends on the size of your chair}

Trim of your choice

Hot glue gun

Approximate Time= 8 hours

Step 1:
Disassemble. If the assembly is complicated, photograph the pieces as you take them apart. I unscrewed the legs from the back and seat.

Step 2:
I went ahead and spray painted the first coat on the the legs so it could dry while I upholstered the fabric pieces.

Step 3:
My seat and back padding were in good condition, and my fabric was a neutral so I left it all on. BUT, if the fabric or padding are in poor condition, then you will need to take that apart and replace it. If not, just do what I did and use a staple gun to attach the fabric {pulling it tight so there are no wrinkles}.

Step 4:
If the paint is dry enough, apply a second coat of the spray paint.

Step 5:
I needed a trim piece to hide my staples so I found a rope type of trim and simply hot glued it into place.

Step 6: 
ASSEMBLE! Now have a seat and sip on something yummy...it is the weekend right?!

Easter Recap & Week 1 of "A Pic A Day"

       Easter weekend was a blast! My brother came in from college and I haven't gotten to spend Easter with my family in two years, so it was great to spend the whole weekend with them. Saturday my dad ordered 60 lbs. of crawfish and we hung out together while we boiled them all afternoon. It was nice to relax with amazing weather while Abram played in his bounce house. In the evening we had an Easter egg hunt for the kids. It was my first one to put together as a mommy so I had a lot of fun watching them run around with excitement in their faces. Abram was thrilled to find them, then either shouted "ball" and chunked it or shook it and pried it open to spill  the candy.

 About to hunt eggs

Hanging with the sibs 

       Sunday we went to church, then went home to see what the Easter bunny brought. After he went through his Easter loot we colored with the crayons he got and laid down for a nap. My mom made her traditional ham and green bean casserole and strawberry crepes. I have NEVER had a better crepe...probably just as much nostalgia as deliciousness, but strawberries at this time of year hit the spot!

       My parents babysat while Matt and I worked on cleaning our black hole of a garage for a few hours, then we topped off the weekend with homemade crawfish pasta made from left over crawfish from the boil. I just needed someone to roll me to bed to make the weekend completely successful ;).

    On another note; I was sick of seeing all of the blurry/grainy pictures my expensive camera was taking because of the low light in our house, so I bought a 35mm lens to see if it would make a difference {it has so far}...now I am challenging myself to take a pic a day for 50 days. I'm loving trying to capture the smaller moments in life. Here is week 1:

One of my favorite pictures of him EVER! This is one of his toddler personalies captured perfectly...

xo, Nikki

The hutch we were "Pregnant" with...Real Life DIY

Once upon a time, when I was just staying home with my little man our friends asked if I would refinish some furniture for them. Of course, I didn't hesitate to say yes...and 1 month later I landed myself a full-time design position. 

I still wanted to do the furniture, so we started with their hutch. It was an old wooden piece that was given to them and they just wanted to see if it could be spruced up to look a little more "Pottery Barn" and a little less "visiting grandma's". 

After sanding and dis-assembling everything it was time to prime. Matt had gotten me a paint sprayer for Mother's Day and we were pumped to try it out! It was amazing! It covered the piece so quickly and coated it so much better than a paint brush. I am now a big fan, but I will say for small projects I don't use it because there are so many parts to clean after each coat. Anyway we were thinking this would be done in no time.

Long story short, the paint was having trouble sticking in some places and it ended up taking us 2 coats of primer and about 3-4 coats of paint {w/ primer in it} to get it covered. We also had to deal with our work hours {we could only work on weekends} and the weather {can't paint in rain or below 60...and it was winter...not smart}. 

After the paint cured I lightly sanded the areas that would naturally get more wear to make it look distressed. I also painted the back wall of the display cabinet a light gray to compliment her walls. Then we clear coated and re-assembled; adding some glass knobs we found at Hobby Lobby.

After almost 9 months we could finally gift them their hutch...only weeks before her second baby was due! 

That, my friends, is real life DIY; some projects are wins and some are giant fails. Most of mine eventually end up as wins, but not before tons of tears and little fails along the way...don't give up! If you want any tips on our process or how to achieve this look, feel free to contact me by clicking the link at the top of the screen.

xo,
Nikki

5 Months!

Total weight gain this month: +16 pounds...not looking good this time around

Maternity clothes? I've bought a few more bands to wear around my pants. Last time I was able to wear my pants with those bands up until the day I walked into the delivery room. This time, I am already struggling to get my pants all the way up. Please tell me this is a girl pregnancy thing...I'm getting super nervous...and I need work clothes so bad!
Stretch marks? Not yet, but my ankles might get some at this rate :/
Sleep: I am so busy that I don't stop until I hit the pillow, then I sleep like a...teenager

Best moment this month: Seeing our girl on the ultrasound and confirming that we did not hear it wrong! So surreal...

Miss Anything? Sushi and my clothes

Movement:Right around 20 weeks I FINALLY started feeling her. It was way behind when I felt our first, but I am telling myself it is because she is a girl. 

Food cravings: Salad almost every day and the chocolate milk craving is back this time! I also LOVE strawberry milk...

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Not really

Have you started to show yet: Everything about me is swollen and pregnant looking...there is no hiding it now. 

Gender prediction: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out?  In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I have had anxiety attacks almost daily. I never really did with Abram. It has gotten so bad that when I drive I imagine car crashes and tense up every time I change lanes or go through an intersection. We are working on getting this under control because I can't take it. I am hoping it is some sort of maternal protection instinct and not my car wreck from July causing some sort of delayed anxiety. Aggravating...

Looking forward to:  Getting the nursery closer to finished and Easter!

This weekend was all about organization and celebrating Spring. When we weren't trying to get things in order we were playing with Abram and going to our neighborhood spring fling.

He loves to throw the ball back and forth

He has also started to climb on the ottoman and try to stand...joy

Of course he got a boo boo. Not from climbing or throwing, but from slipping on his spilled smoothie juice with the straw in his mouth. He was still all smiles.

He LOVES to play with water in the buckets

Walking around the spring fling festival

I got to give him his very first popsicle...many more to come!

He no longer likes swings, but he loves to slide! I could stare at that beautiful smile all day...pure joy

...and got brave and went head first

We ended the day with his first fit when he had to leave the fun...he was charging back in this pic.

Nursery Inspiration Board

Last week I hit the 20 week mark and we confirmed that we are indeed expecting a little girl. We celebrated by painting some of the walls in her nursery this past weekend while it "poured down" outside...it was supposed to...it didn't :/.  I had created an inspiration board a few weeks ago, then edited it...so here is the edited version. I'm sure a lot will change as the room progresses.

Treat Art // Radiance Art // Jenny Lind Crib // Chandelier // Black and White Striped Glider // Floral Fabric // Circle Pillow // Faux Fur Pillow // Teapot Hooks // Alice In Wonderland Book //  Hanging Glass Planters // Daylight Art // Rug 

I am not someone who can do a totally themed or one-color room. I get bored waaayyy too quick.  Abram's nursery had an "adventure-ish" theme that started with a patterned fabric I liked, a saying, and a few dog paintings. I LOVE mixing several colors and patterns so things can be easily changed as time passes and tastes change.

This nursery was much harder to get the ideas rolling. I didn't want anything princessy, but still wanted to celebrate the "girl" spirit. Back in December, before I even knew I was having a girl, I saw some beautiful colored butterflies and moss displays at West Elm that I LOVED and came up with the theme "Make Believe" which could go in almost any direction.

I kinda combined Alice In Wonderland, secret garden, and glam/rock in my head. At first I was sold on fresh white walls and a bright floral focal wall behind the crib. Matt quickly vetoed that because of the thought of wall paper...bummer. If anyone wants a nursery like that I will be happy to help you design it; it would be so cool!  

Our family has been to the Hard Rock, in Vegas, several times and I have always loved the dark purple, moody, rock, velvet feel of it so I am trying to incorporate some of that. I love love love the Ikea chandelier because it reminds me of raindrops, but it might be too tall for our 8' ceilings so I am searching for an alternative. I am re-using the crib and glider from Abram's nursery so those won't add to the budget {if you don't count his big boy room update} ;)}. I am also painting a dresser that was given to me by a relative to save cost.

The nursery has so far evolved from more woodsy to a little more edgy, but I have some great ideas to tone down the drama. I really wanted to inspire her to dream and use her imagination. I also wanted to use floral, dots, and stripes to create a girly backdrop for some moodier pieces. I'm really into the idea of a deep purple and gold dresser right now, but that could change by next week.  I've also got some ideas for some cool textural items and imaginative decorations.

Stay tuned for updates...

Toddler Mealtime Struggles

When we first started solid foods I was sure I could make my child not be a picky eater. Matt and I will eat almost anything. I followed everyone's advice; I made my own baby food to control what was in it, started with the veggies, and didn't allow juices or many artificial sugars until after one. I was in full control of the situation and he ate everything I served him.

Then I got a job and had to send him to daycare. They all laughed at/with me because I would not allow sugary snacks and would pack something separate for him. I mean I wasn't totally unreasonable if there was a celebration or something, but I just figured if he couldn't ask for it why give it to him?

Soon after he turned one his "divaness" started and he would demand food right away and then spit it out all over his highchair. The funny thing is this food was nothing new...he loved it last week. It started with veggies and has progressed through the food pyramid to some of his favorite fruits.

A couple weeks ago the thought of mealtime would have me breaking down. I desperately started googling it and apparently it is quite common. He is just starting to assert himself and his independence {duh mom}. I have read so many articles that give great tips. One that I found particularly helpful was this one, by Dr. Sears. The best thing it did was help me to relax and realize that this is a phase.

I have started switching up where he eats and what he eats on/with. I also offer a few options on his plate {some I am not sure about and some he usually eats} so that he doesn't think I am catering to him, but can choose what he wants. Another HUGE trick that I am all about because it has worked so well is dips. One random Saturday morning he would not eat his blueberry waffle...a WAFFLE people! I thought **** if he won't eat a waffle I will never get him to eat anything today!! Enter strawberry yogurt as a dip and it became the most delicious meal in the world. Another great way to sneak some nutrition in him is smoothies. They are like gold around here. I have also become less of a food control freak. I mean I really really want him to eat healthy, but if one night he eats one bite of chicken and an entire bowl of mac-n-cheese I just have be thankful he ate and try again the next night.

This parenting thing is a learning curve...

What are some great tips you have for getting toddlers to eat a balanced meal...or even eat at all sometimes?

Weekend Project: Easter Garland

I love holidays and my mom always had a way to make them feel special. It wasn't necessarily the decor that she did; it was the activities that created the memories. The only holiday I really decorate full-out for is Christmas, but I like to put up a few things for the others that can be stored easily. I had NO easter stuff that wasn't a hand-me-down from my mom's "don't want" pile so I decided to whip up a couple quick and easy garlands to hang over the baskets this year. Who wouldn't love some yellow chicks and fluffy bunny tails for Easter!?

I'm not a fru-fru person so I wanted to keep it simple with these, and although I love paper garland, I have worked with them a bit on the photoshoots I used to design the backdrops for and they were sooo difficult to manage when not hanging up....enter the pom poms and foam shapes...so much easier.

I made these while Abram was napping and when he came downstairs he quickly pointed and said, "Balls" {his favorite}, then he sat there admiring them for a few minutes and it made the little bit of effort I put into making these worth it. He is the critic/admirer I care about the most.

Supplies:

• Pack of any color {or mixed color} pom pom balls- got mine from Hobby Lobby
• Foam shapes- You can either make your own or buy them from a store- I got these chicks from the  dollar section of Target, but have seen them at Hobby Lobby too
• Some type of string- I used twine because I had it laying around, but any slim string will do
• Scissors
• A sewing needle with a hole large enough for your string
• Hot glue if you feel like securing the pieces in their place

Approximate time to make both: 1-3 hours

For my target chicks garland: First, I poked Holes in the shapes with the scissors. I wanted the hole small and this was the easiest way. Then, I threaded the twine through the holes and spaced them until they looked good. DONE

For my "Peter Cotton Tail" garland: I threaded my twine through the needle, sat in my favorite living room chair, and just started poking it through each pom pom until the bag was empty...it was my most "old lady" moment in awhile and I sort of loved it! Then just space as far apart as you want and DONE!

If you feel like either garland has too much piece movement {or to store later}, just put some hot glue on each piece after they are spaced to secure.

xo, Nikki

Slow Down My Little Magnolia

My baby boy is growing too fast. He got moved to the next class up in daycare this week. I sat at my work computer watching the monitor as they brought him in for the first time, and I {not him} just cried like a baby. He is the kind of kid who stands back and observes for the first 15 minutes and then dives in. For that 15 minutes every motherly worry came to me; will the other kids play with him, will he handle the change well, are the teachers nice, etc...  It was the first time I wasn't physically present for a big transition and I didn't want him to have to go through it without me. 

He fit in perfectly, but I think another reason for my tears is because he is just growing so fast. I anticipated his arrival so much and felt so connected with him before he was born. Then he arrived and turned our world upside-down; we really weren't prepared and it was tough at first! 

Now, it has been amazing! 

I prayed for a child with character and he has it! His personality is perfectly quirky, sweet, and adventurous. We just have so much fun laughing at and playing with him and I know this, like the baby phase in the past, won't last long...it is killing me. I find myself looking back at his pictures with tears in my eyes...probably in part to being pregnant and emotional. ;) For a while he no longer needed me to rock him to sleep and I thought that was a big accomplishment. Now he lets me...I think it is because he knows I need it more than him. I don't want to see his fat wrist crease fade away so I just stare and try to smell him up while I rock.

Before I got pregnant this time around a friend joked that he was getting his teeth so fast so he could grow up and make room for a sibling. It hasn't been long since that comment and now #2 is on her way {full steam ahead...half way today} and we are ordering a big boy bed for #1. Everyone tells you it passes quickly, but you don't believe it. I pray that his little sister learns from him and has the same awesome character that he does, but with her own twist. I know he will be a fantastic big brother and I hope I can handle another child growing way too fast. Bear with me over the next 5 months; they are bound to get a little emotional.

xo, Nikki

Easter Ideas for Toddlers

I'm not sure if I said it yet, but happy Spring! We are watermelon addicts over here so we kicked off our spring with my husband picking the most perfectly sweet watermelon you have ever tasted...amazing!

Anyway, I got my Parents magazine in the mail and saw all of the Easter crafts; like putting purple food coloring in the kid's milk {genius}...I cannot wait to do that next year! It inspired me to start searching for my Easter basket gifts.

I am so excited for Easter this year! This will be the first Easter in a couple years that we get to stay home, and my parents now live near us which means I get some of my mom's Easter Strawberry Crepes {recipe coming soon}.

I always have trouble picking {narrowing down} gifts and try to buy Abram gifts that I know he will use instead of little trinkets. This year I am focusing on creative toys and things he will need for the summer...what a fun summer it will be! I also have gotten a few things for baby girl that I may include in her "basket" so I don't feel guilty. ;)

Here are some ideas by category, but they can be easily combined into the perfect basket for you!

--------------------

Snuggle Bunny

We don't let Abram watch much tv yet, but sometimes he has these after school meltdowns {diva moments as we like to call them} where some grapes and cheese and an episode of Veggie Tales is all that will calm him. I also love the idea of getting him a book for each holiday and I remember reading the Berenstain Bears Easter book when I was young; it was my favorite.

Fox Sleeping Bag // Boy Stuffed Animal // Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story Book // Throw Pillow // Veggie Tales: Easter Collection // Woodland Nightlight // Girl Stuffed Animal // Cloud Pillow // Pinkalicious: Eggstraordinary Easter // Toddler Pink Flamingo Slippers

--------------------

Water Tot

My parents are getting a pool and I cannot be more excited, so I have already bought Abram two swimsuits, and a few cover ups for my enlarging bod ;). I also got him some beach toys for his basket so he can play in the sand when we go on our trip, in May.

Boy Beach Towel // Ship Print trunks // Beach Toys // Sprinkler // Rugby Stripe Cover-Up // Kiddie Pool // Ruffled Swimsuit // Girl Beach Towel

--------------------

Outdoor Play

We are obsessed with being outside and active these days. Anything and everything he can get his hands into, he will.

Boy Ball // Bubble Machine // Golf Clubs // Adirondack Chair // Tree Swing // Girl Ball
--------------------

Little Creative

I love the idea of inspiring imaginative play; whether it is dressing up, playing music, dancing, or drawing. There is no greater thing than seeing my little guy's wheels turning as he decides what to do next with no clear rules. 

Superhero Cape // Xylophone // Easter Chalk // Kids Paint Bath Soap // Play-Doh Eggs // Frozen Soundtrack // Easter Crayons // Petal Tutu // Oh Bunny Art

--------------------

Style Maven

We have these sunglasses from last summer and I LOVE them, but he will not keep them on so baseball caps and hats will be a staple for us this summer. I also ordered this big plaid bow from Crew & Lu and already have it in little misses top drawer. It just seems so Southern...I cannot wait to see her in it!

Suspenders // Cotton Cap // Sunglasses // Sneakers

Plaid Bow Headband // Piggy Paint Nail Polish // Sun Hat // Cut Out Sandals

Weekend Project: Ikea Highchair Hack

I am ALWAYS working on projects. It is kinda like a bad habit because people will come over and be like, "I thought you had a degree in Interior Design; your house is a mess!" and I am like, "Ummm...I'm pregnant, have a toddler, oh and I have this horrible habit of doing five projects at once."

Being a busy working momma I totally understand the stress of doing nothing during the week, and then assigning the projects for the weekend. I always feel so much more accomplished when I can actually complete something in a weekend so I have decided to do a new series of posts that will show the projects I have done that can be completed in one weekend or less. I will try to post projects and crafts that only take a few hours, but some may take more...but let's face it, we want to ENJOY the weekend as well.

First on the list....

This is soooo late {blah blah same song, different day}, but I never did post about Abram's highchair and I am so in love with this thing that I feel it is a must! I had gotten one of those expensive, padded highchairs when I registered and was so excited about my registry score...but then I panicked hard! It was so padded and big. It would take up so much room in my kitchen and wasn't the most attractive thing on the planet. I could not afford those stylish expensive chairs though; it just wasn't in my budget at the time. Then I started reading reviews on padded chairs and how hard they are to clean EVERY MEAL, and then saw this post and my thoughts shifted as to what the perfect high chair would be for our family.

1) Easy to clean
2) My son was a hot baby, so extra padding= extra sweating= extra fussing
3) Affordable
4) As Compact as possible
5) Not an eyesore

Photo via Ikea

Enter the $25 Ikea highchair from the post. I hated the legs so the spray paint idea was genius...not my genius {hers}, but everyone gets their inspiration from somewhere. I did a test of a copper, gold, and rubbed bronze legs. All three would be amazing so take a peek at this pic, but for our eating area I chose the gold. Just tape off the ball feet and spray.

After that was finished all I had to do was decide what decal would grace the back of the chair. I am obviously NOT a monogram person because it took about 3 seconds for me to realize that Abram's initials would be the Texas A&M logo and as LSU fans there was no way that was gonna happen. So the next 2 ideas were a fork and spoon decal {hard to find the right size}, or the "eat" decal which won. I got it from this etsy site, and had her do it custom, at 6.5" wide, and you can pick from her many colors to go with your decor {I chose mint}.

We LOVE it over 9 months later. Abram has had no problem sitting in this chair. The tray can detach, but we leave it attached most of the time. Whenever he gets older we can pull it up to the table without a tray. The legs come off if we have to bring it out of town. It is light as a feather so sometimes he gets living room meals if I feel lazy {don't judge}. I just clean it off quickly after every meal with the Honest Brand cleaner we have, but since it is white I sometimes have to bleach after foods like carrot juice. And for the big messes we swiftly carry it outside and  unleash the hose. AND since it is only $25 baby #2 can have her own ;).

Supplies:

$25 Ikea Highchair

Spray paint in color of your choice

Painter's tape

Vinyl decal of your choice

Approx. Time= around 4-6 hours depending on how long you let the paint dry

xo, Nikki

Weekend In Pics

A wedding on Friday, a pirate birthday party on Saturday, and the Iranian New Year Festival on Sunday...most random weekend in a long time. Sometimes random works!

Not to mention we also got started on the little misses nursery too! Score! I would say we had a successful weekend...

We cleared out the Ikea shelf {and put everything on the guest bed} and started painting the focal wall :)

enjoying feeding himself...

handsome men ready for the wedding

party animal

pirates eating pizza

Happy Monday!

Locale: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

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Happy Friday everyone! It has been a long week for me, so TGIF!

We had our pre-Friday celebration/date night on Wednesday...and then we are celebrating AGAIN tonight at a friend's wedding. Whoa, watch out these parents are living now!

Our date was to the rodeo...it's that time of year again in Houston. The time everyone digs their cowboy boots out of their closet so they can pretend to live in a "country" part of Texas for a few nights {guilty}. One of the redeeming qualities to me about Houston is the rodeo. It comes right after Mardi Gras so I don't have to stop the fun so suddenly haha. I also admire how much the locals get into rodeo season. People with country roots reflect back on the "good ole days" while newcomers to Houston, and there are lots of us, take in the spectacle of it all. My parents were raised around farms and rodeos so part of me feels like I'm am getting in touch with my roots just a little by being there. I'm excited to show Abram the ropes {literally} one day. We brought him last year when he slept through it all, but this year Matt and I wanted to enjoy the rodeo and Florida Georgia Line concert after so we let him hang with my mom for the evening.

I came home and kicked the work flats off my pregnant, swollen feet and booted up

It is not your typical small town rodeo since it takes place at Reliant Stadium, but it is as good as we can get. Apparently the livestock show part of it is during the day. I knew nothing about this until this year; shameful after living here for five years. The actual rodeo is every night and contains all the usual events: barrel racing, bull riding, wagon races, and our favorite...muttin bustin' {to name a few}. Then a huge circular, spinning stage that still has me admiring the design of it rolls out for the concert portion. They have a two-week lineup of some pretty great artists. I love country music so I try to go to at least one of them a year. This year we chose Florida Georgia Line. They are a newer group, but I'm obsessed with their song, "Cruise" right now. It was like one big party since they are kind of a mix of country and rap/rockish. I lived vicariously through the college girls in the seats in front of us. ;) 

Florida Georgia Line asked everyone to light up their phones while they sang "Shine On"...imagine 74,000 people's iPhones lights in a dark arena...awesome!

It was a great date night, and we stayed out way too late for a weeknight. Hello coffee!! If you haven't checked out the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo it is definitely worth a visit. This weekend is the end of it for this year, but it usually happens every March. Have a great weekend!

xo, Nikki

4 Months with Baby #2

Remember that time I was 13 weeks and thought I had a belly...

Total weight gain this month: +9 pounds...oh man

Maternity clothes? My stretchy skirts from Old Navy and bella band I bought last time from Target
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Already starting to get uncomfortable

Best moment this month: the warm weather making its first appearance!

Miss Anything? A cold drink...it was Mardi Gras...

Movement: I felt some when I laid down pretty early on {14 weeks} and then it suddenly stopped which of course freaked me out so we had to get a check up to make sure everything was ok. It was and now I have felt a couple flutters this week {16.5 weeks}

Food cravings: Salty and sweet together. I'm not saying I have eaten pickles covered in chocolate syrup, but I wouldn't be opposed to it ;). I also loved chocolate milk and shakes last time, and while those still top the list, I my cravings have been more for strawberry flavored stuff this time. I also LOVE salad.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Coffee and spark sometimes {they rotate}, eggs, and fish still

Have you started to show yet: YES! I am popping way more than I did last time at 4 months. It is hard to hide and none of my pants button. My feet also look like balloons daily now.

Gender prediction: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out?  In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Stressed

Looking forward to:  The cold going away so the sicknesses in our house will ease up.

The funniest shirt for a pregnant gal at Mardi Gras {please ignore the lack of fixing-up)

A Fresh Start

It may not be minty fresh, but it is close...

Now that I am back I FINALLY did something I had been toying with for over a year; changing my blog's name to something more...me! You can read a little more about the new name by clicking on the "about us" tab at the top of the screen.

Oh and that brings me to the other change; this blog got a minor face lift! It is a little bit more fresh for Spring and has some different tabs so feel free to browse around. Now I am off to have a lazy {er} Sunday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

xo, Nikki

Let's Take it Back to Mardi Gras Weekend

A weekend so refreshing I would like to do it all over again...

Who says pregnant girls can't have fun at Mardi Gras!? When the woman on our float found out I was pregnant she was shocked. I had been dancing to every song {we are a dancing family}, so she was sure that this baby was gonna come out ready to party and having a good time :). I reassured her that as soon as a song comes on Abram starts to shake or drop it like it's hot!

Our friends invited us to be on their float for a parade, in Baton Rouge, and it had been so long that there was no way we were turning it down. The theme was Flamingo Dynasty {flamingos are always a part of the theme}, so we rocked the camo and pink...and a couple beards. Our friend buys pool floats on sale at the end of the summer to throw...GENIUS...I have never seen this done and they get the crowds going wild!

 Our parents split watching Abram back in our hometown, and my parents took him to the children's parade where he racked up the goodies. They were throwing balls like crazy and that happens to be his FAVORITE.THING.EVER and the only word he says, on repeat.

The weather was perfect and we got crawfish after the parade for the first time all season. It felt good to be back in Louisiana; we cannot wait to show our kids the rich traditions and culture of our home state!

So Long First Trimester...

You will not be missed...

I am now in the "blissful" period of pregnancy and am feeling so much better! I was sooo tired and coffee made me throw up :(. I also got a virus which took me out of commission for a good week; so it feels good to be back.

My tired Valentines Day

Total 1st trimester weight gain: +5 pounds (2 more than last time)

Maternity clothes? Nothing yet, but I am stocking up on stretchy pencil skirts and maxi skirts for work
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: great

Best moment this trimester: Finding out the gender WAY earlier than we thought we would!

Miss Anything?  A margarita and coffee/spark

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: CUPCAKES and PICKLES! Basically anything sweet and salty mixed together.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Coffee, eggs, fish...I knew I was pregnant when Matt left out deer meat and I couldn't stand the smell from across the house

Have you started to show yet:  I am getting a belly much quicker than I had at 13 weeks last time, and where I am lacking in belly I am making up for in swollen feet! I have had swollen feet on and off since 8 weeks and that didn't start until around 30-something weeks last time...it is killing my wardrobe for work! :/

Gender prediction: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out?  In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and tired/moody

Looking forward to:  Working on the nursery and feeling better

Cheers {with my chocalate milk in hand} to an easy-going second trimester, and the return of my blog from its hiatus!

Picture Catch Up

       Life has been a whirlwind, but let's get real, when is it not? I am trying to make a schedule for commitments and this blog is one I would desperately like to stick to. So here is my catch up post so we can get back on track {in pics}.

       We won the float contest at our group of friend's Turkey Tailgate...BIG achievement right there. It was a couples challenge, using only what crafty items were on the table and about 20-30 minutes. This is our float with our prizes. We actually tied floats with a Christmas float, but our tie breaking candy corn throw & catch in the mouth challenge gave us the win! Who knew I was so good at catching candy corn being thrown at me!?...I have a tracker on those things.

Went to a friend's wedding

We enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family this year, and got to spend some time with my 99 year old granny. Girls lost pictionary during the final moments.

Abram got tubes in his ears and his adenoids out...long time coming! They wheeled him to the OR in a wagon; which made it easier on me.

Decorated for Christmas

We had our Annual Santa Pub Crawl. This is the only pic that can be seen publicly from the night. ;)

Celebrated Christmas with my family, and then his (on Christmas day)

New Years...on the couch...by the warmth of the fire...watching the countdown and the amazing "free" fireworks from our back window...while Abram slept. HEAVEN

Celebrating Valentines Day with both of my boys

Lots of playing at the park in the 70 degree weather

Then, Getting sick from extreme temp drops

Finishing the hutch for our friends and the shelves for our game room (game room almost complete and I promise I will post when it is)

Working

Oh and there was one HUGE Christmas surprise we got that I forgot to mention. 

Baby Tag #2 is on the way!

I was shocked...I mean I couldn't even say the word for about a week. So were our families when we told them for Christmas; I thought my mom might attack me for springing it on her while they were posing for a picture.

Oh and the best part {our fb announcement}: Roses are red, Violets are blue, Our little boy is sweet, Hoping our little GIRL is too! Yup...it's a girl!!! :) Another nursery is already in the works!

Party Pics {Abram's Up/ Adventure Birthday Party}

From the moment I saw the movie "Up" I knew I wanted to use it as inspiration for Abram's birthday. I mean it has dogs, planes, adventure, maps...it is practically Abram's nursery with a little emotion and humor thrown in. I love the idea of something as simple as balloons in every color for a birthday, but I just couldn't stop there. 

I wanted to have cake pops for everyone since they would be easier to snack on while chasing toddlers around. My sis had made them before so I put her to work. They.Are.Hard. I will never ask her to do them again. She and my mom were stressing. BUT my idea worked out and we had cake pop balloons lifting our "up" house that I threw together.

I made Abram's cake and iced it and ordered my airplane topper from Etsy to make it look edible. Note to self; hire a caterer for your next party. 

The menu: 

Doggies in a blanket, 

Bone rice krispie treats,

leftover Halloween candy, 

Balloon cake pops,

Crush soda {etc}

and Jambalaya

Since he is only one I didn't want to stress myself out about a favor. I just decided to have a "make your own trail mix" bar for the kids of all ages to pick the snacks they like to take home. I found some muslin bags online and stamped them with a map stamp from Hobby Lobby. I had sweets for the older kids like m&ms and lots of easy snacks Abram eats regularly.

 I made a GIANT tissue paper garland that I hung over our island and the appetizers. It took some time, but I am going to split it up and put one in the game room and keep some for holidays or something. I also had a timeline of pics on the fireplace and Abram's Ikea tent and teepee set up for the young kids adventure areas.

Outside we had a small bounce house and giant blow up slide to keep the older kids busy. I'm pretty sure all had a good time!

My baby is ONE!!!

I wrote this over 2 months ago (shaking my head in shame)

I will slowly but surely get back into this blogging thing. Oh the life of a working mom...

Well, the day has come. My baby is ONE! He is not a baby anymore {bitter sweet}.

Health: Abram STILL has a double ear infection! If you are keeping count, that is over 2 months since it was first discovered. I'm keeping count, and 6 antibiotics later I am DONE! I didn't even want to give him 1 antibiotic before 1 year... We visited an ENT and now we have a surgery scheduled for tubes in and his adenoids out. We have been trying one last, desperate attempt at chiropractic care for chronic ear infections and drainage, but it still seems his ears are inflamed and full of fluid. He is hearing like he has earplugs in {30-40% hearing loss, so we are at the point where we don't want his development to be interrupted...or worse. See why I have no time to blog... :/ One great thing we have discovered from chiro care is essential oils to help with his congestion at night...they are AMAZING and another bonus is that his room smells like a spa.

Visiting the goats at the fair

Sleep: Besides the lack of sleep from his ears and cough, he sleeps well at night and naps amazingly during the day. My little teenage sleeper; I love you!

       Abram still LOVES food, but is getting picky with his veggies. I have started giving him carrot juice as I wean him off of formula. I wanted to stay away from too much dairy because of his congestion, so I also give him almond milk which he loves and probiotic powder in that or organic apple sauce. ANNND I just realized {as I type} I am giving him nuts now...oops. He has teeth all the way back to his molars coming in;  more teeth than any baby that age our daycare worker has seen. This probably explains his constant drooling, runny nose, and ear infections. Our little man has molars! It is kinda crazy..."all the better to eat you with". 

      He took his first steps (that can be counted as steps) on the 19th; just after his one year pics. It was like he sensed it was time to grow up a little. On Halloween he started walking non-stop. He would get up, fall, get up, fall, over and over again until I MADE him go to bed. Ever since then he won't stop. Just after his birthday he was walking over concrete {parent of the year right here} and he crashed, face first. It was not our best moment and now he has a pretty serious battle wound {still in these pics}.

       He is into EVERYTHING and is just curious about the world. We cannot keep him contained and he will tonrado through the house in a matter of minutes. We left the Tupperware cabinet unlocked at the recommendation of friends, and well...that is getting a lock this weekend so we don't have to keep washing 50 containers of drool and dirt from the floor.

       He won't let you hold him for too long now. He hates getting dressed or a diaper change. He is not a fan of baths for some reason now and HATES the car seat with a passion. Bijou annoys him, except for when he decides he wants to tackle her {we are working on that}. He also get extremely frustrated when he can't figure out a toy or something and gets this temper tantrum where he screams and throws something...not the best look on him.

       Over the past month we took one year pics, celebrated his first halloween {he was a vampire because he won't wear hats}, got his first haircut from my friend in Lafayette, went to a pumpkin patch, and celebrated his first birthday with lots of friends and family!