DIY: Monogram Door Hangers

Well, I did not one craft but TWO crafts in the same day.  I've been wanting to spruce up our home a bit and trying to get as much organization done before the summer was over.   I've been wanting to make some door hangers for our front and back entrances of our town home. Our doors were so lonely as I only really put a hanger out during the winter...don't judge me. I was looking for something that could stay up during the spring and summer months.  

I started at one of my fave places, Hobby Lobby.  They usually have a great assortment of things that I can use for my crafts.  It was definitely my favorite place when completing DIY projects for our wedding.  I apologize in advance that I got a little too excited and started things before I took pictures, but I'll explain what I used and did.  

Materials: 

• Wooden letter
• Spray Paint or Paint and paint brush
• Drop Cloth (or plastic bag)
• Glue gun
• Ribbon

After one coat

First, I needed to decide which type of letters I wanted.  Hobby Lobby (and I'm sure JoAnn's and Michael's have them too) had a nice assortment. I decided on unfinished wood letters because I could choose any color I wanted.  They are a little rough so you many want to sand them if that suits your needs. I didn't personally.  Next, choose any color paint you want.  I went with yellow because it is a spring/summer color and matches with our living room decor.  I ended up using 3 coats of paint, letting each coat dry in between.  One thing that you should know is that the unfinished wood soaks up the paint, which is why I used 3 coats.  






I let these dry overnight (I made two) and came back in the morning to apply the ribbon. Again, I got a little happy and forgot to take pictures.  You now need your ribbon and glue gun.  This is where you have to use your own judgment.  Please take into account how far you want your monogram to hang and measure accordingly.  I kind of eyeballed it and I cut 2 pieces of ribbon the same length.  I turned my dry letter over and placed the ribbon on each side of the letter, in a slightly diagonal pattern.  This was to help evenly distribute the weight. 

I then TRIED to tie a nice pretty bow on top and hung it on the door.  I still need to work on it.  Finished products!

   

Try to make a hanger and let me know how it turns out!

Happy Crafting! :)

DIY: Chalkboard Mirror

So, I got my crafty itch back.  I've been doing some cleaning around the house and wanted to do something to spruce up the place a bit.  I've also wanted a chalkboard to put in the kitchen.  We had a vinyl one but the application ended up being crappy and I got tired of looking at it.  Sooooo, naturally I perused on Pinterest to see what I could find.

My first project was a chalkboard mirror.  I already knew how to do one of these because this had been a plan on mine for a year now.  I went to Target and picked up a Room Essentials door mirror for $5.99.  A steal right?!  It is a cheapie mirror but it's perfect for the purpose of this project. I chose the black frame because all the picture frames in the kitchen are black.  I already had chalkboard spray paint at home, so that was all I needed.

I came home and went to work.  I just laid the mirror down and spray painted the reflective portion.  I ended up using two coats, letting each coat dry in between.  It helped that it was 80 degrees outside!

   

The next day, I brought the board in the house and primed it.  Priming is when you take a piece of chalk and lay it sideways and cover the whole board with chalk. You then take a dry, lint-free rag and wipe the board.  It is then ready to use!  This step is really important because without priming, you could have your writing or image be imbedded in the paint...and you don't want that!

And voila, here is the finished product:

It's a nice place to put quotes, leave messages for the Hubbs or to make a grocery or pantry list.  I actually got this quote from the Fixer Upper show and I think it fit perfectly for our home for the week!  I challenge you to make your own and comment on your experience, why not post a picture?!

Happy Crafting! :)

20 Week Preggie Update

Whoo hoo!! 20 weeks down! Half way done!! I can't believe it! Time is definitely moving fast!

This week was a great one because we had our 20 week anatomy scan.  This one was a little bit more involved and took a little bit longer than the first trimester ultrasound.  We got to see our little nugget in all his or her glory, haha.  Baby B looked very well.  The brain, heart, and measurements were taken of the head and all the limbs.   Our little baby just wouldn't cooperate enough to get good pictures of the face, even though AJ said that Baby B has my nose.  He/She was moving around so much!  The ultrasound tech got the ones that she needed though.   It's amazing what can be seen and the difference since 13 weeks.  I was just happy that the baby was actually moving.  Now I can finally confirm that the rolls and thumps that I feel are Baby B and not gas, yay!  We were also able to get a gender picture as a keepsake. For now, it's in a sealed envelope because as you know, we aren't finding out the sex until birth.  I have noticed looking at a comparison picture since week 18, I've gotten bigger! Whoa!

One con that I have to say for this u/s was boy, was I uncomfortable.  I had the same tech as my u/s at 13 weeks but she pressed really hard this time.  When I came home, I had to lie down because my stomach was achy and it was a little red.  I had to then go to my brother in law's high school graduation.  I was in a little pain still, but I sucked it up and took one for the team!! :)  

Not really sure if I'm any bigger from 18 weeks!  I look terrible by the way....

 

Was brave enough to show my stomach.

Here is my survey for the week (I added some new things this time):

What Fruit/Veggie are you?   Banana

Due date:  October 18, 2016

How far along:  20 weeks (or 20 weeks, 2 days)

Next appointment:  June 27 with my OB

Gender:  Still #teamgreen...and I have no guesses as to what it could be

Total weight gain/loss:  Still going by 117 since my OB appointment

Exercise: Walking the dog, but hoping to start yoga soon

Stretch marks:  Nope

Swelling: I have noticed some swelling in my feet recently

Maternity clothes:   I bought some low belly maternity pants from OldNavy.com. I have only tried them on and they already feel amazing

Belly button:   Innie but it's slowly making it's way to flat

Wedding Rings On/Off: On

Happy or Moody: This week, happy.  If I asked last week, I was pretty moody.

Sleep: I've been tossing and turning a lot lately due to the fact that it's uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach now.  I also wake up very early in the AM so that doesn't help

Food cravings:  Cherries again

Symptoms:  My boobs are still sore.  I still have the stretching pains below my abdomen.  I also have been having some pain in my pelvic area (lower back, upper butt) that has been excruciating at times.  I am developing more back pain.

Movement:  Yes, Baby B is def rolling around in there.  Very active during the evening...that I can feel anyway

Labor signs:  None

What I miss:  A nice, cold lime margarita on the rocks.  I also miss my energy.

Food/Smell Aversions: Nothing

What I'm loving:   Still loving my bump

What I'm looking forward to:  Designing our nursery and buying baby things

Best moment this week: My neighbor asked if I was expecting!!!

  
Milestones: The baby moved!!

19 Week Preggie Update

So, here we are...a week from being halfway done baking this little nugget! I can't believe it.  Everything is going by so fast, but slow at the same time.  This week has been a little hectic since it was mine and my husband's last week of work (remember, we work at the same place). I have been looking forward to Thursday for a while now.  Anywho, I've been packing and supervising field day in the hot sun and everything else under the sun to close out the year and to prepare for the new school year.  
Some changes that I'm feeling are my hardened uterus area and a little more rounding of my stomach.  I also have some pains that are getting a little more apparent this week.  AJ has been really supportive and helping with massaging my pains.  I told the doctor about this and she said that there is a possibility of sciatica with my uterus getting bigger.  We also heard the baby's heartbeat and it was in the 150s. 

One thing that I have noticed is that I feel like I'm losing hair...especially in my eyebrows.  I don't know what's going on but I have like a bald spot in my left one.  Looking into getting some castor oil to help that out!

On a high note, I went to the Beyonce concert on Saturday.  I'm not a fan, but I do listen to her music. She did a wonderful job and I enjoyed it.  What I didn't enjoy though is the amount of people going to the train and the amount of pushing that was going on....but that's for a different time, different day!  I think Baby B enjoyed the music too because I could feel a little movement going on in there :)

             



Here is my survey for the week:

What Fruit/Veggie are you?   Tomato or Mango

Due date:  October 18, 2016

How far along:  19 weeks (or 19 weeks, 5 days if you want to be precise)

Next appointment:  May 27 with my OB, June 1 for 20 week anatomy scan

Gender:  Still #teamgreen

Total weight gain/loss:  Went to the doc and I'm 117

Exercise: Walking the dog

Stretch marks:  Nope

Swelling: Nope

Maternity clothes:   I bought some low belly maternity pants from OldNavy.com. I have only tried them on and they already feel amazing

Belly button:   Innie but it's slowly making it's way to flat

Sleep: I've pretty much been sleeping though the night with the exception of waking up around 2AM to let the dog out.  That was pre-pregnancy routine anyway!

Food cravings:  Cucumbers and banana peppers (together) with spicy ranch dressing, cherries, kiwi

Symptoms:  My boobs are still sore.  I still have the stretching pains below my abdomen.  I also have been having some pain in my pelvic area (lower back, upper butt) that has been excruciating at times.  I am developing more back pain.

Movement:  I think I actually felt the baby move!!!

Labor signs:  None

What I miss:  I don't really miss anything at the moment.  Not really feeling caffeine this week.

Food/Smell Aversions: I found that balsamic vinegar makes my stomach churn.  Also the smell of fish (which I used love)

What I'm loving:   Still loving my bump

What I'm looking forward to:  Our 20 week anatomy scan to see my little nugget

Best moment this week: Beyonce Formation Tour

     
News: Milestones: The baby moved!!

Words of wisdom:  

18 Week Preggie Update

Hello Loves!  I hope everyone has had a great week!  Nothing has really changed on this end.    I'm starting to get really anxious about my upcoming appointments.  I really want to see our little nugget.  My husband used the doppler to check the baby's heart rate and it's still pumping at 147, which is awesome! I've been having some hip and pain this week so that's my down for Week 18. 

People have been asking about baby names recently and that is just something that we have decided to keep secret until the birth of our child.  Our names are really special to us so...no hard feelings, ok?  I'm always like "no, we haven't really been thinking of names yet, since it's so early" when in the back of my mind, I'm like "hell yea, we know what we're naming our baby", haha! 

Random: I've finally decided on a tank top that I will use for updates! This nice purple number below :)

Question:  What's the best product for lubricating the belly??  I've heard raw shea butter is awesome.  Anyone tried the Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter?  I've been using coconut oil and it seems to do the trick!

      

Here is my survey for the week:

What Fruit/Veggie are you?   Sweet Potato or Bell Pepper (depending on app)

Due date:  October 18, 2016

How far along:  18 weeks (4 months down, yay!)

Next appointment:  May 27 with my OB, June 1 for 20 week anatomy scan

Gender:  Still #teamgreen

Total weight gain/loss:  I don't have an accurate scale so but I'm 115.4 pounds

Exercise: Walking the dog

Stretch marks:  Nope

Swelling: Nope

Maternity clothes:   Just my belly band, but I'm thinking of biting the bullet and getting a couple pairs of pants.  I wear mostly flowy shirts so those still fit well

Belly button:   Innie

Sleep: I've pretty much been sleeping though the night with the exception of waking up around 2AM to let the dog out.  That was pre-pregnancy routine anyway!

Food cravings:  Cucumbers and banana peppers (together) with spicy ranch dressing, cherries, kiwi

Symptoms:  My boobs are sore.  I still have the stretching pains below my abdomen.  I also have been having some pain in my pelvic area (lower back, upper butt) that has been excruciating at times.

Movement:  None yet :(  Still having a hard time determining if it's gas or movement...gaahhhh

Labor signs:  None

What I miss:  I don't really miss anything at the moment.  Not really feeling caffeine this week.

Food/Smell Aversions: Still not missing any meals!!

What I'm loving:   My little bump :)

What I'm looking forward to:  Becoming a mom...it's becoming really real

Best moment this week: Having people actually notice that I'm pregnant

     
News: Milestones:  None

Words of wisdom:  Try not to rush things!