Naked mornings.

**If you see the title of this post in your blog roll or google reader while at work and are worried that your boss might catch you playing on the internet about the content, have no fear. This post is work approved and rated SC (serious cuteness!).**

In the morning when I take Cameron out of his jammies I'll usually let him roll around naked (with a diaper, of course!) for a little bit while I do laundry or sip a cup of coffee. He seems to enjoy his "freedom" and just squeels in delight! And of course, it provides me with a photo op for the album of cute-but-somewhat-embarassing pictures that I'll whip out when he brings his first girlfriend home someday.




It's so hard to believe that Cameron is almost 4 months old. 4 months! This last month he has mastered rolling from his back to his belly, and is really trying to get coordinated enough to start crawling. I am anxious for that, but will definitely have to be on my toes more than ever! When he goes to his 4 month appointment next week, I think we'll talk to his doc about starting some solid foods; any time we are eating he follows our food from the plate to our mouth, always so curious to be doing what we're doing!

Spring in Kansas:

Just a few weeks ago, that meant record high temperatures. Next week it could mean tornados and severe storms. This weekend, it meant a blizzard.

Usually by March I am tired of seeing snow everywhere; but this last winter we didn't see hardly any of it, and we didn't get the chance to play in it either. Whenever it snows, we like to get the knee board, tie it behind Jon's truck and ride all around the neighborhood. By noon yesterday, the snow was melting fast, so we decided we better get out and take advantage! Usually when you wipe out on the knee board, it's not a big deal. But since the snow was melting at rapid speeds, the streets were really slushy, making for a nice ride and a painful nose dive into icy water when you fell off. It was still a lot of fun, and we got some great pictures too!

A pretty head.

Did I tell you how much hair I'm losing? Lots. So much that I could have made a pretty hefty donation to Locks of Love by now. So much that birds all around town could be insulating their nests with it. So much that I could pull off a comb-over to hide my bald spots. Really.

That said, its no surprise that I've adopted a pretty low maintenance hair 'do. I've put away my blow-dryer, flat iron, and most of my gels and hair cremes. These days, I've been sporting natural curl in a ponytail, and if I want to get all snazzy for a trip to the grocery store, I'll throw on a headband too. I've been looking for new headbands, and it seems like they are popping up everywhere this spring. Pretty ones, too. Not those plastic-y 80's ones I used to wear as a wee lad. 

Here's a few that I really like:

I like how this headband from Etsy seller mylavalier is simple, yet makes a bold statement. You wouldn't even have to wear jewelry with this headband.

I love this one by Burberry. It definitely could be dressed up or down, worn to work or on the weekend!

I'd wear this soft gold headband from Anthropologie to church on Sundays.

I've been seeing feather headbands everywhere lately. Though I don't know if I could pull this look off, I love this one by Etsy seller NevaPlume.

A simple faux croc band only looks expensive, found at Claire's.

A sporty style by Old Navy.

I'd really love to find a floral scarf-style headband too- but no luck finding any yet. If you've seen any great styles, let me know where you've seen them!

DIY First Year Frame

Every time the mailman delivers a Pottery Barn kids catalogue to my mailbox, I lust over every page wishing I had a bazillion dollars to buy everything in it. Their furniture and decor is to die for, but unfortunately, it isn't very budget friendly. When I flipped through and saw this First Year Frame, I knew I had to have it; I just loved the idea of displaying a photo of each month of Cameron's first year! Dare I peek at the price tag? The old me would have bought it without even thinking twice (see "about me", top right). But the new me is trying a thing called willpower, and it's hard.

So, the price tag: $249. Yowza.

I looked at it again and again and thought, "Why couldn't I make this?" Seemed easy enough. Come to find out, it was. Even better is that I only spent $40 making it. Granted, my version isn't quite as fancy-shmancy, nor does it have a place to engrave Cam's name, but I think I did well, and my wallet has an extra $209 buckaroos in it. What do ya think? I'll also be filling the rest of the frames with pictures so they aren't empty until his first year is complete.

First Year Frame directions

Supplies:

• 12 small frames or frame boxes (I found the boxes at Michael's in the wood-craft area for just a dollar a box)
  
• Larger frame, 16x20 (can be larger or smaller, depending on your smaller frame size)
  
• mat board cut to 16x20 , any color
  
• High gloss white spray paint
  
• 24 Magnets or a roll of magnet tape, cut into 24 pieces. Magnets should be adhesive on one side.
  
• Phillips and flat-head screwdriver

Directions:

Note: Steps 1-5 and a few of the supplies can be skipped if you buy small frames that are already white.

1. Start by disassembling all 12 boxes. Unscrew the screws to take off the hinge, and pop off the lock. This is easily done if you have a small flat head screwdriver.
   
   
2. Cover the picture window with painters tape. Unfortunately, the glass can't be removed from them, so you'll need to protect it from the spray paint. They more time you take to carefully do this step, the better. I had to scrape paint of a few of the ones I got lazy with.
   
3. There may be tiny holes from where the lock was pulled off. Fill the holes with white wood filler before spray painting. If there are any cracks where the angles of the frame don't meet, go ahead and fill those too.
4. Spray paint the frames. I did about 4 coats, making sure to get all sides of the frame. Let the frames dry about 10 minutes between coats.
5. Take the tape off the windows. Clean them with a little windex/microfiber cloth, and scrape off any paint that got on them with a dull blade or your fingernail.
6. Assemble the mat board inside the larger frame. Secure the cardboard backing onto the frame, and start placing the smaller frames inside. This is where you'll want to measure out placement and how far apart they are from each other. Use a pencil and lightly make marks if you need to. I used a metal T-square to help line them up, but honestly, I pretty much winged it. The magnets will allow you to move them around a half inch or so.
7. Stick the magnets on the back of the mini frames, doing just one at a time and then peel the adhesive off the other magnet, sticking it back into the order on the mat board. If you use a T-square or yardstick, it helps to remember where to place them. I chose magnets so that they could be adjusted and taken off easily. The PB version looks like it hangs from a peg and a hook, which in my opinion seems like it would take far more precise measuring and not allow room for a little error. You'll want the magnets to be thin, so they don't stick out too far from the mat board.  Edit: The adhesiveness on the magnets I bought really suck. You might need to use a craft glue or super glue to adhere them onto the frames and mat board.

1. Put pictures in the frame, and hang! I find that printing them out at wallet size and cutting them down from there works great. I'll also be filling all of them up even though Cameron isn't a year old yet; I don't want them to be empty until he is. 

A few last tips:

If your frames are rugged (as mine were) you'll see much better finished results if you spend a few minutes sanding the surface and sides of the frames to make them smooth. Also, even if your larger frame is white, throw a coat or two of the same spray paint on it so that the finishes match exactly. The glass from the larger frame can be tossed; my little frames actually sat a little higher than the larger frame. The magnets should be somewhat high in strength (at least a 3); the first magnets I bought weren't strong enough to hold the smaller frames in place. If you take advantage of Michael's or Hobby Lobby sales, this project is very inexpensive! And lastly, if you have questions or need clarification, drop me a comment!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Don'tcha just want to pinch his cheeks? =)

At the risk of waking him up...

I just couldn't resist snapping a few pics of a rare nap in the crib. =)

Mad about March!

Do you guys remember when I told you my husband is obsessed with yard work? Well, we've been having a string of nice weather lately, and since he is determined to get our yard to turn green before everyone else's yard does, he turned the sprinkler system on this week. That's fine and dandy; we've had a very dry winter here in Kansas, but the kicker is that he wanted to mow the grass too. He's convinced that the grass will turn green faster. I don't forbid him to do anything, but I threw out that "f" word when he was filling up the mower with gas. From the look on his face you would think that I told him his childhood dog died. 

"But why can't I mow today?"

"Because people don't mow in February, that's why. And, it will probably snow next week." 

So he hasn't mowed, because I won't let him, but he'll sit outside and analyze the sprinkler heads, making sure that every part of the yard is getting proper water coverage. He'll adjust them accordingly and then "test" them until it's just right. He treats it like a math problem: H20 force(head angle)+ wind speed = coverage per sq.ft.  It's madness, I tell ya.

In other news, I might need to start searching for hair wigs. For any of the moms-to-be that read my blog, one of the cool things you get to experience after having a bambino is hair loss. And I'm not talking about a loss of a few extra strands when you brush your hair; I'm talking clumps all over your floor, your coat, clothing, tangled in your baby's fingers... EVERYWHERE... and for several months. I used to have pretty nice hair, but now it's dull and lifeless. Now I don't mind so much when I look at what I got in return, but still. Soon, I'll be sporting a bald spot, just like Cameron.

Is anyone excited as I am for March Madness? Who are you rootin' for? I'll be cheering these guys on in route to another National Championship. =)

Little milestones...

The other night Cameron woke up for one of his regular feedings. I went into his nursery and found him on the opposite end of the crib than I originally put him. I stood there for a sec, pondering how the heck he got there. There was absolutely NO way he could have rotated himself from one end to the other; after all, we've got him in a tight swaddle at night, and to turn 180 degrees with just his legs (even those were inside the swaddle) was impossible, or so I thought. 

After I fed him, I returned to bed and accused Jon of sleepwalking into Cameron's room, picking him up, and placing his head toward the opposite end of the crib. =) I kept thinking about it all the next day, and that following night he moved again. And again. And yet again. Yes, this little boy successfully moves himself around his crib now with just his powerful little legs and scootin' booty. Seems we might be baby-proofing the house sooner than expected!

A few things he likes:

When daddy makes up rap songs and lyrics.

Pooping in a freshly changed diaper. 

Being outside and taking long walks in the park.

Watching mom and dad battle each other at Tetris.

Touching our faces in the morning when we're trying to get a few more minutes of sleep.

When I tell him he has a stinky bottom.

When I tell him I love him.

Um, excuse me... can you please get that huge lens out of my face?

Much better.

Thou shalt not steal.

So I'm getting down to business with my parents living room re-do. My mom picked out a spankin' new couch and love seat, and the rest is pretty much up to me! I really wanted to get a pair of chairs added to the seating mix; and as much as I've always liked spending my parents money (kidding... sort of), we're working with a limited budget, and I knew chairs could easily set us back several hundred bucks. 

One of the blogs I visit on a regular basis, Freckles Chick, just did a beautiful living room re-do in her home. I spotted her chairs and instantly knew I had to have them. Fab, aren't they? I asked her where she got them, and she said she picked them up at a used furniture store. Ahhh, of course. That meant if I really wanted them, I'd have to either a.) steal them from her, or b.) search thrift stores and craigslist and hope to get lucky. Option "a" sounded a heckuva lot easier. 

Alas, I searched craigslist day in and out. I would find a chair with decent potential, but I needed two chairs that matched and that was tough to come by. Finally I spotted these pretties:

They were exactly what I had been looking for, and the best part is that they were just $3o for both chairs! I called the number that was listed, but she informed me that someone was on their way to pick them up. I could have cried. Option "a" was looking like a pretty good one at this point. Good thing I remembered the 10 commandments (particularly #8).

The next day, the craigslist lady called me to tell me that the chairs were never picked up, and that they were all mine if I still wanted them. Score! I sent Jon to her house with his pick-up truck, and they are now in my garage, waiting to be taken to my parents house! 

So whaddya' think? I know I want to stain the wood darker to an espresso. The upholstery is in pretty good condition, so I'm not sure I'll even mess with that. And if they don't end up working out, they were only 3o bucks! Not too bad, right?

Love bites.

My son always has to have something in his mouth. When he's propped up over my shoulder he is constantly chewing on my shirt or my skin. I don't mind; it tickles a little and it's soothing to him. Yesterday he was chewing on my shoulder and it wasn't until I had slobber all down my arm that I realized he had left me a little love bite. =) Better my arm than on my neck I guess! 

Updates, Updates! Read all about 'em!

Yup, I've needed to update for awhile now! A few noteworthy notes from the past week:

Valentines Day:

Grandma watched Cameron so Jon and I could have lunch together at our favorite restaurant, Bella Luna. They've got hummus so good I could swim in it. After lunch, we went rock climbing to celebrate our little neighbor boys' 4th birthday, and it was there that I decided that I want to have a rock climbing party for my 26th birthday! It was a blast and a workout. A few pictures of the pro (that's me) in action:

What you can't see is that I have sweat pouring off my face. Mr. "too-cool-for-school-YMCA worker" was really excited by that.

The hubs.

Sunday:

I scored this awesome pitcher at Pier 1 for just 10 buckaroos. I think it will look gorgeous with fresh cut tulips in it. What do you think?

Monday:

Cam had his 2 month appointment. He weighed in at 14lbs, 5 oz, and was 25 inches! His height puts him in the 97th percentile; he definitely will be taking after his daddy-o!

Tuesday:

I started a little project that involves these:

I'm leaving the end result to your imagination until I finish. No hints. I'll post pictures when I'm done!

In other news, I discovered my pink power drill (yes, I now have pink power tools!) has gone missing in action. My husband claims that he didn't take it, but I happen to know that he used it last. And here I thought if I got pink tools, he wouldn't use them. I was wrong. Very wrong.