2009...The year in review

2009 has had many ups and downs. Let's face it, it's a tough world to live in right now and we have been affected like everyone else.


I wanted to do this post so I can use it to reflect on the year and try to remember everything.


January - Preston turned 5! He was my baby at the time, as Mason was still baking in my belly. Preston celebrated by having a Chuck E. Cheese party and invited 7 of his little boy buddies. He had a blast and got lots and lots of Transformer toys.


February - Mason was born! February 19th is when our family became complete; and I became a mother of 3. Mason has been my easiest child yet.


March - was not that eventful. I enjoyed spending the month at home on maternity leave as I bonded with my new baby boy. Even though I had just given birth to a healthy baby boy, I did remember the 1 year-anniversary of the death of my baby Grace. It was bittersweet to say the least; I still often find myself thinking of her and feel the tears well up in my eyes at those times. I know I was meant to have Mason, but the loss is still so deep and painful. I will never forget. Preston also got kicked out of pre-school at the end of March. After numerous problems with the teacher, we couldn't get Preston to change his ways and agreed mutually that it was in his best interest to not return to the pre-school. (By the way, he's doing fabulous in kindergarten)!


April - I returned to work after only 6 weeks of maternity leave. I did only work for a week before taking Spring Break off with my kids and going on a mini-vacation to Kalahari resort in Sandusky, Ohio. David & I also celebrated 9 years of marriage. Preston started seeing a psychologist due to his behavioral problems at school. Eventually, the doctor told us to keep him away from that particular school environment since that was the only place he showed the behavior. Since it was almost summer time, we did not find another school for him; he stayed home with dad and babysitters.


May - David turned 42 on May 2nd. David also had to refile his unemployment as it had now been a full year since it had started. He was working some side jobs here and there to try to make up the difference. Preston had his kindergarten screening tests, which he sailed high, just like Allison, which surprised me because he had such a hard time in pre-school. Makes me think it really was the teacher causing most of the problems.

June - I started Weight Watchers, again. Allison finished 1st grade, which was very tough for her; she loved her teacher and so did I. Allison also had her first tap recital! She did great and remembered the whole dance. I was so proud of her. She has since decided she does not want to dance anymore; but at least I got one year (and picture) out of her. Maybe she'll do it again in the future, as of right now, she has no interest. Oh, and I turned 32; much to my dismay. I don't know why, but it seems since I've turned 30, my birthdays are so depressing. I have everything I ever wanted right now, but life still seems like such a struggle and I guess I always thought by this age, life would be easier. Allison and Preston also started swim classes on Saturday mornings at the YMCA. David got called back to work, in Pittsburgh. He worked for 4 weeks, leaving on Sundays and returning Thursdays or Fridays. It was a tough 4 weeks, but at least he was working, even though it was very short lived. We had numerous graduation parties to attend.


July - Allison turned 7! Wow, seven years went by fast. She also had her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, again. She invited 10 girl friends and had so much fun. I guess July was uneventful. David was done with the work in Pittsburgh, which meant he was laid off again, and the kids were still taking swim classes on Saturday mornings. Oh, I did get into a pretty bad car accident at the end of July, well, bad for the car, not any persons. Initially, I thought I was at fault until I discovered that the side of the road the other car was driving was one way and the other driver was driving the wrong way! My insurance company did an investigation and determined I was not at fault. I eventually had my ticket dismissed in court, unfortunately, the other vehicle was a city vehicle. Therefore, my insurance company had to pay to get my van fixed, $4,800 in damage! But, they didn't have to pay for the other vehicle and no one was hurt.

August - The kids started school. Allison started 2nd grade (which is a totally different world than 1st grade, boy do I miss Mrs. McNichol!) and Preston started kindergarten, which he loves! I told you (and everyone else) that the teacher DOES make all the difference.... The kids finished swim lessons and we had lots of weddings, BBQ's and festivals to attend this month. I introduced formula a little bit to Mason. We mixed 2 or 3 bottles a day with 2 oz of formula, which Mason didn't bat an eye; the kid likes to eat!

September - We went camping for Labor Day weekend...in a pop-up camper. This was my first time ever doing a two-night camping trip, in a pop-up with 3 kids. We had a ton of fun; Mason was great and the kids were filthy and exhausted by the end of the weekend, but that's what it's all about! Preston started soccer again; Allison did not want to play this time around. She decided she doesn't like to run when it's hot outside and would rather run around with her friends while Preston was playing...typical girl! Mason started crawling everywhere this month, too. Mason said "da-da" for the first time and started clapping. I stopped nursing Mason this month, too. I felt really guilty and had a lot of anxiety about it, but it had been 7 full months and with 3 busy kids, a full-time job and a lot of family obligations, it got to be too much. I had enough stored up in the freezer, that Mason still got breast-milk 2 or 3 times a day for another month, but again, he didn't even act like he noticed a difference; he just wanted to eat. ha! We also started giving him baby food regulary every day now. He had been eating baby cereal with fruit for awhile, but I think it was about 6 or 7 months that we started him on jar dinners every day. Usually, he ate 2 jars per night; piggy!

October - Preston continued to have soccer two nights a week, and the weather got cold in the evenings. We had birthday parties and weddings galore in October. We were busy almost every weekend. We also lost our babysitter, Amie, this month. I was so upset because she was so convenient and easy-going, but she got a better offer that she could not turn down. I understand, but miss her. Coincidentally though, David's side work slowed down and honestly, there are weeks sometimes that we don't even need a sitter at all. My niece and my brother's girl-friend have been helping us out on an as-needed basis.

November - Allison started Girl Scouts again. Finally, she got involved with something. She loves it and the leader this year is great. They have meetings every Monday after school, with a field trip once a month. It's been good to see Allison socialize with other kids. Mason started walking in November, at 9 months old! We got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice; once with each side of the family, which was nice. My mom did not end up going to Texas this winter, so we get to see her a lot more these days, which is nice for the kids.

December - I have officially lost 26.8 pounds since June...on Weight Watchers, not working out. Can you imagine what I would have lost had I been exercising?! I can't believe I am going to tell the world this, but I am now under 200 pounds for the first time in my adult life; and do not have to shop in the plus section anymore!! Unfortunately though, that means I won't be frequenting my favorite store much anymore, Lane Bryant. I now wear the smallest size they have available and really, don't need to be getting my clothes there since they are technically plus sizes. I can now wear a misses XL and feel good about myself! Of course, with David not working much, I haven't had the opportunity to buy many new clothes; so I don't have much to wear these days, usually wearing the same things over and over. But, overall, I've lost most of the weight I wanted to (I could still afford to lose 15 more pounds) but I do feel great. I have more energy than ever now and David even mentioned that I act more confident these days; which I feel, too. We had a great Christmas (I know I haven't posted any pictures yet; they are coming, I promise) even though it was a tough year; the money came when we needed it the most. I know Christmas is not about the gifts, but for a mother of 3 kids, it usually is. They go to a Catholic school, so they know all about Jesus' birth and why we truly celebrate Christmas, but it's hard to get away from the commercialized version of Christmas. For me, it's all about the giving, to my kids, mostly, but that is the true reason I enjoy Christmas; I love seeing them get excited and get some things they want. We were very fortunate this year, our family is amazing.

Overall, it has been a pretty good year. We welcomed the birth of our baby boy and have all remained healthy this year.

Money is a huge issue these days and the fact that the economy is not getting any better, I don't anticipate David going back to work for the union anytime soon. His unemployment will run out at the end of January, there has been an extension approved, but we are not yet sure if he is eligible. It's looking like he might end up working at a fast-food place or some sort of retail position during nights and weekends. Hopefully, he can still get some side-jobs here and there to make up some of the money, but this has really made us evaluate the way we live. We have always lived above our means because there was always another job coming up and we indulged ourselves using credit cards because that was the way of the world. Well, not any more, we are trying to get used to not having those credit cards anymore and having to pay cash for the things we need. It's a pretty eye-opening experience.

But, I don't want to end this post on a negative note; I am really looking forward to a new year, which I hope brings us (and you) a healthy, prosperous new start. I am hoping for an even better 2010.

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

I know I haven't been around the blogging world lately...life has just been keeping me so busy these days; I can't imagine why!

I did want to stop in and say hi and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Oh, and share some photos of the kids with Santa...as you can obviously see, Mason was not all that thrilled with visiting the man in the red suit. Come to think of it, Mason is like that with most people these days, until he warms up...unfortunately, there was no warming up to Santa.

David gave in and decided to try to get a quick shot of Mason not screaming...didn't work too well, either. Oh well, every kid needs a shot like this in their baby book!

At least my older two kids enjoyed their visit!

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season and promise that I will be back around soon (for the 3 people that still read this)...


See you soon!

Ten Months

I know I say this every month, but I cannot believe it has been another month. Mason, you are now 10 months old! I just can't believe how fast time is flying lately.

Let's see what you've been up to; you've had a very big month.

• You weigh 21 pounds, 2 ounces and are 28 inches long; 50th percentile for both areas now.



• You are still wearing 12 month clothes. I have even been buying some 18 month onesies because of how long you seem to be.


• Mason, you have 2 teeth now!! They both came through on the same day; which explains why were so cranky for awhile and had a horrible diaper rash...all is better now.


• You are walking now; and I don't mean taking steps, you are walking from room to room and now that you are vertical, you can see more of what is on top of tables and desks. That means, that you are into even more now; you can see more so you get into it. It seems like I am always telling you no.


• Again, now that you are vertical, you figured out how to open the kitchen cabinets. Luckily, I don't put anything dangerous in the bottom cabinets, so I just let you get into them when I am in the kitchen. You love to play in the cabinet with all of the Tupperware. When I am doing dishes, you pull out a bunch of containers and stack them inside each other...mental note, Santa is looking for stackable cups for you for Christmas!


• We have upgraded you from your infant carrier to a big boy car seat! (Especially since the infant carrier only held up to 22 pounds)! You seem to enjoy the big car seat because you can sit up and see more, and see Allison and Preston in the back seat better now. Lately, though, you haven't wanted to be in your car seat, mostly because you don't like to sit still!


• We have also started giving you baths in the big bath tub; no more baby bath tub. It was getting too difficult with you trying to pull yourself up and reaching for anything around the kitchen sink...so I tried the big bath tub and you love it. Of course, you are pulling yourself up constantly and are always standing up when I am trying to wash you, which does make it easier for me, but I am so worried you are going to slip and hurt yourself.


• You did not like stage 3 baby food. Maybe because of the texture, but maybe because 9 times out of 10 you want to feed yourself. Because you don't have a lot of teeth, I have been very careful of trying new foods; we are so afraid you are going to choke. I can give you stage 2 food now and then, and you like yogurt and pudding (sugar-free of course) so you are getting something in your stomach. You will still let me feed you mashed potatoes because those are your favorite. Yesterday, you even ate a grilled cheese sandwich! I cut the pieces into tiny bites and you fed yourself. Oh, and you love scrambled eggs, too. Pretty soon you will be eating what the rest of us are eating every night.



• We have finally gotten you into a more normal bed routine. It's been hard because daddy is still laid off so he's home with you most days and you are not on a regular schedule for feedings and naps. But, you seem to be going to bed around the same time every night, between 8:30 - 9:00 pm and are sleeping through the night, sometimes until 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning. You take the best naps when you are sleeping on mommy or daddy's chest. Yes, I know that is not the most desirable place for getting you into a normal routine, but we love it and it makes us take the time to sit and cuddle with you. But, you are a very hot baby and sweat horribly...ha!



• This week you will celebrate your first Christmas; I am so excited! Not that I think you will even want to open gifts, but just by being there with us as we go through our holiday traditions, and most importantly by completing our family.

We all love you so much. We love watching you learn every day and grow up to be such a wonderful little boy. Happy 10 month birthday baby boy!

Nine Months

Wow, another month has flown by. Mason you have been alive in this world outside of my womb as long as you were inside. Before we know it, you will be a year old already.

For now, let's see what you've been up to.

• You are still wearing 12 month clothes. You still have some 9 month clothes that fit you, but not the pants, you are going to be a tall boy!


• You are still in size 3 diapers, they fit you great


• I'm guessing you are about 20 pounds now; you go for your next check-up in two weeks.


• You love food! You eat anything that we give you. You are becoming way too independent though, you like to feed yourself, so we are having a hard time feeding you baby food these days



• You still don't have any teeth, but that is not stopping you at all


• You can drink out of a sippy cup now and love orange juice (even though I water it down).


• You walk along furniture all the time and stand unassisted for long periods of time now



• You can take 2-3 steps now before you fall down and love walking from the foot stool to the couch; you will be walking by next month, I know it.


• You are sleeping through the night again, hallelujah!


• You say da-da very well and say it ALL the time; I've been trying to get you to say ma-ma, but you laugh and say da-da instead. However, you do call me da-da, too, so I forgive you. Ha!


• You can crawl up the stairs now! And, you move quick. We have learned that we have to block off the stairs because you will not stay down if you are in a room with stairs, even though no one is usually upstairs.


• You love to play with Legos, although I think you like to eat them more than play, you always crawl towards the Lego table (unless the stairs are not blocked off!)


• Mason, you are getting into EVERYTHING! Nothing is safe if it is in your reach and you put everything in your mouth. It is definitely an incentive for me to keep the house clean.

Mason, I thank God for you all the time. You and your siblings are the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't wait to see the kid you turn out to be. I love you sweet baby boy!

Eight Months

Oh my, I can't believe another month has gone by. My sweet baby Mason is now 8 months old.

Let's see what you are doing this month, Mason!

• You are now wearing 12 month clothes; I can still get you into a few 6-12 month outfits, but they are getting short. 9 month clothes fit you, but are stretched, you are definitely getting taller by the day.


• You have been moved up to size 3 diapers now, which fit you much better than the 2's.


• You are drinking formula exclusively now as you just finished off the last of the frozen milk I had stored for you. But, you don't seem to mind, as long as you are eating, you are happy.


• You enjoy food very much. You eat cereal with fruit twice a day and then a 2 jars of food for dinner. You LOVE mashed potatoes and gravy. I've even let you try spaghetti with meat sauce and you ate every bite; I couldn't feed you fast enough. Even though you still don't have any teeth, you are getting along just fine. Oh, and you love yogurt, too!


• You are still crawling and getting into everything, you are just faster now.



• You are starting to walk along furniture more and are even getting brave enough to let go and stand for a few quick seconds every now and then. This weekend we put you in a walker for the first time and you can move very fast!



• You can throw your arms up when someone says "BIG BOY" and you laugh and smile. You get bored though if we do it too many times in a row.


• You still like to clap to patty-cake and wave when we say "bye-bye".


• You went to your first wedding this week (cousin Kelly) and were such a well-behaved baby. You were quiet during the ceremony and happy at the reception (in said walker). Oh, and you looked SO cute in your shirt, tie and vest; everyone kept calling you "little Baby Capone".


• You have been sleeping better at night this week, despite the fact that you have another cold. You sleep better during the day when you are being held or in your jumperoo at the sitter's house, yes, you fall asleep in the upright position; it's way too cute!


• You are starting to talk and make noises more; even "singing" as we call it.


• You are very laid back and easily adapt to any situation or environment, as long as you are with mom or dad. We can take you anywhere and you are content. You are great even at restaurants, as long as we have Cheerios, puffs, or crackers for you to gnaw on while we wait for our food.


• You love to follow your sister and brother anywhere you can; as long as they don't touch you and try to hold you or keep you from getting into something. They make you laugh out loud all the time; we love the sound of your laughter.

Mason, the past 8 months have been a joy with you in our lives. I didn't realize our family was missing something until you came into this world. We all love you so much and enjoy watching you grow every day. You truly are a blessed little boy and we are blessed because of you.

Back to Blogging

I promise...I am going to try to make a real effort to get back to blogging on a more regular basis. I've been so busy and had so many things to blog about, but not had the time to do the typing. I want to. I just can't seem to fit it into the day anymore.

It's taken me quite awhile, but my brain has found it's way back to work while I'm sitting at my desk. I used to start my blogs at work and then add pictures and post them when I got home. But, lately, I've found myself more focused while at work and doing the things I'm actually supposed to be doing.

Rest assured, we are all healthy and well. We are just a busy family of five. Summer has ended, school has started, soccer began and Mason is crawling, just to name a few of thing things that have been occupying our time.

Please stay tuned, I will be posting many pictures from things we have done in the past two months that have been keeping us so busy.

Thanks for your patience.

7 Months

Mason...I can't believe another month has flown by. You are now 7 months old! (for those of you who read my blog, ignore the fact that I haven't posted in a long, long time)!

Let's see what you are doing now; you have learned a lot this month:

• You weighed in at 17 pounds 13 ounces at your 6 month check-up, and were 26 1/2 inches long. You are longer than you are heavy...so you look very skinny.
  
• You now eat 3 or 4 jars of baby food every day and cereal once or twice; you are a great eater!



• You are crawling for real now, not just the army crawl or scooting, but actually crawling everywhere.



• You are getting into everything now, and crawl faster when someone is after you!



• You are pulling yourself up already; trying to walk along furniture and trying to grab everything on every table; we are in so much trouble.




• You have been camping for the first time this past month. For Labor Day weekend, we went camping, in a pop-up camper and you had a blast.



• Mason, you are a great baby, very happy and always smiling or laughing.

• You can say 'da-da' now, and say it all the time.
• You started waving and clapping (patty-cake) this month, too.


• You have been sick for the first time this past week and are now on antibiotics for the first time ever, but you love the Amoxicillin, take it like a champ.


• You play and interact with us so much more nowadays; Allison and Preston just adore you!

Mason, you have brought so much joy into our lives and make everyone around you happy. You are an easy-going happy baby whom we all love so very much. Before we know it, you will be running around the house and tearing everything apart; I can't believe how fast you are growing! We love you so much.

Six Months

Mason, as I type these words, I cannot believe you are 6 months old already. You have been in this world for half a year already; time is flying by!

Let's see what you have been up to these days.

• You are getting so big; you seem bigger every day. You go for your 6 month check-up next week, but my guess is that you are about 18 or 19 pounds. Almost too big for your baby carrier!
• You are in the middle of a package of size 2 diapers. I am thinking we will be moving you up to size 3 the next time we buy diapers.
• You are still wearing size 6 months and 6-9 months clothes. I can squeeze you into a few 3-6 month onesies for bedtime.
• We just introduced formula for the first time; mixing it in with your usual breast-milk bottles and you drink it just as quickly and quietly as ever. You haven't even acted like anything has changed! Next we will be introducing a sippy cup!
• You are a great eater. You eat baby cereal with fruit for breakfast and follow-up with a bottle and then eat a half of a jar (step 2) of fruit for lunch and then follow that up with a bottle. You have an entire jar of step 2 baby food for dinner (You love Apples & Chicken or Chicken Noodle) and then usually follow it with nursing afterwards. You also love trying new things in your mesh-feeder. Your favorite so far is a freezer-pop. You love to suck all the juice out of it, but it keeps you quiet while the rest of us eat dinner.
• You don't have any teeth yet, but you are drooling and chewing like crazy. We can see the teeth under your gums...any day one is going to pop through.
• You started waking up in the middle of the night to eat, so I think you have just gone through a growth spurt. I now nurse you and then follow-up with a bottle at night, just to be sure you are full and content; you started sleeping through the night again. Yay!
• You are sitting up now! You can't get into a sitting position on your own, yet. But, if I sit you down, you do sit and play for a few minutes before falling over and flipping over to your tummy.

• You are trying to crawl so badly. You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth. You haven't mastered the art of moving your hands or knees just yet, but each day you get braver!



• You are getting better about having other people hold you now. Usually, as long as you can see mommy or daddy you are ok, but this past Saturday we went to a wedding and you stayed home with a new babysitter (and Allison and Preston) and were fine. You didn't cry and had no issues for the sitter, I was so relieved!
• You love to bounce. You have a jumperoo at the every-day babysitter's house and you love to be in it and jump. You jump in your exersaucer and when I am holding you; and you laugh, you are so funny.
• You laugh out loud all the time now and have said "ma" once or twice...just a matter of time! But, I still think you say "Hi" all the time.
• You started waving last week, too! We have to say "Hi" about 1,000 times but eventually you start waving, with your right hand, and usually in your own direction, but it is the cutest thing.
• You love to go for walks in your stroller. You love to sit up and check out the scenery, it doesn't matter where we go, as long as you can sit up and look around.


• Everyone in our house loves you so much. You bring so much joy into our lives.



• You love watching your big sister and brother and laugh at them all the time.

Before I know it, you will be a year old already...I can't wait to see what kind of child you turn out to be, but I do love every minute with you as a baby!

The guilt I feel

So, Mason is almost 6 months old already...I was hoping to nurse him exclusively for 6 months (besides the ocassional jar of babyfood or bowl of baby cereal).

On August 19th, I will have officially hit my goal of nursing for 6 months. The thing is, every time I think about weaning him or introducing formula, I feel so guilty and panicked. I know that what I have done for him is amazing and I have given him a great start, not only that, but I have helped myself lose all my baby weight and done some healthy things for my body as well.

But...I am tired of pumping...I work full-time, as you all know. So, I'm pumping twice a day at work, and Mason is eating 3 bottles a day at the sitters. My supply is dwindling, too; I'm only pumping enough for one bottle at a time, so I can never keep up, I've been killing myself to try to keep up, but even through this, I feel guilty and lazy if I were to quit or supplement, even a little.

So, moms out there, I need your advice, your motivation, your thoughts...This mom thing is just full of guilt sometimes.

Thanks!

My dining room

Sometimes I have no idea why we bought our house; we've changed almost everything about it and still have big plans to change the things we have not yet. I suppose it was priced right, was the size we needed (at the time) and had good bones.

The people we bought our house from didn't do anything to it while they lived there for 17 years, so it left a blank canvas for David & my's vision for a home of our own.

As you can see from these pictures, the dining room left a lot to be desired; it was plain white (yes, with pink curtains) and one of the ugliest chandeliers from the 80's. It also had old carpeting that was buckling because it was not tight. I don't know about you, but I hate carpeting in a dining room; too messy with kids. And, because the walls were white like the ceiling, you didn't even notice the beautiful crown molding at the top.

One of the first things we did the NIGHT we closed on the house was started tearing up carpeting. We knew we were going to replace all the carpeting because the carpet there was horrible; every room had a different color and there was still some shag upstairs.

Anyhow, we found a wonderful surprise underneath the carpet in the dining room, well, actually the whole house (except the family room, because it was added on later); beautiful, original hardwood floors were hiding under the old carpet. Of course, we did end up covering it all back up, except for the dining room.

After looking at numerous paint swatches and trying to figure out what it was we envisioned for our dining room, I suggested that we put up a white chair rail and paint two different colors on either side of the chair rail. David liked my idea and we finally picked out two colors.

I was never really thrilled with the top color; it was way too peachy for me. I wanted something more neutral and brownish, maybe a lighter shade of the bottom color. Just a note, the color in this next picture makes the colors both look really peachy/orange. It's not really that orangey, but you can get the idea.

And, painting some color on the wall really brought out the original molding at the top.


So, fast forward 3 years. The dining room has been painted, the carpet has been ripped up, the chandelier has been changed, we put up a chair rail, and heck, we even put in new windows, so even the window opens differently than it used to. Still, I'm not happy with the color and never really figured out what to do with the walls or what to get as far as window coverings.

I hate picking out curtains more than I hate picking out paint. Of course, curtains can be changed much easier than paint. Still, I just could never find what I was "looking" for as far as what to do with the walls/window. (don't pay any attention to the mess on the table).


Well, I had a brain-storm. I will make my own curtains...what? Yes, I said "make my own curtains". Of course, I had to find material now, but that was so easy. When I saw this material, I loved it and it had all the colors I wanted. It had the peachy color from the top of the wall, it had the brown from the bottom, it had the red to bring in my family room and the green to bring in my living room; it was perfect.

Now...for a pattern. Yes, I knew what style I wanted, but had to look through numerous books of patterns before I found the one. But, I did find it. So, I spent about $48 on material, backing, thread and a pattern, oh and another $3 for a curtain rod.

I had to pull out the [brand new] sewing machine that has been in it's box for 4 years, ahem...at least I didn't have to buy one now. So, I called my mom and asked her to come and spend the night one night and help me (she lives about an hour and a half away).

After she figured out how to read the pattern (and 3 calls to my aunt in Texas who makes curtains for a living) we started actually pinning the pattern to the material, oh, and threading the sewing machine.

But, look at what we did...

(Notice the clean table - it does not usually look like this)

I think the colors in the material neutralized the room a bit. It definitely made the room more homey and warm feeling. I just love them. I love the fact that my dining room now has character and seems finished; it only took me 3 years.

Oh, and I bought the wall sconces at Kohl's for $17, half off! Thank you mom for my birthday money, you paid for my dining room make-over.

Of course, the bowl that used to sit in the middle of my table no longer matches, but that's an easy fix. I need to find some sort of wrought-iron decoration for the middle of the table; of course, I need to find something to do with the 2 stacks of mail/school papers that usually sits on top of the table, too.

Now, on to the family room, which still does not have window coverings either. But, now that I have the creativity bug, a pattern and the sewing machine out of it's box, I'm thinking it will take me half the time!

See, and you thought I haven't been blogging because I've been sitting on the couch eating bon-bons.

Thanks for taking a tour of my dining room.

Until next time.