tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310822042024-03-12T18:28:04.238-05:00schätzli vintage: blogeverything sweet: baby, vintage, crafting, cooking, fashion, Jesus and lifeLisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.comBlogger468125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-85606860991356859782017-04-03T16:17:00.000-05:002017-04-03T16:18:36.365-05:00a wormy chestnut shutter cabinetI'm sometimes on the sly, lightly listening for gift ideas when talking to friends and family. My MIL gave me the perfect idea as we walked into the hobby store one day after she spotted a shutter cabinet she said she'd like.<br />
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They have an old farm house and 100+ year old farmhouse shutters just waiting to be made into something beautiful. I took four and made them into a room divider screen and my FIL made the same. Both are yet waiting to be painted (it's quite a job!) but somehow I convinced him to help me make her a shutter cabinet as a Christmas surprise from all of us.<br />
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The idea in my head was something like <u><a href="https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1619015">this</a></u>.<br />
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What actually came out was simpler, but it ended up being just right. He actually made it all ... and I painted the shutters. BUT, I have to say, it was my idea, so I can take the credit for that, right? He just gets the credit for <i>all</i> the hard work. ;-) Either way, it was an idea and labor of love. He had the original hinges sandblasted (they look brand new - amazing) and had some rare wormy chestnut boards planed, joined, and sanded to make the cabinet body. The boards were originally wide baseboards in the farmhouse!! SO cool to reuse and reclaim to make something beautiful.<br />
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And here is the final piece. The first pictures show the original color shutters (old green) and the cabinet as she saw it on Christmas morning. We wanted to surprise her but we also wanted her to pick the color - so we didn't paint them until after we gave it to her.<br />
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And after painting! She picked the prettiest color - the pictures don't do it justice. It's a greige (Rustoleum's chalk paint color - Pebble) and absolute perfection. You can see the dings and imperfections in the antique shutters - no sanding these, just a fresh coat of paint. They aren't supposed to look perfect and new. My FIL oiled the wood for a natural finish and voila! <br />
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An in-kitchen reclaimed shutter cabinet pantry.<br />
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<br />LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-3668156495515498282017-03-29T12:56:00.003-05:002017-03-29T12:56:54.908-05:00More furniture transformations! (and the booth currently)I found this night stand at the thrift store for $10. I usually like to find the projects that are a lot of work for free so I can just chuck them if they get to be too much work. But, since I paid for this one I kept going. It. was. a. mess. There was a coat of gray underneath this gross, thick badly painted coat of gel stain. Halfway stained. The gray paint was everywhere inside. WHO PAINTS SIDES AND RAILS OF DRAWERS?! The paint was dripping, on the drawer runners, etc. So bad.<br />
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I fixed up a few chipped spots with wood filler and then tried to strip this baby. Again, I made a huge mess and SO much work for myself. I left my mineral spirits at home when I worked on this project in Arkansas, so the stripper and leftover paint/stain dried to it. I had to resand everything down after I restripped it. So gross. It took hours.<br /><br />But here it is!!<br />
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My dad helped me clean up the drawers and I finally was able to stain the top and repaint the rest. <br />
There is no way I'll get the money out of this that the time I put into it deserves, but I'll have the satisfaction knowing that I saved it, right? And it will have a new life? And hopefully I'll learn my lesson on what pieces are actually worth the time and effort!? Or maybe not... haha!<br />
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Here's a solid wood pedestal from a friend. It didn't quite fit into my ruined-wood-that-needs-to-be-painted category, but it wasn't an antique either. I immediately envisioned it in Napoleonic Blue chalk paint and it had to be so. I think it has so much more character ... and the blue is gorgeous!<br />
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You can see some brush strokes, but that's chalk paint for you and I don't mind at all. And look at those little brass feet! So cute.<br />
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Here's a mid century style desk with 70s finishings, BEFORE. (The Goodwill guy that loaded it into my car tried to put it in with all of the drawers still in it - which resulted in him dumping them out onto the pavement. Two were broken apart, but thankfully at the dovetail joints where I could easily glue them back together. But still, more work for me!)<br />
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I researched the <u><a href="http://www.whitelanedecor.com/the-best-bronze-spray-paint/">best brass spray paint</a></u> and purchased it. I was finally ready to give those ugly pulls a spray and at the last moment decided to use some Bar Keeper's friend cleaning powder on it. With a little elbow grease, I revealed the <i>actual</i> brass handles. People, I was about to paint real brass handles fake brass!! AHH! They aren't perfect but scrubbed up well and while not perfect, they look. so. good. I returned the paint (all the wiser to the best brass spray paint for next time) and returned the hardware to its rightful places. </div>
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And here is the after!! Not too shabby for a tiny bit of semi-gloss paint and a $10 thrifted desk.<br />
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And here are photos of the booth currently. My friend, Sarah got a chance to mark some of her fun finds - most of the smalls will be hers because mine are almost all gone!<br />
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Will update when things change significantly - we have a mid century modern month coming up and both of us are getting ready for it! So excited!<br />
<br />LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-18681273546415123872017-03-21T19:31:00.002-05:002017-03-21T19:31:41.680-05:00A (new) antique booth and some furniture transformations!I have fun news! Since the beginning of February, I've been filling my own antique booth! Mostly with lavender and furniture transformations, but also a smattering of vintage and antiques that I dug up around my home. Mostly, I want to do furniture fix-ups, so I was hoping my friend would join me with her smalls - and after 6 weeks she has! The projects below were the first I put in the booth.<br />
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Our neighbor randomly gave me this tri-foot antique table but the base and veneer was badly cracked. Thankfully it was still very sturdy but I put a lot of time (and wood filler!) into this table. It was the perfect candidate for a chalk paint makeover. After I put Bondo on and filled and sanded the top, I painted it with a couple of coats of Annie Sloan's Napoleonic Blue and waxed it with clear and dark wax. The lion pull was on it before I got it, but isn't the original drawer pull. But it was the last perfect touch to complete it.<br />
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<br />The table sold on the same day as these ladderback chairs. They were a sorry sight sitting by the dumpsters, but I snagged them and planned to redo them. With a booth move-in deadline on the horizon I quickly got to work. They turned out more distressed than I wanted them (I wanted the chalk paint to be super smooth but the burnishing took off more paint than I wanted - so I'm going to stick with latex paint for my non-distressed white looks). My plan was to make farmhouse style seat covers for the ruined rattan, but I came across a cute woven seat randomly online - so I saved myself a little money and a TON of time by using jute webbing and totally replacing the seats. I did this by hand so I labeled then as "occasional" chairs. Ladderbacks aren't the most comfortable seats so I could envision them on either side of a buffet to be used only when the table was full and extra seats were needed.<br />
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Without further ado, here is the BEFORE (well, partial during):<br /><br />
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And, the AFTER!! Look at those seats - so cute!<br />
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Here's how my booth looked in February. The lavender was so popular - it sold out in that first month!<br /><br />
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<br />I've been contemplating opening a booth for several years so while it was overly stressful to be up and running in 3 weeks, I'm so pleased with how it came together and am excited for the months to come! It's month to month so if things don't go well, I may not continue, but it was worth the risk just to try. I love selling my creative work!</div>
LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-80174822054723113552016-10-26T16:43:00.000-05:002016-10-26T16:43:24.025-05:00Plastic Free July {observation}I want to participate in <u><a href="http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/">Plastic Free July</a></u> and make it a wholly plastic free month sometime. They encourage disuse of single use plastics - most of which I avoid anyway (shopping bags, straws, plastic water bottles, coffee cups/lids) - for the month. But I'd like to go all the way.<br />
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Eventually.<br />
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But as of right now my plastic usage, mostly in the form of food packaging, would be too overwhelming to try to just stop cold turkey. My tired mama brain might implode.<br />
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Maybe next year. But, for now, it's one bite at a time. So, when <u><a href="http://www.slowyourhome.com/86/">Slow Your Home</a></u> (awesome podcast!) suggested participating in it, I took one week in July to observe the plastic use in my life and then the next week I kept track of every plastic thing I threw away - trying to keep it as authentic as possible. In doing this, I hoped to find a few things I could cut out while I worked on a longer term solution for the more overwhelming things ... like all the food packaging!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.zerowastehome.com/">Zero waste</a></u> is a highly respected lifestyle in my book, but there have to be small steps to get there. (Besides plastic, the next biggest thing we throw in the garbage is food scraps - which kills me, especially since I've researched composting! I just need to find the right system for our small place and pull the trigger. More on that to come.)<br />
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My week of observation found that we trashed:<br />
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16 plastic food wrappers<br />
12 plastic container lids (not recyclable in our area)<br />
1 styrofoam meat tray and plastic wrap<br />
7 dental flossers<br />
9 disposable diapers<br />
8 misc items (mailer plastic, gift wrappers, etc.)<br />
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Yes, I kept track. Yes, I know I'm a nerd. :-)<br />
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It may not seem like a ton (even with the diapers, it probably would only fill a small bag) but it's a lot considering that it is possible to find and purchase meat and produce without plastic. It just takes some doing.<br />
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The one single use thing I'd like to do away with is the dental flossers. I hate using the regular stuff that you wrap around your fingers and end up in a spitty, gross mess - the flossers are way more motivating. BUT is there something I could use that doesn't require throwing out plastic? (Plastic that, btw, that once made will never disappear from the earth.) Bea Johnson from Zero Waste Home suggests using a <u><a href="http://www.gumbrand.com/gum-stimulator-600rqa.html">gum stimulator</a></u>. Ever seen the rubber thing on the end of a toothbrush? I never really knew what they were for, but I'm considering getting one, watching a YouTube tutorial, and seeing if by my next dental appointment it helps or hurts my teeth! Whatcha think?<br />
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Also, I'll be rid of the disposable diapers (nighttime use) once my son decides that sleeping through the night is a desirable thing to do, but until then I'm allowing myself that convenience for nighttime sanity. You win some, you lose some.<br />
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What do you think? Is reducing plastic consumption even something you think about? Would you ever experiment with a plastic free July?<br />
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(Next year! Next year!)LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-49034812147146762412016-08-01T10:10:00.000-05:002017-11-26T14:45:47.722-06:00Shunky Monkey 1st Birthday Party!Our little guy turned one last Saturday and we had a small family birthday party for him - "monkey" style.<br />
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It included paper decorations - paper monstera leaves, kraft paper vines, handmade party hats - thrifted monkeys (washed, of course) and banana desserts. A couple of cards/gifts, some songs and laughter, and our boy was ready for his afternoon nap. :-)<br />
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<a href="http://ohhappyday.com/2011/02/party-hats-diy-template/">Birthday hat template</a>, <u><a href="https://lightcameramonkey.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/monkey-masks/">monkey face</a></u>, <u>m<a href="http://www.inspirationrealisation.com/2013/07/diy-t-shirt-tropicana-style.html">onstera leaf silhouette</a></u>, monkeys: thrifted, vine inspiration:<u> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69665125457600377/">this pin</a></u>LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-52433113566212879742016-07-28T21:08:00.003-05:002016-07-28T21:08:43.708-05:00Side table Makeover!A little table was sitting by the dumpster one day. It looks incredibly similar to the <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-side-table-makeover.html">nightstand in our daughter's room</a></u> that I found for $5 at the thrift store. (Dad, you still get the credit for painting it!) Small, but sturdy. And solid wood.<br />
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This one had a really sad, weird, spray on finish that was obviously a DIY fail.<br />
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Ew. So I thought the best (read: easiest and fastest) thing to do was take a little stripper to the drip spots, call it good and paint over everything.<br />
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Well, I used the stripper outside, and I quickly found that wasn't the best idea. For some reason the stripping solution immediately dried in the sun and was then worthless. What was supposed to be a quick fix turned into several hours of applying more stripper (this time in the basement), realizing it wasn't taking all of the finish off and proceeding to strip AND sand the entire rotten piece down.<br />
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It got pretty ugly.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpTb5T8GgSw/V32BH8kVRRI/AAAAAAAAIPg/Bp-oLJ63iiMlgyU6tywOqAMTQfKEHfUNwCLcB/s1600/side-table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bpTb5T8GgSw/V32BH8kVRRI/AAAAAAAAIPg/Bp-oLJ63iiMlgyU6tywOqAMTQfKEHfUNwCLcB/s1600/side-table.jpg" /></a>But after a couple of painful moments, she was ready to paint! It took several weeks for me to find the time and energy to paint, burnish and wax (my son is quite the handful these days) but I finally finished it last week.<br />
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And here is the after!<br />
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It's lightly distressed although I was attempting to not distress at all. In the burnishing (sanding) process, more of the paint came off than I wanted to because of all the edges to sand, so I just went with it because I was planning to sell the piece anyway. I used a furniture wax to seal it, painted the stained drawer bottom, and drilled a hole for the pretty new knob. Voila!<br />
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It sold tonight and now I have money to buy more paint to move on to my next furniture project: my handmade hope chest.LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-47764866642993374222016-05-31T15:04:00.000-05:002016-05-31T15:04:36.109-05:00summer simplicityThe first of our meager crop. A little tart, and some are less than beautiful. But all picked by these little, sweet hands in daily excitement of these hidden red jewels.<br />
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Love the simplicity of summer through our little girl's eyes.LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-25147017813586577902016-03-28T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-26T14:43:11.604-06:00Golden Birthday (party)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our girl turned FIVE last fall and I'm finally able to share a few details from her sweet and special birthday party - her first party with friends! It was her golden birthday (five on the 5th) so we celebrated with all things gold and sparkly. We kept it pretty simple. Friends were invited to wear something gold or sparkly to paint pumpkins, take pictures, have faces and fingernails painted and, of course, eat cake. Strawberry and buttercream with gold sprinkles, of course! Each girl took home a helium balloon with several gold gumballs as a weight and a handmade golden/pearl tiara.<br />
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I originally wanted all things champagne gold (prettiest gold, in my opinion) but it was quite difficult to find and I was limited in my ability to find them both because of new baby at home and budget. So I compromised and there were several shades of gold - and no one cared. It was beautiful! And fun.<br />
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* tutorial for super fun, easy and super cheap photo backdrop found <u><a href="http://andthenwesaved.com/photo-backdrop-diy/">here</a></u>.<br />
* I made a glitter paper (glitter cardstock from local hobby store) Happy Birthday banner inspired by Miss Mustard Seed's <u><a href="http://missmustardseed.com/2015/11/idea-overload-glass-glitter-banner-kits/">Merry and Bright</a></u> banners<br />
* my attempt at tulle covered balloons failed, so we used the tulle on the chairs instead.<br />
* Parties don't have to be expensive to be fun and special! I did this party really cheaply, except for the cake. Normally I would've made it myself, but I needed to give myself a break - like I mentioned before, new baby home - and didn't want the stress of baking/decorating a cake so we paid a friend with a small cake business to do it. That was the most expensive part! And completely worth it, it was so pretty! And tasty too. (Support small business!)LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-43667862578244009642016-03-25T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-30T10:59:54.662-05:00NICU life, what you can do to help a NICU family.<i>Know someone with a child in the NICU? Here's a few ideas on how to help.</i><br />
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<b>Buy them gas cards, restaurant giftcards</b>, or a little cash to get food at the cafeteria or snacks they can store. (Snacks would've been the last option for us as there was no food allowed in the rooms).<br />
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<b>Cook them a meal</b> and go out of your way to deliver it hot and ready-to-eat on their schedule. By the time parents might get home at night, there is no time to prepare or even cook a freezer meal, but they will most likely be hungry!<br />
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<b>Babysit the other sibling(s). ALL DAY.</b><br />
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<b>Offer house cleaning services</b>.<br />
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<b>Run errands for them.</b><br />
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<b>Offer to do their laundry</b>.<br />
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<b>Buy them extra cell phone minutes</b>, depending on their plan.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Find out if they want visitors</b> and visit them (but <u>only</u> if you are completely healthy). See the baby if they invite you but not as a spectacle sport. Then visit again.<br />
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<b>Ask how they are really doing and be prepared to listen</b>. Every day, sometimes moment to moment is different - they might've just gotten some disappointing news, they might be processing some new information, they might need to cry, or vent, or even talk about something other than NICU life! It all depends on the day. Or the hour.<br />
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Please:<br />
Don't bring flowers.<br />
Don't look at them sideways if you just washed your hands for 3 minutes and they want you to use hand sanitizer.<br />
Don't remind them to take care of themselves. Most likely they've already been told this (several times) but it's an impossible thing to choose between yourself and your child at this point. Let them do what they need to do.<br />
Don't be offended if they need something you can't offer - don't push, but let them know how to get ahold of you and what you are willing to do.<br />
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And after they come home? Offer to clean their house or do their laundry or bring them a meal! It's just like bringing any new baby home from the hospital - it's just as or <i>more</i> overwhelming. Feel like a lot? It is. It's a long road - walk with them down it.<br />
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<i>Are you a NICU nurse? Here are a few do's and don'ts from a NICU mama:</i><br />
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Always ask if they want to be involved in baby care as soon as possible. Most likely they will jump at the chance. Ask every. single. time you can. Every diaper change. EVERY ONE.<br />
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Don't do anything unnecessary without the parents' consent (read: medically unnecessary, obviously). Parents have already had to grieve so much. Please don't snatch away the small firsts they can have. Unless you discuss otherwise, let them do the first bottle, dress their babe in the first "real" clothing, etc. This is unimaginably important no matter how normal, every day it may feel to you.<br />
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Ask if they have questions. Answer questions as thoroughly as you can. Don't give them more anxiety but don't sugar coat your answers either. If you don't have an answer, don't make an educated guess. Get the NP or ask the neonatologist. If they ask the same thing again, explain it again. It's an overwhelming amount of information on very little sleep and high emotion. Soon enough they will be the expert on their child.<br />
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Respect the parents' wishes. Follow them as closely as possible. If you aren't sure and need to know, call them.<br />
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Treat them like real people; don't talk down to them.<br />
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Night nurses, make sure they know they can contact you at any time! Encourage them to do so.<br />
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Help them advocate for themselves and their child. Be honest but be on their team.<br />
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Did I miss anything? Feel free to share your experience in the comments!LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-1692358469772564382016-03-24T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-24T19:15:31.214-05:00NICU life, lessons from the NICUSix months out from our NICU stay, we are in a good place. Sleep deprived, but in a good place. And after thinking about it, I've decided to share some lessons we learned from the NICU. (To read about our experience there in 2015, read <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-i.html">Part I</a></u>, <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-2.html">Part 2</a></u>, <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-3.html">Part 3</a></u>).<br />
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A NICU stay, no matter how long, is hard. But the longer it is, the harder it gets.<br />
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When I was first there, a couple of parents were SOOOO ready to take their (first) child home. I would smile knowingly and behind their backs chuckle at them. "If only they knew. It's just as hard at home, but you have no help." Which is true. And not true. It's difficult when you finally get a baby home - finding your new normal again, figuring life out. But there was a point (maybe 6 weeks in?) where I went from "He's better off here" to GET US THE HECK OUT OF HERE almost overnight. Then I understood where those parents were coming from. And, I humbly admitted to myself that I was wrong. (Happens to the best of us.) <br />
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If there is a chance baby might come early, have a name picked out early. There was so much pressure to name our little one!<br />
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Holding your preemie guy for the first time is SO good.<br />
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There is not enough to be said for how much skin-to-skin time benefits everyone involved!<br />
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No doctor is perfect. You are the one who knows your child best, if you are there, you make the decisions with them.<br />
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Doctors don't always agree with each other! There is much, much less agreement in the medical community than I thought. You can always ask for another opinion.<br />
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If at first your pediatrician doesn't satisfy, try another one.<br />
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If you want to exclusively breastfeed your preemie, it is possible. (Maybe not for everyone, no judgement! But it was my number one desire and it happened!) The lactation consultants were some of my favorite people. Not only did they support my desire to breastfeed but they also supported me in other decisions. They were my biggest help! And because there were less of them in rotation, I saw them more often and got to know them more readily. They were amazing, they answered a million and a half questions, and were my biggest support.<br />
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Did I say already that I love lactation consultants?!LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-12675996779367870862016-03-23T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-26T10:19:27.081-05:00NICU life: Part 3(See <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-i.html">Part 1</a></u> and <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-2.html">Part 2</a></u>)<br />
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But we prevailed. Between countless trips to the hospital and back, playdates, prayers, grandparents' help, giftcards, hugs, texts, phone calls... we made it. We were all a little worse for the wear, but we did it.<br />
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We had lots of highs and lows during our stay.<br />
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Getting to hold him was the highlight of the first week. Then we picked out and finally agreed on a good name! He was in the incubator for a very long month until he was transferred to the crib - crib day was awesome! When you can freely pick up your baby and change his diapers free of the plastic box? SO good. One still has to fight the accursed wires ... but still good.<br />
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I loved putting "real" clothing on him the first time although the aforementioned wires made those cute pants a little difficult. (Preemie size clothing only works well if your child isn't in the hospital.) After the third head ultrasound, when he was deemed brain bleed free - I could've jumped for joy! That was a good NICU day.<br />
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One of the best? Watching this girl hold her baby brother for the first time. She waited THIRTY days! And proceeded to surprise us by snuggling with him for an entire hour.<br />
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BUT, I hated leaving my girl every day. It's really hard to have a four year old in the NICU when we needed to be quiet or when she needed to go to the bathroom during a pumping/feeding/holding session. It was hard to stay the night (again, leaving home and getting poor sleep) to try to nurse and just have Little Mister decide he was tooooo tiiiired to even attempt a latch.<br />
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Days filled with non-medically trained parents (us) trying to figure out what was best for our little guy because even all the "experts" have vastly differing opinions. Fighting with his new pediatrician - whom I thought was a good choice for us, and instead found that this was very wrong. Experiencing extreme reflux that had I not known what it was I might've thought he was seizing. It was so scary. Furious at a nurse for not even realizing a spell had happened until it *might* have been too late.<br />
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And that's just a few snippets of our experience. I can't even begin to explain the emotional rollercoaster the NICU affords. It is an experience like no other. We were grateful for his care and his subsequent health but in no way did I like being there.<br />
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The best day overall? Day 64. Going home day!!LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-41991781893723077472016-03-22T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-24T19:22:16.048-05:00NICU life, part 2(Part I <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-i.html">here</a></u>)<br />
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He was tiny and beautiful when they pulled him away from me in the delivery room, but the first time I saw him in the NICU all I could do was sob and say I was sorry. And I was. From the deepest part of me, I was so sorry. My body had failed him and what should have been effortless to him in the next 8-10 weeks was now the fight of his life.<br />
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He was still beautiful. And surprisingly strong looking.<br />
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But so alone and vulnerable.<br />
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Come to find out, the percentage of water than makes up a baby's body in gestation gradually decreases by 40 weeks. So at 30 weeks there was water in his body to lose. In a matter of just a few hours I came back up to the NICU room to find my strong looking boy had shrunk to a preemie. He was even more impossibly tiny!<br />
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Over the next hours and days we became familiar with many new medical terms. CPAP, vent, desat, surfactant, PDA, apnea, brady, bili, brain bleed, residual, etc. At first it was overwhelming. Running on very little sleep does not help one's brain work any better. But after tons of questions and lots of patient answers we soon were experts.<br />
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For several days we couldn't see his face because of the CPAP machine and the mask protecting his eyes from the blue bili light. We were only supposed to touch him with firm but gentle pressure. No stroking his crazy soft skin or holding him.<br />
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Everything in me protested this. No matter how thankful I was for his life or for his care, it still felt so wrong.<br />
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Having your newborn in a plastic box hooked up to a million wires is so unnatural. It was impossible to be with him 24/7 so leaving him at all felt wrong. I climbed into the car to go home for the first time and burst out crying. Oddly enough, I didn't want him with us in his current state but he should've been safe and warm inside <i>me</i> not an incubator. Instead, I was empty.<br />
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Having his life decided and dictated by someone other than us as his parents was difficult to swallow. Strangers, albeit with knowledge and even care, were making major decisions for him. If we weren't there, we wouldn't be involved!<br />
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And one of the hardest parts was having another child at home. No matter what I did, I was away from one child. It's something no mother wants - to feel like you have to choose one child over another. My daughter is not clingy in general but we struggled so much those 9 weeks. Going from mommy home all the time to just a couple hours a day was very difficult for her. And for me! I wanted to be there for <i>both</i> of them and I just couldn't. It was an impossible task. And it was truly awful.<br />
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(Part 3 <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-3.html">here</a></u>)LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-28188082316586049872016-03-21T07:00:00.000-05:002016-06-13T11:32:18.370-05:00NICU life, Part IIt's a sudden thing, pre-term labor. At least for me it is. I'd spent eleven long weeks on bedrest in 2010 for preterm labor only to be induced 5 weeks after that because I didn't actually go into active labor! I'd had a few contractions this second time around and I even went to the hospital once, but the day she put me on bedrest (at 30 weeks), I expected to be...<br />
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...on bedrest.<br />
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Even in my wildest dreams (even the hormone induced pregnancy kind - ifyouknowwhatImean) I never thought within a matter of hours we would be racing to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning only to find out that our son was indeed on the way and there was nothing we could do about it. Nothing, except push his tiny life into the world and face this unexpected and shocking reality.<br />
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Pre-term labor and NICU life is a beast, friends. You want to be happy that your son is alive and stable but the grief of a pregnancy ended too soon, a 3.5 pound child dependent on machines to care for him, and your body unable to keep giving him what he needed most is overwhelming. The dreams of your seconds old son being laid on your chest, nursing him immediately, and the normalcy of simply "rooming in" quickly disappear. What's left is you, alone, pumping every three hours wondering if you would get the call in time if something did go wrong upstairs and what exactly went wrong to get you there in the first place? I didn't sleep for two days straight - the adrenaline was just too powerful. So there was lots of time to think. Too much, in fact.<br />
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"Why is there a stranger changing my baby's diapers? It should be me."<br />
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I wasn't there for his first bath or when his cord stump fell off.<br />
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We couldn't hold him and barely could touch him for fear of overstimulation.<br />
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Babies should be held and kissed. Their impossibly soft hands and feet caressed. Their newborn scent drank in deeply. But for us, there was nothing. Nothing except my wheezy Medela. My baby should've still been kicking inside me but instead his tiny lungs were working so hard to do what they shouldn't have had to.<br />
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It was the hot middle of summer. He wasn't due until fall.<br />
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(See Part 2 <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2016/03/nicu-life-part-2.html">here</a></u>.)LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-40582268612120393992016-02-14T13:10:00.000-06:002016-02-14T13:17:38.011-06:00On writing.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">In her book <i>Carry on Warrior</i>, Glennon Doyle Melton writes, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">"If anywhere in your soul, you feel the desire to write, please write. </span>Write as a gift to yourself and others. Everyone has a story to tell. Writing is not about creating tidy paragraphs that sound lovely or choosing the right words. It's just about noticing who you are and noticing life and sharing what you notice. When you write your truth, it is a love offering to the world because it helps us feel braver and less alone.</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">If you feel something calling you to dance or write or paint of sing, please refuse to worry about whether you are good enough. </span>Just do it. Be generous. Offer a gift to the world that no one else can offer: yourself."</div>
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Well, okay then. </div>
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In the middle of hyper almost kindergarteners and poopy diapers, I'll try.</div>
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LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-85556163913604548582015-09-24T16:06:00.002-05:002015-09-24T16:06:51.568-05:00Superhero Birthday PartyMy sister is a great party thrower - it helps she is awesome with a budget AND that my brother-in-law is an artist. :-) In August, they threw a super fun superhero party for their newly turned three year old complete with custom photo background, games, party decor, costumes, superhero food and a Spiderman cake. <br /><br />
Here are some ideas: (credit for photos, hard work and ideas all goes to them.)<br />
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Happy birthday sweet boy!LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-67857152514393317092015-07-12T15:04:00.001-05:002022-02-16T15:54:52.909-06:00third trimester - bump update<span style="font-size: x-small;">I've made it to 28 weeks with no full-time bedrest yet. It's looking like I'm not going to make it out without some though - we'll see. Better a healthy baby with bedrest than one that comes too early! Third trimester cheers!</span><br />
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<br />LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-91656077123404364482015-06-12T17:13:00.003-05:002015-06-12T17:15:15.890-05:00hanging copper planters<span style="font-size: x-small;">Okay, I lied last post. I did work on a home project, but only because it was a very inspiring anniversary gift.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jeremy and I celebrated 7 years last month (woot!), and we always do a spin on the traditional gift for each other, partly because it helps spur our creativity and partly because it's just fun. The seven year traditional anniversary gift is copper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">So, I might have convinced him to purchase some 3.5" <u><a href="http://necopperworks.com/copperballs.html">copper half spheres</a></u> for me to make into air plant planters. (I've really wanted air plants for awhile, so perfect timing.) THEN Inspiration struck. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">It struck like it hasn't in quite a while. Remember the far-off-and-away post explaining my living room dilemma?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(like from 2 years ago? okay, maybe only one. Still, I'm sure you remember. *eye roll* Or not.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Where I couldn't decide what to put <u><a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/06/inspired-shelves-yet-unfinished.html">here</a></u>? In that annoying space left from my off-center living room shelves? AHHH! A year later my creative brain has pulled through, thankyouverymuch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was limiting my imaginings to something I could hang on the wall - instead I came up with something <i>to hang from</i> the upper shelf. YES! And </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small; line-height: 22.6545448303223px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">voilà</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">While copper isn't cheap, the rest of the items to complete the project were pretty simple:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">- 3 copper half spheres</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- suede lace</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- cup hooks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">- air plants (found <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CIBYV3G/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">here</a></u>) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Super simple process: I knotted 3 pieces of suede lace - all approximately the same size for one planter - at the top and bottom. Each one I made slightly different lengths on purpose. Install cup hooks, slide in half spheres and hang! And that's that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(I know my shelves need some summer styling love. Anyone want to come help? I'm so out of it.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Don't expect too much more in this realm, but I did have to share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Interested in air plants? Check out <u><a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/02/how-to-care-for-air-plants-1.html">this tutorial</a></u> from the girls at A Beautiful Mess to find out more! They are pretty cool!</span>LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-69033724524010356742015-05-17T14:39:00.002-05:002016-02-21T14:45:18.405-06:00Only one project in the works lately...If you've missed me (all 3 of you!), you probably already know the fancy project I've been working on for the last 4 months.<br />
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Actually, "mild hyperemesis" is not fancy in any way, but I've been busy trying to do anything I can to help things along in our home. Thanks to lots of friends, play dates, meals and family we survived the worst of it and now we are on to *hopefully* better days. My creative brain has been broken and may only now being revived, but without much extra energy to do any more than is absolutely necessary (read: take care of my child, eat, cook, laundry, etc.), most of my pretty projects are on hold.<br />
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But I am halfway through and there is a tiny BOY growing in my belly! I am thankful and excited (albeit nervous - who knows what to do with a boy?!).<br />
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Here is a fun comparison of bellies at 20 weeks. I feel enormous compared to the first time around, but seeing the picture doesn't do that feeling any justice. ha!<br />
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I finally started back to teaching my piano students (no one fired me, yay!) last week and while I am struggling with fatigue due to pregnancy insomnia and more motion sickness than I had with the girl, I am doing well.<br />
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A final note: for the pray-ers in my life, I went into preterm labor with my sweet girl at 24 weeks and was on complete bedrest from week 25-36 with her. This pregnancy has been totally different, but my body may end up doing the same thing. Or, it may not. We are watching things closely with my doctor, but I ask that you pray we don't have to weather almost 3 months of bedrest with an energetic 4 year old this summer ... or with an already weakened prego either. It would be awesome to be able to keep up my strength until October 1.<br />
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I'll pop in and out of here in the next few months, but for now, the blog is on hold. I know the world will not be the same without it - ha! LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-12090840571575737532014-12-16T15:00:00.001-06:002014-12-16T15:00:11.735-06:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...... in our home, at least. Outside? Not so much...<br />
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(*** still waiting for some snow ***)<br />
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It's been quiet over here for some time and will probably remain so unless I pop over for an Arkansas room makeover or have a sudden burst of inspiration.<br />
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My lumberjack "cut" down a tree after we searched for a locally grown tree and were sorely disappointed with the selection and outrageous prices. Instead, we settled on an imported Fraiser fur that I've always wanted and Love.<br />
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It's perfect. <br />
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(Thrifted vintage pom-pom tablecloth turned tree skirt!! Love it!) <br />
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A couple of poster-board-and old sheet music (and feathers and lace) trees and we're in business.<br />
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My parents have an enormous holly tree that we snagged several branches from to spruce up the faux foliage I have. <br />
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And I used Heat-n-Bond for the first time on this Christmas pillow cover and it is amazing stuff. Highly recommend! <br />
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I used fabric scraps for the cover and deer silhouette, yarn I had lying around for the tassels and bam! Cutest pillow in my house. Well, at least for now. And the bonus is that I can just take the cover off when I'm finished and store that flat in my Christmas box instead of an entire pillow. Genius, I know. <br />
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Merry Christmas to you!! LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-90710019506176567462014-10-24T06:00:00.000-05:002014-10-24T06:00:10.420-05:00cat in the hat inspired PARTY IN A BOX<span style="font-size: small;">Party in a box inspired by <a href="http://www.theworldsbestever.com/2010/06/30/cat-in-the-hat-chucks/"><u>these shoes</u></a>...<br /><br />And my sister. Happy Birthday Jenn!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">***everything except the striped napkins (Target) came from Hobby Lobby and my stash. </span>LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-25199093648047735792014-09-05T15:57:00.004-05:002017-11-26T14:41:40.326-06:00a new niece!<span style="font-size: small;">We got some newborn snuggles in over Labor Day weekend! My brother and his wife just had their first daughter and she is tiny and soft and sweet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">new babies FTW! ;-) </span>LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-60966207298887423972014-09-01T10:16:00.003-05:002014-10-22T19:55:33.841-05:00DIY: Wall Sprinkles + Free Word Art<span style="font-size: small;">While I wait to help my parents decorate their new retirement home (next month!), I'm slowly making changes to live well in our space here in Kansas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/07/bedroom-decor-update.html"><u>painted two walls</u></a> in our bedroom, but wanted to make another statement wall opposite. Except no more paint, please.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCCbGCdUxjk/VASMeotWH6I/AAAAAAAAHzQ/5A9CqzON7_Q/s1600/IMG_3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCCbGCdUxjk/VASMeotWH6I/AAAAAAAAHzQ/5A9CqzON7_Q/s1600/IMG_3001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Enter ... metallic contact paper! (find <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Metallic-Brass-Contact-Paper/dp/B008AWKRMG/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_rp_a1_3_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=11S4QS1DJ6MFAVJK0E2X"><u>here</u></a>) I originally wanted 2" polka dots, but my circle cutter just made a mess with the adhesive on the contact paper. So, plan B was 2" squares that I randomly placed across the wall in about 20 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's fun and easily remove-able when I'm done. (Plus, it would make a fun statement wall for renters who can't paint their walls.) </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ha6THjSXois/VASKLYTTF8I/AAAAAAAAHy4/HSKF2zSANe4/s1600/IMG_4485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ha6THjSXois/VASKLYTTF8I/AAAAAAAAHy4/HSKF2zSANe4/s1600/IMG_4485.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">I also made a little word art to finish up my typewriter vignette. I thought about putting it on the wall, but it seemed just right propped up behind my little Brother Valiant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">(I can't sell the print, because the colored banner and one of the fonts is for personal use only, but if you want this pdf in a different color, I can send you a copy for free!! Just leave a comment and I'll contact you.)</span>LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-3646696367021697012014-08-06T06:00:00.000-05:002014-08-06T06:00:00.918-05:00virtually madeover >> front doorMy parents have a new house (retirement!!) in Arkansas, and I've been attempting to use my love for decor to come up with ideas for their new home.<br />
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I've often thought that virtual makeovers would eliminate lots of DIY mistakes, but <i>how</i> to do them is the kicker. <a href="http://theletteredcottage.net/"><u>Layla</u></a> is awesome at this, but me? I know a few Photoshop tricks, but that's just about it.<br />
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Insert <a href="http://shootflyshoot.com/room-makeover-info/"><u>this tutorial</u></a>!! I was able to view all of the videos for free and learned how to do a virtual room makeover! So, without further ado...<br />
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... a virtual front door makeover! <br />
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Currently the door is a light aubergine/mauvish color. No offense to the previous owners, but YUCK.<br />
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Using my fancy new *skillz* I've madeover the door in several new colors - keeping in mind the client, wink, wink. This was the easiest one to do, and thus the first reveal. <br />
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(Oh, and the chartreuse is a joke.) <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59AO6h9hGAQ/U9kSWrbGQsI/AAAAAAAAHxM/xdyM8I5kIZU/s1600/gray-door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59AO6h9hGAQ/U9kSWrbGQsI/AAAAAAAAHxM/xdyM8I5kIZU/s1600/gray-door.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_FthR3xWt8/U9kSXR1idhI/AAAAAAAAHxU/L2zGN1TLER4/s1600/natural-green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_FthR3xWt8/U9kSXR1idhI/AAAAAAAAHxU/L2zGN1TLER4/s1600/natural-green.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49lzd5B6hlc/U9kSYciOfBI/AAAAAAAAHxc/wYjcVvseDA8/s1600/tan-door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49lzd5B6hlc/U9kSYciOfBI/AAAAAAAAHxc/wYjcVvseDA8/s1600/tan-door.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uwd4WhU7BSg/U9kSZBSEa9I/AAAAAAAAHxk/6gxS9pLIY70/s1600/turquoise-door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uwd4WhU7BSg/U9kSZBSEa9I/AAAAAAAAHxk/6gxS9pLIY70/s1600/turquoise-door.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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I'm liking the blue (top left) and the green (middle right) the best. What's your fav?<br />
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You'll be seeing more of this as a fun little series as I take the time to virtually makeover several rooms in their new home - mostly so they can get an idea of the things they like, don't like, etc. and so <i>I</i> can have a visual with some of my ideas. Ya know, because some ideas are better left in my head. ;-)<br />
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Cheers!LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-29780048767123852982014-08-01T06:00:00.000-05:002014-08-01T06:00:00.566-05:00DIY rustic phone cabinetKitchen update is complete!! (See previous posts <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/02/10-kitchen-update.html"><u>here</u></a>, <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/01/diy-kitchen-pegboard.html"><u>here</u></a>, <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/02/easy-diy-skeleton-key-art.html"><u>here</u></a> and <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2014/05/new-kitchen-color.html"><u>here</u></a>.)<br />
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My last project in the kitchen is complete. After several weeks of "in progress" because of my lack of a table saw, I finished my rustic phone cabinet.<br />
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This idea was the answer to a clutter problem. <br />
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Do you have a spot where stuff always seems to accumulate without a second thought? Ugh. Our microwave is a magnet for clutter and I hate looking at it. With our tiny kitchen layout, every time we need to move the dishwasher to hook it up to the sink, we have to move the phone off and on and off ...<br />
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<i>So, I thought, why not build a small cupboard to house the phone, cover the ugly phone jack (see the pic below) and clear up some of the visible clutter? </i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsTmgpDfXho/U9EuTRWObgI/AAAAAAAAHvI/SenYZ9Ko_5w/s1600/IMG_2871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsTmgpDfXho/U9EuTRWObgI/AAAAAAAAHvI/SenYZ9Ko_5w/s1600/IMG_2871.jpg" height="390" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had a source for rustic 1x4s, so I figured they would work perfectly as the phone base is right around 4" wide. So when my Dad brought his miter saw to help with a couple of projects, I got several weathered boards, and we went to work.<br />
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Very quickly, I realized that said 1x4s were indeed NOT 1" or 4" wide. I should've known this, but wasn't thinking...<br />
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My dad did some math and said he would have to rip some boards length wise in order to make the depth of the cabinet wide enough to house the phone. But the table saw is at his house, so it would be a few weeks before I got to work on the cabinet again.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kSVNiI_fEjQ/U9FrmcSeJ6I/AAAAAAAAHwE/xmVfUPq_oUY/s1600/IMG_4246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kSVNiI_fEjQ/U9FrmcSeJ6I/AAAAAAAAHwE/xmVfUPq_oUY/s1600/IMG_4246.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once I obtained my newly cut pieces, I started putting them together.<br />
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<u>I used all of the free items items I could:</u><br />
3 - 1"x4" fence boards<br />
2 old hinges and screws from <a href="http://lmshunk.blogspot.com/2013/10/projects-update-mid-century-desk.html"><u>this</u></a> project<br />
reused turquoise knob<br />
1" finish nails and 1" wood screws that I had on hand<br />
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<u>I purchased:</u><br />
1 magnetic hinge kit<br />
4-pack L-shaped brackets<br />
2" screws and 1/2" screws (for attaching brackets)<br />
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= about $6-7 <br />
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Here is a view from the inside. <br />
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- I used the small pieces of wood (extra from the ripping job) to piece together the corners and then two of the longer extras to put the door slats together.<br />
- The left set of L-brackets are screwed into studs and the other two are just screwed into the drywall for a little stabilization. I was going to put them in with plastic anchors, but ran into some sort of duct that made it impossible to screw anything into. (de ga je!)<br />
- The door hinges and magnetic closure are pretty self explanatory. :-)<br />
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Aren't the weathered variations so pretty?<br />
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I know my dishwasher/microwave combo isn't much to look at, but the pic gives some perspective on the cabinet. Doesn't this little nook look so much cleaner? <br />
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I have to admit - even with this "fix" the microwave is still a magnet for stuff, but at least it's not home to those things anymore.<br />
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Woot for a finished room! <br />
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LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31082204.post-30538820315989884082014-07-30T06:00:00.000-05:002014-07-30T06:00:00.837-05:00bedroom decor updateSo, I've done a little bedroom updating and haven't completed it -- but I decided to show you the "in progress" view anyway. Because, who knows how long it would take me to finish!? As always, feel free to offer any suggestions you have.<br />
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Here we are a few months ago ... my snowflake banner was still up, so it must've been wintry out. Our bedspread is looking a little faded (weird lighter spots - from the sun?) and when I painted the walls brown, all of a sudden it was like ...<br />
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EVERYTHING. DROWNING. IN. BROWN.<br />
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Not good. <br />
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My sweet friend visiting from California gave me a few moments of our precious time together to give me some suggestions on the room. We flipped the bedspread over and rearranged the pillows a bit.<br />
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Last week I scored a cream tailored bedskirt at a discount store, and reupholstered the headboard in dropcloth fabric. <br />
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The headboard definitely pops against the darker wall and I like that I can play a little bit more with the pillow colors - now I'm not limited to gold, tan, brown and blue. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tBhGLh57aQ/U9EuKG7vdnI/AAAAAAAAHu8/IFwZFq2keFs/s1600/IMG_4240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tBhGLh57aQ/U9EuKG7vdnI/AAAAAAAAHu8/IFwZFq2keFs/s1600/IMG_4240.jpg" /></a> I would love to eventually get a new bedspread and totally change up the colors, but this is what I chose (curtains + bedspread were wedding gifts) and I am determined to make the best of it for now.<br />
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Next on my list is making some hanging pendant lights to free up bedside stand space...<br />
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Maybe something industrial like these? <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7flX6etN8Mw/U9FayiGgowI/AAAAAAAAHvY/gRETIQLlpD8/s1600/pendantinspiration1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7flX6etN8Mw/U9FayiGgowI/AAAAAAAAHvY/gRETIQLlpD8/s1600/pendantinspiration1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/190980840423285326/">link</a></td></tr>
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Or upcycling something vintage and turn it into a pendant light? I'll let you know when I come up with it. It may be a couple of years, but it <i>will</i> be done.<br />
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;-) LisaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643643270097971393noreply@blogger.com1