Chevron Love

Bandwagon. Me. Jumping on.

Definitely late to the game on this one, but I like to think there's so much more cheap, fun projects out now. Here's a few I've been toying with for our house.

Simple Sign

Area Rug

Mantle Decor

and of course, some quick and easy throw pillows

Mountain Weekend

{sorry Mom, that I haven't updated sooner...what with being gone all weekend, having to catch up at home, hosting a book club, and tutoring...you're lucky it's getting updated this soon! p.s. Dad told on you. ;)}

We had a fabulous time in Sonora at Silver Spur this past weekend. The college ministry that we help out with hosted a "Winter-ish Retreat" and we can along for the ride. We were a bit nervous with Ezra since he hasn't traveled since October, but we were happy to discover we got our own cabin. The first night was rough: he woke up when I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night {dang, bladder!}. Not use to sharing a room. The following night, W created a barrier with the bunk-bed mattress, a sheet, and his truck cables so we were all peachy-keen with E's special little space. 

During our time up there, we played games and had great conversation with some new faces.

Awesome times of worship & sermons

Oh, and my favorite baby girl was there, Autumn Rain.

The kiddos, Nat and I took a hike the only morning it wasn't raining.

 Love these two ladies!

There were also lots of hugs and kisses

{Think my favorite baby girl minds being betrothed to a younger guy?! At least, he's already taller than her...}

E also played with the girls' toys. Although, he treated this stroller much like he does his trucks--racing it around the room-- he was really sweet and cuddly with Eliana's baby dolls so I've put one on my Target list this week. Here's to some good practice. ;)

During one of Ezra's mid-morning naps, W let me head out on the 'thrift store' excursion with some of the group. Treasures!! Including a few shirts and dozen socks for E {our washer eats them up or something}, some awesome fabric, and an old soda pop tray. We also got in some great naps too. And the food at the retreat center was amazing: a side of steamed broccoli and squash one night and capered chicken with risotto the other.  

Great weekend with some quality peeps!

Winner's Luck?

I can't say "I never win anything!" anymore. After winning the photo shoot with TabithaNicolle from a blog giveaway, I figured, "That's the rest of my winning luck!" Marrying W must have upped my winning chances to be honest. Ever since then, I've actually won something. Maybe it's because he's really good at winning stuff off the radio. My biggest winnings to date was the SYTYCD tour tickets a few years back.

So I was totally shocked when I won another giveaway last week from one of my dear friend's blog and a pretty little box showed up on my doorstep yesterday morning! I find it completely hilarious that I actually won because I was jokingly badgering Stef to pick me throughout the week. But I only entered once when she gave a chance at two entries. And after 34 comments, there were slim chances I'd get picked. 

But here's the loot {+ a sample that I didn't find until later}! I can NOT wait to try my new tea flavors and cute little orange teapot. I discovered the Blackflower & Company is in northern California and started by one of Stef's friends. All of their tea looks and sounds delicious!

E was happy to win too!

{a great free indoor activity for a rainy day!}

And I found a random blog while surfing that is offering my favorite Shabby Apple dress as a giveaway. Hopefully, my winning luck can stretch to one more win. But I'm going to be super selfish and NOT tell you which one it is...okay okay, just kidding.

Have YOU won anything fun and unexpected?!?

Can't-Get-Enough Curry

This week's new recipe was absolutely delicious so thought I'd share, in case there are other curry lovers out there. It comes from my latest favorite magazine Real Simple. Last month, they featured several yummy crock-pot creations and I stashed a few in my recipe binder. This mag was swapped in to replace my InStyle when Ezra was born. A mark of maturity, maybe?! I'm sure I'll eventually re-add InStyle...when I can actually fit into my clothes longer than a few months! ;)

Curried Chicken with Ginger & Yogurt

What you need:

1/3 c tomato paste {i just used an enough can of it}

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 T curry powder

1 T grated fresh ginger

1 t ground cumin

1 medium onion, chopped

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken

salt and black pepper

long-grain or jasmine rice

1/2 c plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 scallions, thinly sliced {i used green onions}

What you do:

In slow cooker, whisk first 5 ingredients together with 3/4 c water

Add onion and stir to combine

Place chicken on top and season with 1T salt and 1/4 t pepper

Cover & cook on low for 7-8 hrs or high for 3-4 hrs

Twenty minutes before serving, cook rice according to directions

Just before serving, add yogurt and 1/2 t salt to chicken and stir

Serve with rice and sprinkle with scallions

W was definitely excited about his lunch the following day!

Too Soon, Tooth Fairy!

Apparently, it has been too delightfully boring and wonderfully normal around the Swenson house. Because Ezra cracked his tooth this week when he slipped on the wet floor from his knees while I was cleaning him up after dinner. I will not recount just how sad and torn up I was over the whole incident. W first called Kaiser and then our friend, Will the Orthodontist, to make arragements to see him the next afternoon.

 The following day the tooth was no longer stationary, so W left work early and we drove to the local office of the Alameda Pediatrics Dentistry to get it checked out, only to learn that this office is closed on Mondays. W called the emergency line and name-dropped Will with the Alameda office (which is about 30 miles away) and we made an appointment for as-soon-as-we-could-get-there and were on our way.

They examined E and decided the best thing for him was to extract the tooth. There was really no hope of salvaging it. My Knight stayed with Ezra during the quick procedure while I waited outside, trying not to cry in front of the handful of kids waiting for their appointments. The staff was so great at making us feeling comfortable and confident. One assistant shared how her little girl had two chipped teeth. And Dr. Perry {who has three grandkids of his own} was superbly helpful and professional. It went as smoothly as it could have.

Ezra was so wiped by the whole thing that he was out cold on the drive home. 

I finally found relief that evening during dinner while talking with W. I realized that I'd been carrying the weight of the incident and damaged tooth that whole day and night before. And I was so exhausted by it. I guess I was worried that he wouldn't be the same little cutie as before; that this had somehow changed who he was or tarnished his adorableness. But W had taken some pictures while I was at the grocery store and showed me that my worries were no longer needed.

Sure, his perfect little smile isn't so perfect anymore, but he is still that sweet, handsome, little fire-cracker with a larger-than-life personality that I know and love. He'd already bounced right back by evening and was all smiles and giggles for Papa. In fact, by early evening he seemed completely unfazed by the whole ordeal. Clearly, we were more traumatized than he was! He still cracks me up. He's still so snuggly. He's still our Ezra. And for that, I didn't want or need that burden anymore.

The wound will heal. We'll get use to the gap. None of this is permanent. W says it just makes him more like a big boy now, which I'm not too keen on, but guess I have to face the fact that he is growing up.

And I also have to face that not only is Ezra a boy, but he is a Swenson boy. I'd heard all of W and his brothers' horror stories before--I knew what I was getting myself and our future boys into when I married. ;) Ezra's cousin, Daniel, has already had his front tooth extracted. So, why was I so surprised?

 As Uncle John said to W, "Ezra, welcome to the Toothless Club!!!"

17 Weeks

 I'm 17 weeks this week, but I meant to write something last week. That just never happened. Oops! So, I'm just going to pretend that I'm 16 and I posted this last week. ;)

Feeling: Great now, still tired; just not exhausted. But I'm convinced that I'd be tired anyway...I have a fire-cracker of a fifteen-month-old who's always on the move!

Cravings: Sour cream and ranch. Yum, yum, yum! At one point, sour cream sounded so good, I put it on my pasta for dinner. Maybe the weirdest thing I've done so far.

Impatience: I waited a whole 41 weeks just fine to find out E's gender. So why, once we decide to find out this time, am I so impatient?! Hatin' it. But less than two more weeks, if you're asking....

Noticings: I've noticed some major love handles! Yikes. Totally carrying different with this baby, already. Don't get me wrong, my butts and thighs have definitely grown, but there seems to be more girth in my mid-section. Just lovely, huh? But my boobs are back, so all is right with the world.

I've also felt our babe #2 move. It's nice to be reminded that yes, in fact, I AM pregnant. I can't remember when I felt Ezra move, but it's so fun all over again.

Clumsiness...totally broke a bowl this week and I can't really tell you how I did it exactly. It just moved from my hands to the floor. D'oh.

Yes, we have a list of names going on W's phone, but nothing really strikes our fancy yet. Perhaps, we're just in a holding pattern until we can get our top three going for a specific gender?! Either way, it may be awhile before we can even come up with three...

And W got that last bin of maternity from storage last weekend, so I've got some more options to look forward to! Yippie!

Where's the Warm Weather?!

Ahhhh!! Who's ready for some warm weather?!

Ezra definitely is!

But it looks like rain all week!

Completed Crafts & Other Events

Got a few things done over the weekend...

These fabric covered letters; using this tutorial. {If you plan on using it, doesn't use a sharpie like it says. Use a regular pen so it doesn't bleed through the fabric.}

And Ezra's silhouette for the oval frame! Isn't his profile so cute?!

While...

{please excuse the desperate need for a pedi}

We also grabbed the supplies for the toddler bed.

Had a fabulous company dinner party

which E did fabulously at even though he stayed up 2.5 hours past bedtime.

Visited a wonderful family for brunch. Here's W reading an Elmo book with their youngest, Eliana.

where E got his first goose egg. Poor little guy! 

{We're so those first timers who still take advantage of every photo-op. Thankfully, it looked much better by evening.}

And we had a great double date with my dear friend, Erin and her hubby. Definitely got my sushi fix for the next...2 weeks!

Hope you all had a wonderful, refreshing weekend!

Resolutions Revisited

Golly, can you believe we're already 1/4 into 2011. Craziness. Thought we'd take a moment just to check in with W and I to see how we're doing with this year's goals...

{W}

Jog 2-3 times a week

Done a bit of jogging but I'm riding my bike to work now which is a nice 4 miles round trip commute.

Read the Bible and pray together on a more daily basis

That could use more work.

Parenting book study together

Yet to be started.

Paying off the rest of school debt

Already doing monthly payments, planning to do bigger chunks when I start my perm. job in Sept

Family trip to Pennsylvania summer family reunion

Tickets purchased courtesy of my lovely bride's price hunting

Both going to bed early a few nights per week

We've only been good about this when we want to be. Would love to be more consistent.

{J}

Get a monthly crafty night going

Haven't done a group setting just yet, but have gotten together with some fun gals to craft. So I'll say I'm working towards this. ;)

Join a mom's group

I've actually done this per a neighbor's request, but have yet to do anything about it. But we already have multiple weekly play-dates that we really look forward to each week so I'd say the idea behind this goal has been met.

Continue to stick to menu planning and cleaning schedule

Been pretty good about having a yummy meal on the table post-bleh first trimester. I'm even trying out new recipes again. Cleaning: I'm doing alright, but have yet to do some much needed deep cleaning {um, master shower, hello?!} or moving beyond my normal quick tasks

Making W's lunch for work

Yup, it's been leftovers from dinner which is working out wonderfully

Go through and clean teacher boxes and closet

Have started the closet and it's actually looking clean now. Still need to finish and start those dreaded teacher boxes...

Take a handgun safety class

Not yet.

Get E's foot and/or hand-prints before they're too big to get

Nope. Dang it. DIY, here I come?!?

Connect more often with distant friends

Yes, I've been using Skype and set up a bi-weekly coffee date with one of my sister-in-laws! It's been absolutely refreshing and fun. I'm hoping to do that more with other friends. 


So I think we're making a pretty good clip at these goals. We both have some we haven't even started yet, but at least this is a great way to process and keep track of where we're at! :) 

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Video Coffee Dates

I'm running the risk of making myself out to be a total technological cave-woman, but we only just got a computer with a camera in it. I've been skyping with some distant family/friends lately and it's been lovely. My sister-in-law showed me her growing belly {due in June} and the garden bed that her husband built for her. The Jenkins who are now in Spain chatted with us for a few, only days after getting settled. And Ezra & I can 'see' Papa during the day with his new iphone. So great to have the added benefit of seeing distant loved ones while catching up!

2. Feeding My Felt Addiction

with this little book!

3. The More the Merrier

When I was pregnant with E, I had a sister-in-law, and two close friends to be prego partners with. Not going to lie, it was looking a bit lonely on the #2 frontier. Who was I going to update, complain, marvel, and gab to this go-around?! Welp, I was beyond excited to hear four friends are joining the pregnancy ranks!! Last time, I was bringing up the rear in due dates and this time I'm the front runner!! Whoo hoo!

4. Google Docs Presentation: Inspiration Board

So with my current project {E's room} dilemmas, I was in need of a visual presentation of all the mumbled ideas floating around in my head. I didn't have PhotoShop {I know, shame shame, Mama} but I found a super easy alternative. Within a few moments, I had uploaded all my bookmarked pictures onto one piece of "paper" to see how it all looked together. I even 'shared' it with W for him to check out too. This could totally work with anything visual you're working on: party planning, room re-decorating, etc. Very fun. Very easy.

5. W being in one and local location

{Getting tickled by Stacy}

We've been visiting W's office at least once a week during lunch to hang out with him. It's so nice to be able to see him and the office ladies just love on Ezra! Since W's been going in so early too, he's usually home at 4:30 or earlier. It's great to have those extra minutes with him before E goes down for the night. A few days ago, we even got in a family walk before dinner.

Indecisiveness...I have it!

Alright, readers. I'm at a cross-roads. See, I'm trying to decide what fabric to upholster E's toddler bed with.  The only thing I've got going for me is that I'm leaning toward light blue/turquoise. And I want it to be cute, whimsical, and fun without being girlie...which is so hard with fabric.

So here's what the bed {shape} is going to look like:

{source}

And here are some fabric picks I've found so far. I'll need only 2 yards and almost all of these options are within my budget...

{source}

{source}

{source}

{stripes could be tricky...source}

{a bit duller than I was thinking but I love the chervon pattern...source}

So what do you think?

I'm leaning towards option #2, but open for opinions. :)

Spring Mantle: Work in Progress

W completed hanging our wall gallery over the weekend {our Sunday had a rainy afternoon; perfect for home projects!} And I'm not completely sold on the mantle just yet, but here it is currently...

The wall gallery still has some space to fill in when I find some more frames I like. Right now it's looking a bit too tame for me or it could just be that I've been staring at this for too long, trying to commit...

But it's a start and I'm happy to have it up! I'm also waiting on my shutterfly order to turn into a silhouette {previously mentioned tutorial} for the oval frame. My mom found a slightly bigger 'S' that I want to mod-podge with fabric before hanging, so the smaller one is taking it's place. Anywho, here it is, in all it's iphone pic grainy glory! :)

Happy Hump Day!

Big Boy Accents For a Big Boy Room

So I've started to put together some ideas for Ezra's big boy room. Lots of bookmarked tutorials and plans. Probably shouldn't admit this because I'm going against the grain here, but I'm not really one for themed rooms. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some really cute rooms using themes that I've loved, but I honestly can never decide on just one thing. It would drive me crazy to narrow my options...which others may find freeing: to have a specific idea in mind. I'm just weird, I guess. This is also probably why I could never get a tattoo--too much commitment to one piece of art! Instead, I plan to stick with some main colors to bring some cohesiveness to his room, and run wild with the other stuff.

While surfing the net, I fell in love with this idea from kojodesigns. Not so much for the ruffles but the use of old books for decor. The following day I found four perfectly old-fashioned looking books at a garage sale. Fabulous!

But I was still stuck on what to do with a ruffle-replacement. Then I was at Michael's in the dollar section and found these perfect white letter hooks. I was bummed that there was no "Z'' to spell his name so I opted for next the obvious word...

{Thanks, Erin, for picking up a few letters for me! Getting all the letters required a bit of a hunt...}

All I did was hot glue the letters onto the front of the books and followed the tutorial for keeping the books closed and prepping to hang.

{E for easiest project. EVER.}

I hope to hang these on the wall near a reading nook or ledge. And I'm just excited that Ezra will have some classics as part of his big boy room!

{Pride And Prejudice...One of my favorite love stories.}

Break Down:
Letters: $4 ($1 a piece)
Books: $6 ($1.50 a piece)
Total: $10 wall decor...sweet!


More on his room as it develops...