Separate Rooms

After 3 years, 9 months, and 4 weeks of sleeping in the same room, often in the same bed, Catie and Nick have their own rooms. It made me a little sad last night, but they're both really happy. And, I had lots of fun designing their rooms. :)

Brad's mom picked up a bunch of quilts at super clearance prices soon after Brad and I were married. She let me choose any that I wanted, and, despite having no use for it, I fell in love with this one. It's hardly been used in the last 7 years, but I'm so glad that we're finally putting it to good use. I like that her bedroom isn't the typical pink and purple.
The four pictures on the side are close-up pictures of berries and flowers taken by a photographer in Alaska. The ones on either side of the dresser are Women's World magazine covers from 1940 that I found at an antique shop.

I bought the dresser at an antique/art boutique. It had been done up in the shabby chic style, but it was a little too shabby for my taste. I cleaned it up with a couple coats of bright white paint. I'm going to paint the bookcase to match. (I bought that from someone on craigslist a while ago.)

Originally, I made this bow holder with jungle animals to match their nursery, but it's had a face lift.

Catie loves her new room. The first time she laid in her bed, she looked up at the canopy and said, "I love this."

In Nick's room, I kept the animal theme, but I've made it a little more mature so that it can grow with him a little longer.

These prints were made by hand. They are actually greeting cards. We bought them from the artist at Pike's Place Market in Seattle.

I found this sign in a shop in Walla Walla.

Brad bought these Elephant prints in Sri Lanka. I sewed them together to make this wall hanging.

We found these old travel posters in a print shop also at Pike's Place Market.

Sorry I didn't make the bed better. :) You can just barely see that he has animals on his sheets. The pillows are hiding the headboard, but I have to tell you about my deal. I found a headboard and footboard at Goodwill. They didn't have the rails, so I asked for a discount. I got them for $16. Both ends were exactly the same, so when I got them home, I painted one white for Catie's room and one red for Nick's. Two headboards, $8 each. Pretty good, huh?

Plus, I got his dresser from someone on craigslist for $25. I'm picking up a nightstand from someone else tomorrow (also a craigslist find) which I plan to paint red. By the way, the red paint is leftover from painting the front door. :)

I've managed to redecorate both rooms for relatively little money, and I think they both look really good if I do say so myself. :)

Nick wasn't so sure about the big bed at first, and he took a few naps in a pack n play before we did the big switch, but once we put up the side rail he was happy. He loves to talk about the animals in his room.

Catie the ham

I forgot these pictures were on my camera.

One of Catie's incentives for potty training was a gymnastics leotard. I took these pictures to celebrate the first day that she got to wear her leotard because she was wearing big girl underwear.

Doesn't this look like one of those pictures were you photoshop the head onto someone else's picture?
I laughed at the first picture, so she said, "Let me see it." Then she climbed back on the stool and said, "Take my picture like this!"

She thought that was hilarious. "How about this?" she says.

This is a common Catie expression, but I think it's the first time I've gotten a picture of it.

Silly girl. She is so much fun.

Hello, Internet

I know, I know. It's been a really long time. There is too much; I will sum up. Bonus points if you recognize that quote.*

My parents came to visit for over a week, we went to Seattle, the kids had gymnastics lessons, we had playdates, we've done some work around the house (more on that maybe tomorrow), we've potty trained Catie (but not Nick...yet), I've taken on coordinating MOPS at our church....

Oh, and how can I forget the highlight of my summer? The two hours of my life I can never get back spent waiting in line at the DMV yesterday.

Really, although we've done a lot and the kids have done adorable things, I've been lazy about the blog. Sorry. I would promise it will get better, but I can't guarantee. :) See you soon with pictures of the kids new rooms!

*The Princess Bride, Inigo says it to Wesley after he wakes up from being mostly dead.