Entering a 3rd Decade

Today is my boyfriend’s 30th birthday!  (Actually, he’s my hubbie, but he’s still my boyfriend—and I still like it when he dates me.  Ya know?  Just in case you were wondering…)

Since we basically celebrated his birthday one day early, I mentioned that yesterday was his last day to live it up in his twenties, which brought about some reminiscing about the best aspects of being in one’s twenties and the exciting—although somewhat daunting—move into one’s thirties.  The twenties are full of adventure—college, career, new locations, marriage, possibly kiddos…LOTS of change in a short amount of time.  The thirties feel a tad more serious—like you’re really an adult making more permanent decisions.  For us, this season involves welcoming a baby into our family—although not for six more months—which is a huge change in itself.  Clearly there was need for a celebration!  Hence, Matt’s 30th birthday bash! 

While we didn’t go too crazy, we did invite some close friends to join us for snacks, desserts, and games (Matt loves himself a good strategy game and I love myself a new recipe).  We grazed on southwest veggie eggrolls, chips and salsa, fresh strawberries and pineapple, pretzel turtle bites, and a divine triple layer chocolate ganache cake (a huge thanks to my mom for the recipe!).  And yes, this was my first time making a layer cake, which went surprising better than I originally envisioned—but I was still very thankful for the frosting, which covered a multitude of sins. 

Did you notice the cake stands?!  My heart still pitter patters when I think of them nestled away.  I've been searching for this style of cake stand for over a year, and I finally found them at Homegoods, of course!  I bought two different sizes so I can stack them.  Since I didn’t have an official “cake stand” budget, I dipped into our grocery envelope…which means that I really love those stands, because we’ll likely be eating rice and beans at the end of this month.  But occasionally it’s worth it, especially when you’ve been searching high and low for just the right piece.   While I was at it, I snagged a bunch of silvery candle holders on super clearance at Target.  Please tell me I’m not the only one who is overly fond of serving dishes and sales!

After praying blessings over Matt upon this new season of his life, the guys got serious about their games, and the girls chatted about…you know, whatever it is that girls chat about.  e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.  The hubs even received some fun gifts in multiples of thirty.  Like 30 ounces of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, 30 Reese’s Cups, 30 Tootsie Pop suckers, and a frisbee to be used for 30 games of ultimate frisbee/frisbee golf—in which the giver hopes that he beats Matt at least 30 times.  Haha!  What fun. 

There really is nothing better than being surrounded by close friends and family during those significant milestones in your life.  We’re thankful that we have a home in which to share those memories.  After all, what is the point of living in a special space if you keep it all to yourself? 

What are your thoughts on turning 30?  Favorite moments from your twenties?  Bits of wisdom for the future?  We’re listening! 

DIY Christmas Cards

While it feels a little strange to post about the holidays after Christmas, I wanted there to be some surprises, so I waited until after the big day to share these hand crafted cards.  Still, this idea can be modified and used throughout the year and certainly can be filed away until next year rolls around, thanks to Pinterest! 

We all know that Christmas cards are so fun to send and receive, but I had a hard time swallowing the dent they would leave in our budget if we went the route I originally desired (which involved custom made cards on the adorable Tiny Prints website), so I decided to come up with a Plan B.  It basically involved searching for simple DIY ideas on the web and then raiding my supply of craft paper (which I bought at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby in high school and seems to be endless).  These cards were a snap to make and I loved putting together various colors and patterns to fit with the personalities of those receiving them.  *Just for the record, I mainly made these cards for family members, as time got away from me, leaving me unable to make and send them to all of our friends.* 

 

You can see how simple these were to make.  First, I basically cut a long triangle out of craft paper.  Then I cut it into strips to make the body of the Christmas tree.  Next, I used a different color and pattern to make a skinny tree trunk.  Then I just used a glue stick to adhere them to some colorful paper.  Even though they are all the same basic design, I love how they are each unique!  Oh, and I clearly didn’t stick to just “Christmas colors.”  Why limit yourself when there are so many fantastic possibilities? 

*The yellow tags helped me keep track of who was to receive each card.*  Did you make your own cards this year?  With all the ideas on the web, there are endless ways to get creative!

Give Me a ‘P’!

Give me a ‘p’… ‘o’… ‘m’!  Pom pom!  Yes, dear readers, it’s true.  During a short stint in high school, I was a cheerleader.  Which means I know a bit about pom poms.  Fortunately for you, these mini poms are way cuter than what I used back in the 90s and there are no splits involved—unless, of course, you have a hankering to break out the moves in your own living room.  Anyone?

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll let them speak for themselves.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of photos, as this is a really easy project that adds instant cheer (pun definitely intended) to any gift. 

Be sure to give the pom a haircut to trim up loose ends!

Thanks again to my sis Hannah for sharing her creativity with us.  Happy pomming! 

It’s a Wrap

It’s a wrap for 2011, that is.  Onward to 2012!  I don’t know if it’s the fresh start of a new year, the fact that I’m now in my second trimester, or being back under the delicious sun and blue skies of Colorado, but I’m just itching to do things!  I’m back to making lists, hunting down bargains, planning meals, spending time with friends, and just plain enjoying life.  It’s been great!  Some of that is probably also due to the delightful pampering of being at my parent’s house for 10 days, enjoying some of my favorite people, good eats, a golden birthday on December 28, and of course, the annual (err…multi-annual?) shopping excursion.  What about that wouldn’t make a girl feel energized going into the new year? 

Over Christmas, my sister, Hannah (cutie on the left—would you ever guess I’m older by eight years?), who is a sophomore at Purdue University, wrapped all her packages using brown butcher paper, twine, buttons, maps, pom poms, and hand made chalkboard name tags. 

Here’s a peek at them just sittin’ pretty under the tree.

Take a closer look…

(Lest you think we just snapped these photos on the fly, it was quite the contrary.  Since we decided to host our photo shoot near midnight, we had to improvise on the lighting.  It was comical, to say the least.) 

I love the natural, easy look of these gifts, plus the recycled embellishments!  This type of gift wrap can be used all year round, and it won’t lighten your wallet too much either.  The butcher paper came from Walmart at under $5 for a roll that apparently lasts forever, the maps stem from an atlas found in a used bookstore, the button was a lost soul without a mate, the tags were wooden ornaments from Michael’s—painted with a tiny bottle of Martha Steward chalkboard paint—and the pom poms were hand made using stolen leftover yarn from Mom’s knitting bag.  *I’ll be posting a pom pom tutorial soon!*

Snootz, thanks for sharing your creative juices!  I’m headed to Wally World tomorrow to snag some of that butcher paper and twine, and I’m definitely keeping my eyes peeled for an old atlas. 

Don’t you love how one person’s ideas and projects can inspire you to tackle your own?  Inspiration simply leads to more inspiration.  And that, folks, is a wrap!

It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas

While I love Christmas decorations, we don’t own too many, and since we’ve never hosted Christmas at our house, I haven’t ever had that urge to go all out. 

But we do enjoy pulling out a few items that are special to us each year, so I thought I would share them with you.  Keep in mind that most of these were either hand-me-downs, gifts, or items we collected at yard sales. 

Sadly, we’ve never had a full-size Christmas tree since being married (I’m hoping to cut down our own next year), but I did snag this petite tree at a yard sale several years ago.  This year it found its home as the centerpiece on our dining room table and we even splurged and bought some porcelain ornaments for it while we were perusing downtown shops in Indianapolis last year.  They were on super clearance and I get all giddy every time I look at them.  Since I tend to be a window shopper, Matt had to push for these, and I love that we picked them out together.  Also, the rustic, textured garland was picked up in Shipshewana, which is a crafty Amish town in rural Indiana where we spent Thanksgiving with my extended family a year ago.

The garland on the mantel was stolen from my parent’s storage room a few years ago.  Somehow I packed that puppy into my suitcase and hauled it back to Colorado on the airplane!  A hint of greenery always makes the room feel cozier around the holidays.

Then there’s our open shelving, which tends to get a makeover as each new season rolls around.  This year we housed our nativity scene—which was gifted to me by my parents over many Christmases—on the bottom shelf.  This is one of my favorite pieces to rediscover every year.  If you’re wondering what would be a meaningful and lasting gift for your college student, this is a great set to gift piece by piece.

And of course, we always have to find a spot for our other nativity scene, which is handcrafted from Germany and was gifted to me by the family I nannied for in college.  When the four corner candles are lit, the fan spins!  This is one I can’t wait to share with our kiddos someday. 

Lastly, we’ve got ornaments gracing various knobs and baskets around the house.  Many of them were gifted to me by previous students, which is usually always a fun walk down memory lane.  One of my favorites is this sparkly reindeer. 

Yes, it’s simple and not overly flashy, but it just seems to fit this year.  We like being surrounded by meaningful pieces and not being stressed by the pressure that sometimes seems to come with the Christmas season.  Most of all, we are reminded that Christmas is all about celebrating the birthday of our King.  May we never forget to celebrate the true meaning of the season, and may it remain at the forefront of our hearts and minds amidst all the preparations of the next few weeks.  We are truly blessed!

Reality Check

Our house has been looking a little lot like this lately…

and this…

and this…

Let me just say that pregnancy has been…harder than I expected.  While I haven’t been super sick, I definitely have not felt like myself.  As in, my body feels “off” and my energy is far lower than before.  Funny how I thought I would beat all those symptoms before getting pregnant… In some ways, it’s been a healthy wake-up call to realizing that I’m not super woman, nor do I have to be.  Since this might be the last time I can really rest when the mood strikes me, I’ve been taking full advantage of it.  As my good friend keeps telling me, take advantage of it while you can!  For those of you who’ve been pregnant before, you know that almost every symptom can be blamed on pregnancy—and there’s documentation somewhere to back it up!  Needless to say, blogging—and most extra activities in general—have been

low

on

the

priority

list.

Oh, who am I kidding?  What list?!  I haven’t made a list in two months.  If you think I’m kidding, just ask my husband!  It’s true.  While it’s been freeing in some ways, I’ve also started feeling slightly better this week, which has me chomping at the bit to do something a little extra.  Hence, this wee little post.

If I sound like I’m complaining about pregnancy, I’m not.  I’m just facing the reality of what my body is going through—and because I’ve been busy creating another human being—that’s right—I haven’t been creating much else.  But I do have a few things up my sleeve which I hope to share over the next few days, so I plan to be back before too long.  Did I just make a list?  Hmmm…kinda.  If anything, I think I just planned ahead!  Feels good.

I’m Dreaming of…

 

That’s right.  Baby nurseries.  Any guesses why?