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Sunday, October 31, 2010

New Projects:: Part II

Remember the post explaining my new obsession with refinishing furniture?  Well, I finally got around to flipping our buffet table for the dining room from a $20 yard sale purchase to a piece that I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but our house.  I'm in love with it.


I forgot to take before pics prior to sanding, but you get the idea.


Voila!!


I'm in love with this owl decal.  Check out 


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for super fun vinyl from Shelley!


A little decor for the season.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween!!


Michael not happy that I'm taking photos.  Will on the other hand is ecstatic.


There's the smiling boy I know and love.


Wait, a little bribery to get him to sit still.


Too sweet.


Happy Halloween 2010!!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Newest Projects.

So, I've been in furniture refinishing mode as of late.  First, our dining room chairs.  Now, a buffet to match for the dining room.  Today I spent a good couple of hours sanding and priming.  Can't wait to see the finished product.  Out to the garage I go to paint!



Got this buffet for a steal... $20!!

And, I've been doing a little crafting as well.  Halloween is my favorite holiday!  I have so many things to do, I've made a crafting to do list for 2011.


Dripping hot glue candles.


Treat labels.


Paper banner- SO EASY!!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Practice Makes Perfect.

Michael has been very anxious to eat his meals with utensils lately.  Every meal is accompanied by him pleading with me to give him a fork or spoon, even if what I've displayed for him on his high chair are finger foods.  I've been happy to oblige the child.  Today, he wanted to feed himself his breakfast- his favorite- YOGURT!  As you can see, he's getting the hang of it.


Not quite.


Nope, that doesn't work either.


Now he's got it!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Week Ten (William Reagan)!!


I'm 10 weeks old!!
(and unhappy about having my photo taken!)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Down On the Farm!!

My favorite place in the Quad Cities is Shady Knoll Farm.  Not kidding, my favorite place.  It happens to be the location my family would go to every year to pick up our harvest decor.  My siblings and I would race around the farm on the hunt for the perfect pumpkin.  There is so much to do, so little time.  Acres of fields to pick you own pumpkins and wild flowers.  Corn mazes come in all shapes and levels of difficulty.  There are the horses and plethora of other farm animals.  A perfect holiday shop fit with freshly popped popcorn and kittens.  Not to mention the owners-,The Denhardts, couldn't be nicer people.  We would pile our findings into the car and the first thing I would do when we got back to my parents house was decorate the front porch with cornstalks and hay bales.  Cinderella pumpkins and bird gourds.  I miss that about home.  I wish I could pick up Shady Knoll Farm and drop it in the middle of the suburbs, but even if I did that it wouldn't be the same.  I blame Shady Knoll Farm for my obsession with harvest shopping.  

A few weeks back Jane, Laura and I took the boys to a Punkin Farm.  Today Mike, Jane, Dennis and myself took the boys to The Farm.  A cozy farm stand two blocks from Dennis' parents' home.  It really is as good as it could get in the middle of a city!  I simply asked Dennis in the car not to ask me why I need six varieties or pumpkins and/or squashes to decorate our home with.  When we walked out of there with $61.20 less in our bank account he didn't say anything to me.  Well, he made one joke.  But, really, that's good for him.  This trip is one I look forward to all year.  Where I can scan hundreds of pumpkins for the right one (and the other ten I need for various reasons).  Now, I'm not looking for myself really, but for my boys.  For they will always have the perfect pumpkin.  :)

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sweet Moments.


Helping Mommy dip pretzels.


A fan of white chocolate chips.


Daddy and Will.I.AM.


Michael, what do ya got under there?!


Just a bowl of Goldfish crackers.


Mr. Papageorgio


Deep in conversation.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Do You Read Our Blog??

Well, if you didn't before you obviously are now.  I've always said that I keep this blog as a family album.  Easier than scrapbooking everything.  Less of a mess (really, you should see all of my scrapping stuff).  Not to mention, I love sharing the things I find with other moms/friends/family.  With that being said, I honestly believed for a long time that my mother-in-law was the only one who actually reads this "story" of ours.  Recently, I've had lots of people say "Oh, I saw [this or that] on your blog- it was so cute."  Enter me... SHOCKED.  So, you can say this is a bit of a test.  If you happen to read this blog would you mind letting me know about it.  Just leave a comment for us on this post when you get a second.  And, if you happen to have a blog leave the address so I can follow you!  The blog world is an interesting world to say the least.  Currently I'm working on redesigning this blog from scratch- ALL BY MYSELF.  We'll see how it pans out.  And, I might be starting another one to track all of these oh-so-fun projects I've slowly been working on.  I do believe that I'm a lover of blogs in general.  How about you?

Monday, October 18, 2010

I'm Two Months Old (Exclusively From WRB)!!

Hello month #2 and hello world.  Interested in my newest developments are ya?  Well, as usually I'm here for my monthly update.  This is what's new with me...
  • I saw D-Mats today.  He was very impressed with my overall development.  Especially my physical growth.  I am now 15 lbs. 3 oz. and 24.5 in. of cute baby.  Both stats in the 97th+ percentile.  
  • My size might have something to do with all of the food I eat.  Newsflash... NO MORE BREASTMILK!  I was introduced to formula at week 7.  Mommy was having a hard time making my milk so we made the switch to formula.  
  • I am holding my head up for long periods of time.  Tummy time is awesome time Mommy says.  Apparently, this is something I am doing much faster than my brother did.  
  • Speaking of my brother, we're officially buddies.  He crawled into bed with me the other night and told me he didn't mind having me around after all.  Wasn't that sweet of him?
  • I roll to my right side, hence my elf ear.  I have one perfect ear, and one not so perfect ear because I prefer to be on my right side for everything.  Sleeping.  Eating.  You name it, I do it on the right.  
  • I wear 6-12 month clothing now, and some of that is a little tight.  I know, I know.  But, I'm a growing boy with dreams of playing IOWA football someday so I started a little early on the bulking up portion of being a superb athlete.
  • I've started to sleep a little better.  I've had a couple of five hour increments the last couple of nights, which Mommy has told me over and over again that she appreciates.
  • Also in D-Mats news, I found out today that I have terrible acid reflux (and a little case of thrush to top it off).  I'm now required to take medicine before every feeding, and let me tell you I hate the taste of the stuff.  Gross.  Oh, yeah, and my hernia is a little bit worse because I strain so hard when I'm trying to poop.  That by the way has only happened twice in almost 10 days.  It isn't so pleasant.  
  • My last two poops have resulted in two nice warm baths.
  • I love my bouncy seat and the fact that it vibrates. 
  • I have been sleeping with Mommy and Daddy because my reflux was so bad that Mommy was scared to put me down by myself.  So, I sleep on Mommy's chest for most of the night.  
  • I'm a puker.  
  • I love, love, love being in the car.  Puts me right to sleep every single time.
  • I'm going to be sharing a room with Michael soon.  I'm sure that he can't wait!
  • I have three rolls on each of my thighs and currently am trying to find my neck.  Mommy has tried to find it, too, but no luck.
  • I hate taking baths.  I know hate is a strong word, but I really, really dislike them.
  • I'm in a size two diaper, soon to be a size three.
  • I can't believe how fast time is flying.  
  • I'm going to be a pumpkin for Halloween. Hey, if the costume fits...
That's all I've got at the moment.  I hope to see you all at our get-together on the 30th so you can see our new house.  I love it hear, and so does everyone else.  

Chat with you again in a month or so.  Until then...

Pampers and Huggies,

William Reagan

Snapshots of the Week!!




Mimicking Daddy.


Smiles in his sleep.




What?


We had to make the Bears game interesting somehow.





Kisses for brother.

There Once Was A Chair...

When we moved into our new home we were in desperate need of some furniture.  Dining room.  Sitting room.  Family room.  So many empty spots that needed a little company.  Enter CraigsList.  So, I did what I do best... BARGAINED!  My first project was our dining room.  I found an amazing solid oak table that I loved.  It screamed "They sell pieces like me at Pottery Barn" without the Pottery Barn price tag.  But, it didn't come with any chairs.  I looked for days, sent countless emails and finally came across some beauties that needed a little TLC and a coat (or three) of paint and some new upholstery.  I spent the past weekend whipping them into shape.  I went down the checklist.  Remove seats.  Sand.  Clean.  Prime.  Paint.  Dry.  Paint again.  Dry.  Paint again.  Reupholster seats. Scotchguard.  Dry.  Reassemble.  Admire.  I love the finished product.  I was a little skeptical that the fabric I chose wouldn't look so polished with black furniture, but I was in utter shock when we put them together and the heavens parted.  Now, onto the buffet table- which I am also stripping and refinishing.  Just working my way through our house, one piece of furniture at a time.


The chair before.


My assistant.




New fabric.


After a good sanding, priming and three coats of paint.


Voila!!