Adam emailed this article to me yesterday and thought you moms might find it interesting...
Medical journal retracts study linking autism to vaccine
Vaccinations can be a really touchy subject but I think it's something that weighs on every parents mind when that first child comes along and it's time to vaccinate. I remember taking Kenedee into the doctor for those first shots and asking her Pediatrician about the link between vaccinations and autism. You don't want to worry about your child dying from some serious illness but you also don't want to worry about them getting autism from the vaccinations. Anyways, a decision for all parents. But this article came out February 2nd and was quite interesting.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
HOME MAKEOVER (Upstairs)
The upstairs bedrooms are so bare right now that I hate to even post them but yet I want to show the updated room itself. So keep in mind that each room hasn't come together yet in its decor sense. Maybe I'll have to post the rooms once they are completely finished. Anyways, onto the rest of the house...
BEFORE (Heading up wrap-around stairs. Every inch of carpet was stained and nasty. The walls were slimy, kids writing all over the walls upstairs, holes in the doors, disaster!)
AFTER (Heading upstairs. The carpet photographed really ugly but it's quite a pretty tan.)
AFTER (Storage Closet. To everyone else this is just a closet. But before it had these tacky looking sliding mirror doors (which fine for a bedroom but not a visible closet) so our renovator man built in the frame to attach normal looking closet doors. He also built shelves to allow for optimal storage, perfect. If you're wondering why there is space above, that would be our entrance to the attic so it has to stay accessible, kind of annoying)
BEFORE (Looking into the kids bedrooms)
BEFORE (Lincoln's bedroom)
AFTER (Lincoln's bedroom. 3 gray walls, 1 blue wall. He looks like our neglected child since his room is so bare. He's currently sleeping in Kenedee's old toddler bed until we get his bedroom furniture.)
(Linc's room continued. New closet doors on the kids rooms as well.)
Can you believe I moved my 20 month-old into a bed?! He's adjusted quite well and loves his big boy bed!
Lincoln's Boodalee bedding. When I was trying to figure out what their new bedrooms would be, I was searching and searching for the perfect kids bedding. There were a few I liked for Lincoln but it came down to this 'World in Teal' by Boodalee - LOVE IT! It has world icons all over the bedding which will be sweet incorporated onto the walls somehow either painted or in frames. As you can tell I'm pretty modern but I think the cutest kids bedding is found at Dwell Studio or Boodalee, they have some sweet stuff.
Here's what his bedding looks like on a bed. The plan is to get a full bed for him so guests can sleep here when they come.
BEFORE (Kenedee's room. Her room was in a little better shape than Lincoln's. Check out that fan!)
AFTER (Kenedee's room)
Kenedee's bedding from Dwell Studio. I wanted something girly, modern at the same time, and something that she could grow into but still fun.
BEFORE (Kids Bathroom)
AFTER (Kids Bathroom. Two walls blue, two walls tan, and painted brown cabinets - all three colors tie in with the shower curtain. Love this bathroom!)
BEFORE (Looking into the Playroom & Master bedroom)
BEFORE (Master Bedroom)
AFTER (Master Bedroom, decent-sized and TONS bigger than our old Master bedroom. I'm not showing much cause nothing is on the walls and it's so plain & boring to me. We painted a big brown wall but I haven't decided what colors to introduce in the pillows. Too many choices to make all at once which is why the added elements aren't figured out.)
BEFORE (Master Bathroom)
BEFORE (Master bath continued...)
AFTER (Master bathroom. Brown painted cabinets made a huge difference. We're still wanting to paint a green wall in here to match the shower curtain. There's not enough color in here.)
Found this sweet shower curtain for a killer deal at the Dillards Outlet center.
Master closet - SOOOO much bigger than our old house, pretty much 20 times bigger. For those of you who knew our old master closet, you'd be very happy for me now!
BEFORE (Kids' playroom. Might have been one of the nastiest rooms, check out those walls!)
AFTER (Kids' playroom. Futon will double as guest sleeping space as well. I was going to make this a guest room but a playroom was what we needed. The kids spend hours each day in there playing, not joking. LOVE IT!)
IKEA shelving - a must for any playroom. Those black cubes hold sooo many toys, definitely recommend to anyone.
So there you have it, our newly completed home. I still have lots to do as far as bringing the rooms together so that might be a post for another day. Thanks for all of your nice comments. I love me some modern but I also know it's not for everyone. I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out though, LOVE IT. Now you all can come visit!!!!!
BEFORE (Heading up wrap-around stairs. Every inch of carpet was stained and nasty. The walls were slimy, kids writing all over the walls upstairs, holes in the doors, disaster!)
AFTER (Heading upstairs. The carpet photographed really ugly but it's quite a pretty tan.)
AFTER (Storage Closet. To everyone else this is just a closet. But before it had these tacky looking sliding mirror doors (which fine for a bedroom but not a visible closet) so our renovator man built in the frame to attach normal looking closet doors. He also built shelves to allow for optimal storage, perfect. If you're wondering why there is space above, that would be our entrance to the attic so it has to stay accessible, kind of annoying)
BEFORE (Looking into the kids bedrooms)
BEFORE (Lincoln's bedroom)
AFTER (Lincoln's bedroom. 3 gray walls, 1 blue wall. He looks like our neglected child since his room is so bare. He's currently sleeping in Kenedee's old toddler bed until we get his bedroom furniture.)
(Linc's room continued. New closet doors on the kids rooms as well.)
Can you believe I moved my 20 month-old into a bed?! He's adjusted quite well and loves his big boy bed!
Lincoln's Boodalee bedding. When I was trying to figure out what their new bedrooms would be, I was searching and searching for the perfect kids bedding. There were a few I liked for Lincoln but it came down to this 'World in Teal' by Boodalee - LOVE IT! It has world icons all over the bedding which will be sweet incorporated onto the walls somehow either painted or in frames. As you can tell I'm pretty modern but I think the cutest kids bedding is found at Dwell Studio or Boodalee, they have some sweet stuff.
Here's what his bedding looks like on a bed. The plan is to get a full bed for him so guests can sleep here when they come.
BEFORE (Kenedee's room. Her room was in a little better shape than Lincoln's. Check out that fan!)
AFTER (Kenedee's room)
Kenedee's bedding from Dwell Studio. I wanted something girly, modern at the same time, and something that she could grow into but still fun.
BEFORE (Kids Bathroom)
AFTER (Kids Bathroom. Two walls blue, two walls tan, and painted brown cabinets - all three colors tie in with the shower curtain. Love this bathroom!)
BEFORE (Looking into the Playroom & Master bedroom)
BEFORE (Master Bedroom)
AFTER (Master Bedroom, decent-sized and TONS bigger than our old Master bedroom. I'm not showing much cause nothing is on the walls and it's so plain & boring to me. We painted a big brown wall but I haven't decided what colors to introduce in the pillows. Too many choices to make all at once which is why the added elements aren't figured out.)
BEFORE (Master Bathroom)
BEFORE (Master bath continued...)
AFTER (Master bathroom. Brown painted cabinets made a huge difference. We're still wanting to paint a green wall in here to match the shower curtain. There's not enough color in here.)
Found this sweet shower curtain for a killer deal at the Dillards Outlet center.
Master closet - SOOOO much bigger than our old house, pretty much 20 times bigger. For those of you who knew our old master closet, you'd be very happy for me now!
BEFORE (Kids' playroom. Might have been one of the nastiest rooms, check out those walls!)
AFTER (Kids' playroom. Futon will double as guest sleeping space as well. I was going to make this a guest room but a playroom was what we needed. The kids spend hours each day in there playing, not joking. LOVE IT!)
IKEA shelving - a must for any playroom. Those black cubes hold sooo many toys, definitely recommend to anyone.
So there you have it, our newly completed home. I still have lots to do as far as bringing the rooms together so that might be a post for another day. Thanks for all of your nice comments. I love me some modern but I also know it's not for everyone. I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out though, LOVE IT. Now you all can come visit!!!!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
HOME MAKEOVER (Main Level)
Let me preface this email by saying that our house was NASTY, DISGUSTING, DIRTY, SMELLY, and every horrible thing you can imagine. BUT, it was all cosmetic, which is why we wanted it. We got it for a killer price but it needed a serious makeover (which I was okay with as long as I didn't have to touch it. I'm all about getting down and dirty but this was beyond me!) So Adam found us a crew and to work they went. Here's what this new baby got... all new carpets, baseboards, crown molding, paint (wall, cabinets, and all), sink, appliances, wood floors stained, toilets, doors, handles, lighting, recessed lighting, and blinds. So once it was complete, it was one brand-spanking new house and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
After we got back from Christmas break it took two weeks to get EVERYTHING unpacked and put away, happy to say that every box is emptied and the garage has both cars parked in it, sweet. Also, you'll notice the rooms are put away but not quite decorated. Furniture is where I want it but nothing really on the walls (mostly upstairs).
I have a million pics to post but really, the before pics don't do it justice. I'm pretty sure everyone we brought through the house before it got its makeover was like 'really, what are you thinking. you want to live here??? it's disgusting!' But Adam & I had a vision and lucky for us, she turned out to be a beauty. (And since I have a ton of pics, I'll post just the downstairs for now. Upstairs to come, maybe tomorrow.) Also, anything you see in the before pics were leftover from the previous tenants. They left crap everywhere! And seriously, I couldn't put Lincoln down in this house fearing for what he might touch. Ugghhhh. Now onto the makeover...
BEFORE (Entering into the Living Room from the front door)
AFTER
I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to do with this really long skinny room. Ideally, we'd like a Baby Grand piano in the back area (where Adam's Eames chair is) but until that future day (way in the future) it is Adam's study area for now. I also want a bookshelf wall unit on the back wall that will house our Church books but hide my office stuff. But that will be in the future as well. On the big brown wall on the right, I'm envisioning these Wallter Wall Art Applications. I want this fluid movement of circles going up the wall. They aren't too expensive but that will be in the future as well. (I'm wanting white against the brown wall). Here's examples of some...
BEFORE (Looking back at the front door)
AFTER
BEFORE & AFTER (Light over the front door inside. We found this sweet modern light on Craigslist that used to be in some department store downtown Phoenix back in the day)
After - Front of Living Room area. Normal view and view from the stairs above...
After - Back of Living Room area. Normal view and view from the stairs above...
BEFORE & AFTER (Wrap around Stairs, view from Living Room (love that the stairs wrap around!))
BEFORE & AFTER (Entering into the kitchen/dining/family room area from the living room. I LOVE the dark floors!)
BEFORE (Kitchen. The MOST disgusting thing ever!)
AFTER (Kitchen. My new favorite place!)
AFTER (Kitchen Ceiling. Took out the long tubing light, patched up the hole, and added six recessed lighting)
BEFORE (Dining Area)
AFTER (Dining Area. Loved our light so much from our old house that we had to have the same one!)
AFTER (Kitchen & Dining Area together)
BEFORE (Family Room)
AFTER (Family Room. I'm kind of at a loss right now with what to do with our Entertainment center wall so pay no attention.)
View from the other side of the Family Room
AFTER (Family, Dining, & Kitchen area all together. I LOVE the open layout!)
View showing the stairs...
Laundry Room Cabinets (top left pic. Found this whole set on Craigslist for $25. Can't beat that. Our handyman painted them white to match our Kitchen cabinets and they look good as new!). Guest 1/2 Bath (right pic). Storage under the stairs (bottom left pic. Our guy put up dry wall, mudded, painted, and put carpet in there for us. Perfect storage space and kid hideout).
BEFORE (Backyard, which is actually pretty decent-sized for an Arizona backyard (overall pretty small backyards))
AFTER (Not much change besides the NEW TRAMPOLINE! My parents want to get each of their kids' families a tramp once they have children old enough. We new we were moving from Georgia so we told them to hold off. But our turn has come and we LOVE IT! The backyard needs a serious overhaul so until then, this is the only way the kids can be in the backyard, it has saved us!)
The layout of the backyard is actually pretty decent - large back porch, bushes lining the outer edges, and four sweet palms...
So there you have it, the Main Floor of our Home Makeover.
After we got back from Christmas break it took two weeks to get EVERYTHING unpacked and put away, happy to say that every box is emptied and the garage has both cars parked in it, sweet. Also, you'll notice the rooms are put away but not quite decorated. Furniture is where I want it but nothing really on the walls (mostly upstairs).
I have a million pics to post but really, the before pics don't do it justice. I'm pretty sure everyone we brought through the house before it got its makeover was like 'really, what are you thinking. you want to live here??? it's disgusting!' But Adam & I had a vision and lucky for us, she turned out to be a beauty. (And since I have a ton of pics, I'll post just the downstairs for now. Upstairs to come, maybe tomorrow.) Also, anything you see in the before pics were leftover from the previous tenants. They left crap everywhere! And seriously, I couldn't put Lincoln down in this house fearing for what he might touch. Ugghhhh. Now onto the makeover...
BEFORE (Entering into the Living Room from the front door)
AFTER
I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to do with this really long skinny room. Ideally, we'd like a Baby Grand piano in the back area (where Adam's Eames chair is) but until that future day (way in the future) it is Adam's study area for now. I also want a bookshelf wall unit on the back wall that will house our Church books but hide my office stuff. But that will be in the future as well. On the big brown wall on the right, I'm envisioning these Wallter Wall Art Applications. I want this fluid movement of circles going up the wall. They aren't too expensive but that will be in the future as well. (I'm wanting white against the brown wall). Here's examples of some...
BEFORE (Looking back at the front door)
AFTER
BEFORE & AFTER (Light over the front door inside. We found this sweet modern light on Craigslist that used to be in some department store downtown Phoenix back in the day)
After - Front of Living Room area. Normal view and view from the stairs above...
After - Back of Living Room area. Normal view and view from the stairs above...
BEFORE & AFTER (Wrap around Stairs, view from Living Room (love that the stairs wrap around!))
BEFORE & AFTER (Entering into the kitchen/dining/family room area from the living room. I LOVE the dark floors!)
BEFORE (Kitchen. The MOST disgusting thing ever!)
AFTER (Kitchen. My new favorite place!)
AFTER (Kitchen Ceiling. Took out the long tubing light, patched up the hole, and added six recessed lighting)
BEFORE (Dining Area)
AFTER (Dining Area. Loved our light so much from our old house that we had to have the same one!)
AFTER (Kitchen & Dining Area together)
BEFORE (Family Room)
AFTER (Family Room. I'm kind of at a loss right now with what to do with our Entertainment center wall so pay no attention.)
View from the other side of the Family Room
AFTER (Family, Dining, & Kitchen area all together. I LOVE the open layout!)
View showing the stairs...
Laundry Room Cabinets (top left pic. Found this whole set on Craigslist for $25. Can't beat that. Our handyman painted them white to match our Kitchen cabinets and they look good as new!). Guest 1/2 Bath (right pic). Storage under the stairs (bottom left pic. Our guy put up dry wall, mudded, painted, and put carpet in there for us. Perfect storage space and kid hideout).
BEFORE (Backyard, which is actually pretty decent-sized for an Arizona backyard (overall pretty small backyards))
AFTER (Not much change besides the NEW TRAMPOLINE! My parents want to get each of their kids' families a tramp once they have children old enough. We new we were moving from Georgia so we told them to hold off. But our turn has come and we LOVE IT! The backyard needs a serious overhaul so until then, this is the only way the kids can be in the backyard, it has saved us!)
The layout of the backyard is actually pretty decent - large back porch, bushes lining the outer edges, and four sweet palms...
So there you have it, the Main Floor of our Home Makeover.
Grateful for A-man
This is kind of a random post but I can't stop thinking about this girl that I cheered with at BYU. She got married recently and just posted her wedding video, which is the most tender wedding video I've ever watched...wow. I think when you hear about someone you know who is struggling and is able to overcome what they're going through, you are truly truly happy for them. And more than that, you're able to contemplate on your own life and realize, wow I have a lot to be grateful for, a husband whom I love more than anything, a husband who adores me back, and a marriage that brings so much joy.
Nikki is one of those girls who can brighten a room, she just has one of those happy personalities that loves to laugh. Last I heard she got married in the temple, living in California, and had two little girls. I then found her blog a few years ago, finding out that she was going through 'hell', as she put it. She and her husband were getting divorced. She never said any horrible things about him but I know he had done some horrible things that led to the divorce. She kept posting on her blog through all of this, and it was so sad to read sometimes and see how much she was struggling. Starting over with two kids, going back to get her Masters, and doing it alone. She found this guy who loved and respected her and I can't be more HAPPY for her!!!!!
Here's the link to her Wedding Video, it is amazing! (I think I've watched it like four times now!)
Nikki is one of those girls who can brighten a room, she just has one of those happy personalities that loves to laugh. Last I heard she got married in the temple, living in California, and had two little girls. I then found her blog a few years ago, finding out that she was going through 'hell', as she put it. She and her husband were getting divorced. She never said any horrible things about him but I know he had done some horrible things that led to the divorce. She kept posting on her blog through all of this, and it was so sad to read sometimes and see how much she was struggling. Starting over with two kids, going back to get her Masters, and doing it alone. She found this guy who loved and respected her and I can't be more HAPPY for her!!!!!
Here's the link to her Wedding Video, it is amazing! (I think I've watched it like four times now!)
Monday, January 25, 2010
house pics to come...
I am FINALLY caught up with blogging and can now post the before and after pics of our house... GET EXCITED!!!
January 3rd, 2010
(Sunday) Kenedee's first day of Primary. She was so excited to be a SUNBEAM!!! (I still can't believe she's old enough to be in Primary)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
