DIY Curtains

We bought our house last August but with honeybee's arrival in October we haven't had much time for home improvement projects. The rooms are mostly put together but we haven't painted or decorated any room other than the nursery. The 'to do' list is crazy long and will take a long time to complete but we are trying to start, little by little.

Our house has a formal living room in the front and a family room, dining room, and the kitchen in the back. Basically, the back is one giant rectangle of a room with the dining room separating the family room and the kitchen. Because our house is a single story we have ten foot ceilings which I absolutely love. The problem is that our sliding glass doors to the backyard in the dining room are eight feet high.

I hadn't done much shopping for curtains before buying our house but I now know that 100+ inch long curtains are not widely available in stores. I quickly felt defeated by my inability to find curtains and decided to make my own. I also did not want to spend a fortune on fabric so I took a less conventional route - tablecloths! I saw a post on pinterest and was inspired to make it work. I went to my favorite store to get good stuff for cheap (Target) and found 104" tablecloths in the perfect color.

To make them into curtains I obviously had to put my diy skills to work. I bought a curtain rod, 2 packages of grommets, and some stitch witchery at Jo-Anns bringing my total cost for the entire project (after using all my Jo-Anns coupons) to $85. Not bad, right?! Even the cheap curtains I found in the wrong size were like $40 a panel so I definitely saved myself some money.

I wasn't worried about the curtains being too long so I finished the panels before I hung the curtain rod. When it came down to it I hung the rod as low as possible and the curtain are still a wee bit short. Oh well.

Anyway, to make the panels I created a header using the stitch witchery. That stuff is amazing! Just cut, place, and iron - magic! It took awhile to measure the header and iron it together, but since I don't have a sewing machine (or know how to use one!) it wasn't a big deal. After the header was done I carefully measured where to place the grommets. They were easy to install and transformed my tablecloths into curtains. Here is the end result:

The panels easily cover the width of the door when they are closed and make the back room perfect for movie watching. The grommets help them hang nicely too so I didn't have to bother with tie backs. The creases in the fabric are a little stubborn though so I may have to repeatedly iron them but that's not a big deal.

Overall, hubby is impressed and we both think they work good for the space. Yay! One more project done! I will probably diy curtains again but maybe try other materials. The tablecloths are perfect for the dining room but I think I need a softer fabric in the other rooms.

I think my next project will be the front bath. It doesn't need a lot of work but it could use a face lift. The guy we bought the house from had it painted the same brown color in EVERY room. I mean, I like the color OK in the family room, but I don't really want brown walls in the bathroom. :)

10 weeks to go!

Wow, I can't believe how quick time is passing. This summer has been so busy and now it's pretty much over. School has started for hubby and the joys of fall are already arriving - autumn decorations and scents (mmm... apple and pumpkin and cinnamon!). Even though we've been busy - and will continue to be - things have been going well and I'm looking forward to what's ahead of us. Even with the stress of work, home buying, and preparing for baby hubby and I have taking things one at a time and getting through it together.

On the home front we renegotiated our sales price after we got the appraisal in. There was A LOT of drama but now we are just waiting for the loan to get through under writing. We will know more this week but our closing is still set for late August. Fingers still crossed!

I had my 28 week appointment a little over a week ago. The glucose screening was alright but I failed by six points. The perinatal nurse quickly called to tell me I needed to come in for the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Well... that wasn't much fun. The fasting wasn't bad, and the glucose drink wasn't even that bad (well, for the first hour anyway), but the blood draws were the worst. My veins were completely uncooperative and the phlebotomists ended up drawing blood from my hand and wrist after several failed attempts elsewhere. Now the veins in my arms are all swollen and I have bruises on my arms. I got the results via email - passed the first two draws and failed the second two. I haven't heard back from my doctor yet, but I'm thinking this means I do have gestational diabetes. Wait and see I guess...

Now for the latest:

How far along? 29 weeks 6 days

Weight gain? 20 lbs

How big is baby? My dr says I'm measuring on track for my due date so she'd be about 15.5 inches and 3 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes. I tried wearing some of my "normal" pants with the bella band the other day and it was pretty awful.

Food cravings? Still slurpees or any drink that is ice cold and refreshing

Labor signs? Nope

Stretch marks? One. I had a belly button ring that I took out before I got pregnant. Well the skin between the ring holes now bears a stretch mark. It isn't too bad really...

How are you feeling? Tired. My feet hurt and get swollen almost every day. Overall I'm feeling good, I just wish I could take naps during the day and work shorter shifts. Nine and half hours is a long day but I'm cutting back at the beginning of September.

What am I looking forward to? My baby shower is next weekend! Plus, I had maternity photos done on Friday so I should have proofs to look at by the end of the week. :)

What I miss? Lots of stuff... like being able to walk around the mall for more than 30 minutes without being exhausted. Lol.

Sleep? Getting more uncomfortable but I'm able to sleep through the night usually.

Best moment this week? Feeling baby move is always amazing...

Here's a pic of me from last week:

17 weeks!

Ok, well I was totally wrong about getting to see baby on ultrasound! :( They call it an ultrasound appointment but you don't actually get an ultrasound. Lame. We did get to hear the heart beat at our 15 week appointment which was cool. It was really easy to find and was beating fast, 160 bpm!

I think I'm showing a little bit now. It's not noticeably baby, but my stomach definitely sticks out a little. Every time I see a pregnant woman who looks like she must be near the end I think that I have a long way to go still. I am a little scared of getting so big but I know it's for such a wonderful reason. At my 15 week appointment I had expected to have a total weight gain of at least 3-4 pounds but it was still just 1.5. The midwife told me to eat more protein so I have been trying to do that. With how I'm looking now I fully expect to be caught up in the weight gain department. Haha.

Hubby and I spent a night looking at the baby name book. It was so fun! A lot of the names I like don't work with our last name and some of the names are too easy to make fun of. We got the list down but nothing firm. I don't even know if we will decide on a name before the baby is born. I like the idea of seeing the baby before his/her name is decided...

Here are my current stats:

How far along? 17 wk 4 days

Weight gain? 1.5 lbs at 15 weeks but I feel like I'm up to at least 5 now

How big is baby? 5 inches and 5 ounces (the size of an onion I think)

Maternity clothes? Yes, definitely. I spent the gift card hubby gave me and got a ton of cute shirts, tunics, and dresses. I can still wear some of my regular pants and many of my regular shirts but my skirts are all out so it was nice to get some dresses.

Food cravings? No, but the aversions aren't as bad. I have been able to eat most things as normal. I even had Chinese for the first time since getting pregnant!

Labor signs? no

Stretch marks? Not yet...

How are you feeling? Tired. I haven't had much energy lately but things have been hectic. I started my prenatal workouts but it was soooo exhausting.

What am I looking forward to? Feeling the baby move. I think I felt something last weekend but I can't be sure.

What I miss? Margaritas! I have been seeing them everywhere now that it's getting hotter. Oh my gosh they look so delicious.

Sleep? I can never seem to get enough. One day this week I slept from 9:30 to 6 and that was nice but I could have used another half hour or so.

Best moment this week? Talking baby names with the hubby. It's nice to spend time together and think about our baby.

17 week pic:

House News.... We made an offer on a second house that is active, got a counter offer, accepted the counter offer, and then walked away. To make a long story short, we didn't think our real estate team was getting us the best deal. We also withdrew our offer on the short sale house so we are back to square one. In fact, we are starting completely fresh with a new lender and a new realtor. Hopefully there is still time to find a house before this baby arrives. :)

Second Trimester!

Well, the second trimester bliss hasn't set in yet, but today wasn't too bad so maybe it is about to start. I haven't been able to see the baby since 8 weeks so I cannot wait for my appointment next week. We did hear the heartbeat at 11 weeks which was amazing and also nerve-wracking. The midwife searched and searched for the heartbeat and I saw hubby getting nervous, but then she found it and all was good. :)

I cannot believe I am one third done! Then again, I cannot wait for June 1st and my anatomy scan! Hubby and I definitely want to find out the gender and have decided to wait to buy anything baby until after we know. We are leaning towards girl right now, but who knows...

Here's the latest:

How far along? 14 wk 1 day

Weight gain? 1.5 lbs at 11 weeks so probably more like 3-4 now

How big is baby? According to the Internet - the size of a lemon or about 3.5 inches and 1.5 ounces

Maternity clothes? Well I did buy some maternity leggings which I've been loving but otherwise I'm still making do with my regular clothes. I also bought the Bella Band though I've only worn it once so far.

Food cravings? Fresh fruit and veggies are always sounding delicious

Labor signs? No no

Stretch marks? Nope, not yet

How are you feeling? Well the nausea comes and goes. Some days are terrible and some are just ok. Headaches are more frequent now and my back has been hurting the last week or two.

What am I looking forward to? My appointment next Wednesday to see my baby on ultrasound again!

What I miss? Not dreading getting dressed in the morning, haha

Sleep? I've been sleeping pretty well and have had several baby dreams so far. Haven't had to wake up in the middle of the night to pee for a few weeks which has been awesome.

Best moment this week? Reaching the second trimester!

Here is my 14 week pic:

In other news... We made an offer on a short-sale house last month. The sellers accepted our offer but the bank is taking its sweet time so we haven't heard anything yet. It was so exciting to make an offer but the waiting definitely stinks. We are still house hunting but only looking at "active" houses and there aren't too many of those. Fingers crossed that the bank responds soon!

Resolutions

One of my resolutions from 2010 was to start running. Well... I did run a few times but not as much as I wanted. Seeing as how I am supposed to run a half marathon come December, my resolution for 2011 is to work on my running. I set two small goals to complete by April. 1 - to run a full mile without stopping 2. to run at least one mile under 9 minutes. Well I reached my first goal this week and ran 1.02 miles without stopping. Whew! It took me over 12 minutes though so it's going to be awhile before I reach my second goal. Plus I've only been running around 2 miles at a time so I definitely need to work on my distance. I feel good about my start though!

I didn't want to give myself a weight loss resolution this year, but I am hoping that it is a side effect of running. The number isn't as important as it used to be, but I would like to tone up and feel a little more confident with my body. Since I am trying to get pregnant I want to focus on being healthy and more active and not stress myself out over trying to reach a specific weight. I'm not going to lie, I wouldn't mind losing 10 pounds but as long as I don't gain weight (unless I'm pregnant!) I'll be happy.

I suppose buying a house isn't a resolution but it's a goal for 2011. The hubby and I looked at houses a few times now and I am feeling so much better about our options. We saw a few houses that I would consider contenders but I am hoping that by the time we are ready to make an offer there will be better options available. It's clear that we will not be getting everything on our wish list, but I think we will definitely be able to buy a house we love and only have to make some small sacrifices. Only time will tell though...

While the hubby is out of town for the long weekend I am home and thought it was a perfect night to make homemade peanut butter cookies. Mmmm! They turned out delicious. I think I'm going to look up recipes for cupcakes soon. I want to try something new and challenging to help broaden my skills. 

Updates!

I can't believe Christmas is this week! I just got home from my work holiday party and it was actually fun! :) It was the first of many parties this week so hopefully they are all fun. I'm sure by next week I will be exhausted.

Well the fertility report is in! My nurse said the hubby's semen is good, no problems. My blood work was all normal except my Vitamin D was low. (I'm now taking two supplements a day to increase my Vitamin D) The hysterosalpingogram was pretty unpleasant but the results were good - tubes clear! The nurse did an ultrasound and physical and didn't find anything so the plan is to start Clomid next month. I haven't given up hope for this cycle but it's nice to know I have a plan for next month. 

Hubby and I saw our first 5 houses yesterday. It was both incredibly exciting and completely depressing! LOL. The houses our realtor showed us were all big fat negatives! Oh my goodness I think we need to narrow our search and focus in on the things we must have. For the first outing it was productive but I hope the next outing brings more houses we could see ourselves in. 

I've noticed a lot of people want in on the house hunt. It's kind of funny how everyone thinks they know what you should get. I mean, I appreciate advice, but don't tell me what to do. :) I'm pretty stubborn about things like this and I can get really defensive so when it comes to a girl and her first house, let her make the decision on her own and when she's ready for advice she will ask for it. 

I need to start thinking about my resolutions for 2011...

Busy Busy Bee

Well the last month has been crazy busy! I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving and time for our trip to Iowa! Time has been flying, but I think a lot has been accomplished. If not, at least the hubs and I have been having some fun. :)

Since the double biopsy I have been feeling better. I still haven't been able to sleep on my stomach without my boob hurting, but I think it's at least partly psychological. I am expecting it to hurt I think. Anyway, for now I am waiting until my first follow-up ultrasound before I decide to have the fibroadenomas removed or not. I don't want to deal with the hassle of surgery right now, especially when the doctors are recommending against it. So for now it's wait and see.

The hubs career is nearing take-off. He has an interview coming up for a job in a desired school for the rest of this year that could potentially turn into a full-time job for next year at one of the schools in the district. To prepare for his interview he bought his first suit this week. It is so handsome and he looks like such a grown up. It's funny how putting on a nice new fancy suit can make you change your attitude and appearance. I would definitely take notice of him (and hire him)! Good Luck Baby!

The house hunt has partially begun over the last few weeks. We aren't planning to buy until next spring but we have heard it can take a long time to find the right place and we want to narrow down our search before we really dig in. There are two towns we are considering and both have a lot of new construction, so we have been touring model homes lately. It is a lot of fun and it would be amazing to see your house built from the ground up. On the other hand I don't know if I want to live in a still-developing community where you don't know if, or when, the other houses will be built. So, we are looking at plenty of older homes too. Our realtor is scheduling our first outing and I am so excited. It's funny how before we starting looking at houses we had all these criteria of must-haves and deal-breakers and after actually walking through houses the criteria changed. Now it's not "I cannot live in a house without a window in the kitchen." It has evolved to "I cannot live in a house with a kitchen that doesn't have adequate cabinet/cupboard space; windows be damned." Needless to say we are loving being first-time home searchers! :)

Also this past week, the hubs and I went to a fertility/infertility seminar. After being prescribed provera for the third time I figured I had better start actively trying to figure out what is up with my body, so I talked to my ob/gyn. He referred me to a speciality clinic and the first step with them was to attend a two-hour seminar. Most of the couples at the seminar were young, like us, and many of the ladies seemed to be having the same problems as me. The seminar was helpful and made me feel hopeful that the clinic staff would be able to provide answers and help. Overall it was a good step. Now I have to have some tests done and the hubs is getting a semen analysis, which I guess is all standard procedure. We won't have an official consult until the results from our tests our in, probably mid December. I don't think either of us is too worried about anything right now but the process is becoming more stressful as time passes so I am really glad we've requested the specialty clinic's help.

Well I really ought to update my blog more often! My life has sure been busy but I still made time for my sweets! Mmm... the apple pie I made yesterday came out beautiful and was pretty good to boot. I also found out about some cake classes a local bakery does and am so excited to take them. I would love to spend more time baking so I hope my future house has a sweet kitchen!!