Have a slice!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Word Games

Lauren and I play this fun game in the car when we drive back home after picking her up from Grandma's. I ask her what she did all day and she just repeats the last word of every question, no matter how silly. It's funny how she understands that it's a game and will repeat my words even if she doesn't understand them. It kinda goes like this:

Lauren, what'd you do today?
-day
Did you go outside?
-achide
Did you smell flowers?
-awer
Did you see a doggy?
-daggy
did you eat chicken?
-cheek
Did you play on the sidewalk?
-wok
Did you have adobo?
-abo
Did you peel an orange
-owane
Did you go to the grocery?
-ree
Did you watch grandma's soap operas?
-sopa

It goes on and on and on...it makes the 10 minute drive home go by so fast and it's amazing how her language skills improve day to day. Sometimes I'll throw in a hard one like "Did you watch the television?" and she just looks at me with her mouth and eyes open wide. Funny girl.

Everyone Has Fun in the Music Class

That's the title of the opening song in Lauren's new music class. It's a fun and interactive music class for kids 4 and under held at our new favorite place: the local library. The kids get to play with different percussion instruments, dance, jump and sing. It's way cheaper than Gymboree and only a mile away from our house. Even though we don't think Lauren needs a music class for exposure (she get enough of that between our house and her grandmas...we're a pretty musical bunch), it's great because she gets to interact with other kids. I'm sure she could use other company besides us and her grandparents!

Shaking her bonbon

She was a little shy at first, but by the time the maracas and tambourines came out she was laughing, playing, and dancing with the other kids.

Making new friends

Grandma R. went to class with us and took part in the fun.

After class, Grandma and Lauren had fun in the kids play area of the library

Isn't our library cool?

Makeover madness

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I've been thinking a lot about making over old/used/ugly furniture..my first project was to do something with this thrift store find, a fugly but functional TV tray:

A little sanding, some spray primer, black spray paint, and a can of chalkboard spray paint later, I got this:

Fun! Lauren enjoys drawing on it and I love how the sides fold down

We needed a new entertainment center/TV stand but didn't have the bucks to buy a new one so I thought I'd repurpose this apothecary table. In its previous life it lived at my boss' house and was painted a distressed/antiqued white. He gave me the table, originally from Pottery Barn, for FREE! The shabby chic look didn't quite fit in with our living room so I primed and spray-painted it black with a satin finish. You like?

Lauren likes it!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Project!

Spring is here and my head is swimming with spring and summer craft/home/garden projects that I can't wait to jump on. I've been in a furniture re-do kick for the last couple of weeks and it will probably continue on through summer...I need to furnish our home but have a limited budget. I was browsing Ohdeedoh last night and came up with some great ideas.

I so want to spruce up the glider rocker that was handed down to us with some new fabric.

This example of someone else's makeover (from Ohdeedoh) uses fabric from IKEA. I was thinking of choosing an Amy Butler design (I am kinda obsessed with her fabric) like these (click through if you want to see the selection..so many to choose from!)

I also want to make this miniature garden...Ain't it cute?!! (example also from Ohdeedoh)

I love these great reproduction WPA posters. A few of them would look great in Lauren's children's-book-themed room.

I WANT this Damien Hirsch piece....it was the inspiration for the design and colors in Lauren's room..but a print is $750. Until someone recently posted it on Ohdeedoh, I didn't know the artist behind it...I guess she had the same idea I had! I'm sure I can find a super cheap poster or reproduction somewhere. Target had a great line of decor from Dwell Studios that seemed to be inspired by this print and that's what I used for her room. I still have some of the wall decals so maybe I can put them together and make my own artwork.