Real deal Holyfield.

Wow.  This little blog of a thousand names is now officially thestorysofarblog.com.

I know.  This is big news. 

I've continued to use thecottageapartment.blogspot.com because it was my original blog name "The Cottage Apartment" back in 2009.  At the time, I was moving from a house to an apartment that I was just sure would be my home for a very long time.  But things change and life happens and just five months after signing the lease on the apartment, I was moving into a house with my at-the-time boyfriend (he became fiance shortly after). 

I toyed around with different blog names along the way, like JandM, Your Mom's Blog and City Farmhouse.  I kept changing the name, but nothing seemed to stick.  Nothing fit what I was trying to do.  JandM was great for when I wanted to talk about my wedding (which was few and far between), Your Mom was great for when I was feeling super snarky (there was a string of posts that are hilarious but not necessarily posts I'd let my grandma read), and City Farmhouse was great, but I felt it put pressure on me to have an interior design blog, which is really what I planned to have.  But because of the wedding planning that was underway and the new chapter I was about to start, I found myself wanting to talk more about life and more than just interior design inspiration.  Since I was just sharing the occasional decor or design project, putting myself in the 'interior design blog' field pushed me away because it wasn't what other design blogs were.

This is my blog, after all.  And I should be able to talk about what I want without feeling cornered.  So in 2010, I started mulling about a new blog name... one that would stick.  I honestly googled 'how to choose a good blog name' a million times.  I may have visited more than one 'name my blog' random generator.  One afternoon I looked around my living room and saw my collection of CDs (yes, I still own CDs) and realized, "What do I love more than music?  Couldn't my blog name come from that?"

I made a list of favorite songs and favorite lyrics.  I texted my mom a final list and we both knew what the answer was:

The Story So Far

from a song by the same name by New Found Glory.  NFG was very big for me in high school and the name epitomizes what this blog is to me... this is just what I've been, where I've gone, who I am... so far.  The lyrics that I love the most are, "And everything else is irrelevant/to the story so far." Love.

So my promise at the beginning of the year to make this blog legit... official... the real deal Holyfield... is slowly coming to fruition.  On top of being a real domain now, I also have an actual blog design from Designer Blogs.  If you follow the blog in a reader, I encourage you to come check out the new digs... and everyone (meaning my mom) needs to update their favorites now to come straight to

www.TheStorySoFarBlog.com

So tell me... have you done anything exciting lately?  Made any big changes to your blog?  Or just tell me how your week is going so far...  I L-O-V-E comments.

Happy Leap Day!

P.S.  I want to thank those that commented on my last two posts with baby advice and home help.  Sadly, half of those that commented had no-reply emails :(  Go here for a quickie tutorial on how to not be a no-reply... because I want to respond to you for taking the time to visit with me!

P.P.S.  If you're not familiar with this song "The Story So Far" or if God forbid you don't know New Found Gory, here's a youtube video for your listening pleasure.  (Warning: the images in the video are super emo... just ignore that.)

My house needs to be cleaned but I’m writing this post instead. You’re welcome.

Seriously.  Things could not look worse around here.  I was all on my game and doing pretty good not totally failing keeping up with the hizzouse but then things happened and now I see no light at the end of the house cleaning tunnel.  So, in an act I can only classify as ‘master avoidance’ (at which I have a PhD), I re-organized some pictures on the laptop and sat down to write this post.  Since I’m being honest, I’m writing this post in the dark of our bedroom because Renner takes his afternoon nap in our bed.  And who am I to fight a 2 hour afternoon nap?  Given, I don’t get to nap because I’m generally fretting about what I should be doing and I don’t accomplish anything in the house because I’m too busy hovering. 

I’d also like to clarify that I *know* he shouldn’t be sleeping in my bed and yes, I plan to get him to take this nap in his crib (where he hasn’t ever slept) but this two hour afternoon nap is only 5 days old and I’M NOT ABOUT TO SCREW IT UP.  Babies are happy when they get sleep.  SO SO HAPPY. 

In other news, J was released from crutches.  Thank God.  Don’t get me wrong… I liked having him around.  But my day went from ‘see ya later’ at 9 am and ‘how was your day’ around 3 or 4 pm to me taking him to work every day at 9, me picking him up every day at 12 and then getting him things until he went to bed around 10 or 11.  Let me repeat from a previous post… I was happy to be able to help him but dang, Gina, two weeks is a long time.  His surgeon says his knee looks great and he should be back to normal in 3 months or so but he’s free to resume some normal activity, like driving himself to work and getting his own water.

Risking putting this out there and having it come back to bite me, Renner has dropped one of his night time feedings.  I was just on the verge of emailing every mom blogger I know in desperation when I realized after two nights in a row what was happening.  So major milestones this week: I’m now down to just two feedings a night and he’s taking a two hour afternoon nap.  Blessings, I tell ya. 

Renner has also started making a lot of noise and drool this week.  I’ve never experienced baby teething but I’m 98% sure he’s got one on the verge.  The kid just turned three months this week and he’s teething.  Maybe he’s just an overachiever.  Or maybe he wants to bring me back to earth after praising his new napping abilities.  Apparently my sister and I were super-droolers and my grandma says my dad was too, so lucky kid is taking after me already.  He’s also started making so much noise in the form of the cutest ever coos and gurgles.  He even surprises himself by blowing a raspberry every once in awhile.  It’s stinking adorable.

I cleaned out his dresser because the pile of things that couldn’t fit him was really getting crazy, and I was pushing more and more outfits aside because I knew they didn’t fit.  He started wearing his 6 month clothes at 6 weeks and now at 13 weeks I’ve started pushing 6 month clothes aside.  I knew the kid had a bunch of clothes, but I really had no idea until I sorted everything into ‘definitely sell’ and ‘keep IF we have another or if not, sort to keep the important stuff’.  These were the results:

This is tote is full of the things I love enough to keep for another baby (WHICH IS AN IF) or can’t bear to part with IF Renner is our one and only.  I love every.single.item. in this bin.

This is a diaper box (ended up being two diaper boxes) full of things I’m ready to part with.

The child is 3 months old and I already have this much stuff he can’t use.  I’m amazed by what people have given us and seriously, there is nothing more heartbreaking than looking back at the little outfits he wore over the last three months and realizing he’s already too big for them.  Time goes way too fast and babies grow way too quickly.  I also cried while sorting these clothes.  Don’t act surprised.

Renner’s awake, thus ending my post prematurely.  Story of my life.  Have a happy weekend and if you have free time, come clean my house.  I promise you won’t have to do anything really, because I’ll feel too guilty and waste your time talking to you about baby things.  Enticing offer, really.

Quickies #1

Pretty picture: This is my wedding bouquet.  Seriously I need to just share my wedding pics.  ASAP.

Quick questions, that is.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  Now answer!

1.  Do you have a baby or have you had a baby?  Tell me when you felt like you had your days figured out and didn't feel like you were always behind.  How old was your baby?  I'm drowning in a sea of dishes, laundry, and other crap. 

2.  Directed at baby mothers still... did you exclusively breast feed and if you did, do you have any tips for getting the wee babe to sleep better at night?  FYI: He sleeps one 4 hour stretch and then wakes up every one and a half to two hours until morning.  I'd like to deal with the waking up like crazy in the wee hours.

3.  If you lived in a house where every room was a different paint color you didn't really care for, where would you start painting?  Master bedroom?  Kitchen?  Living room? 

4.  If I told you I took pictures of a recipe I planned to share but the pictures are totally not food blogger photos, would you care to see the pictures or do you just want the recipe?  I'd ask if you even want to see the recipe but I'm sharing it.  So there.

5.  I'm still taking recommendations on blog designers.  Because this is one ugly blog and girl needs help.

Happy Wednesday, mother lovers.

All we need is love...

Love is all we need.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Renner's Room: Ready for Changes and also, look at my kid.

Well, this post has taken me way longer than intended to post.  I wanted it to be ready last Saturday, or Monday at the latest.  But let me just tell you... if your husband has knee surgery and you have an 11 week old baby going through a growth spurt, just... don't.  Holy mother, I may never recover.  My Friday through whatever today is went like this: husband needs to water and reminder to take meds, baby needs the boob AGAIN, dog needs outside.  Dog needs treat, husband is hungry, baby needs the boob AGAIN.  Baby needs a diaper change, dog needs food, husband needs more ice/to go to the bathroom/to shower/to put pants on.  Put this on repeat.  Matter of fact, I'm still awake at 1:15 in the morning working on this post because husband home with bum knee = I haven't used the laptop in so long I forgot how to use it.

Luckily, J has recovered nicely (although he's pushing what the doctor's rules were) and Renner has traded the growth spurt and constant eating for refusing to nap.  My sweet little great nap taker wants to be awake... because alas! he has feet!!!  While hands were the bomb, his right foot is like an elusive creature that refuses to get.in.his.mouth.now.  Now all the pictures I take look like this:

And despite the serious hand sucking he's doing in this video, that high kicking right leg says again - get.in.my.mouth.now.  It doesn't get much cuter (okay, maybe a little cuter if a nap was involved):

Despite all the cuteness up in here, I'm hoping to recover a little with some serious girl & Renner time this weekend.  Depending on the weather, my mom, sis, Renner and I are either going to an antiques fair or watching movies at mi madres.  Either plan is fine by me as long as it involves little responsibility (besides Ren, natch) and getting out of the house.  But let's get down to the bidness of changing Renner's room.

I've revealed the room.  Told you the process.  Showed you the little details.  Now, I'm excited to share what I'm ready to change... already.  I really like his room as it is.  But I'd really like to LOVE his room.  I believe design truly is a work in progress, so his room now is like the base coat.  Now it needs some polish.  There are a few things that need to happen regardless.  These are the things that are still to be done to make the room more 'finished', even if I make no other changes to the room.  The more I think about his room, I see three options: change a little, change a lot, change everything.

Needs to happen
* Buy a rug
* Change up the curtains
* Remove the closet doors and hang curtains
* Make a longer crib skirt

Change a little
I've shared my love of stripes before, and I'm really not sure how Renner's room was gone without any. In this change a little plan, the main thing is that the grey walls stay but get wide white stripes on the crib wall and dresser wall. Like this inspiration pic:

Source: vintagerevivals.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

Artwork would only receive minor tweaks, but I would add a rug and change the curtains and linens away from brown and stay true to the grey/white/red/blue scheme.

Source: potterybarnkids.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: potterybarnkids.com via Meg on Pinterest

Change a lot
The current grey bothers me and unless something changes like the stripes in change a little, I need to re-paint. In change a lot, the inspiration is this:

Source: serenaandlily.com via Meg on Pinterest

And this:

Source: dashboard.bloglines.com via Meg on Pinterest

What does this mean? Wall color changes. Art changes. Linens, curtains change. An accent wall is still needed.  That super cute stripe blanket needs to be made.

Paint color I'm considering:

Source: modernsauce.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

The brown curtains could stay, but I think a woven shade like the inspo pic would break up the heavy brown.... or maybe I don't make the striped blanket, but instead make striped drapes:

Source: reckless-glamour.com via Meg on Pinterest

Rugs could go one of three ways as I see it right now.  It would depend on how the wall color looks with the curtain option I choose.  I see light, dark, or fun.

Source: target.com via Meg on Pinterest

 

Source: target.com via Meg on Pinterest

 
This rug:

Source: potterybarnkids.com via Meg on Pinterest

 
but in this color:

Source: potterybarnkids.com via Meg on Pinterest

 
And the art has to change.  While I'd add blue into the bedding, the navy blue and tons o' red needs to be scaled back to add more white.  Which means the armoire needs to be painted white (honestly, that needs to be done regardless).

*Okay, the more I look at change a lot, the more it looks like change everything.  I think it's just change a lot because the art will generally stay the same, as will the furniture, but wall color and fabrics change.
 
Change everything
Pretty sure my husband will think I'm crazy.  I don't even know for sure what direction I'd go in.  Maybe woodland?  Rustic?  Or go totally bananas and fork over the cash ($590!!!!!) for this dog set at Posh Tots and go theme cray-cray (won't.ever.happen):

Source: poshtots.com via Meg on Pinterest

Here are other rooms swirling around my Pinterest head for possible complete nursery room makeover.

Source: designsponge.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: s28.photobucket.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: jacmariebishop.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: hautemamasfaves.tumblr.com via Meg on Pinterest

So, what say you?  I think we can all agree the room needs something more but what?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on which route I should take.  I'm leaning towards change a lot with some influence from the change everything inspiration pics.  So tell me!  Also, if you've got other ideas for me, I want to know.  Like now, m'kay?


P.S.  I need an official blog design... and I want someone else to do it.  I'm taking recommendations on your fave blog designers and suggestions for that realm as well.  Stuff's about to get real up in here.

Renner's Room: The Little Details

We got this story started by revealing the room and starting from the beginning of the planning process. I left off loading in the three biggest pieces of furniture and deciding on a layout. Now, the fun stuff: all the details.

Walking into Renner's room is a collection of crosses we were given by (clockwise from top right) J's mom, my great aunt and uncle, and my bff Krystal.

I chose this bible verse for Renner and then found this on Pinterest:

Source: etsy.com via Meg on Pinterest

And used it as the template for my own hand painted canvas.

I made the bunting before I even had the walls painted.  The 'RAD' frame came from Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $3!!! and the letters came from Hobby Lobby.  J sprayed the frame and I painted the letters.

These are supposed to be floating shelves.  Alas, you see the brackets, making them not floating shelves.  I can't even describe to you the wall damage that exists behind the strategically placed props.  My husband, while he can sand and paint anything (like these shelves, they were white) apparently cannot hang floating shelves to save his life.

(Holy crap I need to learn to take better pictures.)  The large R came from a fall crafts show and was only $21.  You can also see the way too short crib skirt from Target via eBay, the baseball quilt made by my cousin/friend's dad, and the afghan crochet (knit? idk) by my grandma.

I cut the burlap tablecloth from burlap off our old headboard.  J sprayed this previously white (it was mauve and gold before I sprayed it white) lamp base in the same navy blue as the not floating shelves.  The dog with the beady eyes holds the balloons proud dad J bought the day we had Renner.

On Renner's dresser is a collection of some of my fave baby shower gifts.  The lion is a Scentsy Buddy and makes his room smells the way you imagine babies should smell... sweet baby smell.  The piggy bank was made by Renner's godmom and I couldn't love it any more. 

The Peanuts print is from my mom.  My mom's sister (my Aunt Debbie) passed away when my mom was 8 months pregnant with me from cancer.  We always see little signs from her, just to remind us she's watching.  So my mom was shopping at Hallmark the week before my shower and walked down an aisle and just happened upon this print.  It just caught her eye.  See, Debbie loved Peanuts and Snoopy.  The print says "Life is what you make it".  I love getting to think of my mom and my Aunt Debbie every time I see it.

My wee little gallery wall.  I love it and want to make it bigger.  Clockwise, starting from the red frame far left: 
*Red frame - painted red by J, holds my favorite pic of J and I from our wedding
*Alphabet - made by me with felt letterman jacket style scrapbook stickers
*Spotted dog - picked up the dog at Michael's, removed the glass and glued on blue scrapbook paper
*Black circle - wood circle from HobLob, painted black to mimic chalkboard, I wrote in Renner's birth stats
*Lower case 'r' - cut the 'r' from paper and foam to make it pop
*AllStar - painted basic wood frame blue, AllStar sticker from friend's scrapbook store (still needs a pic!)
*2011 & baseball - both scrapbook elements, placed on burlap and scrapbook paper
*9 - purchased from Pottery Barn as a gift for J one year
*Striped dog - tutorial coming soon!
I worked really hard assembling this set and did I mentioned I love it?

I do have a few tutorials planned on some of the elements... and I'm itching to share the changes I'm ready to make.  It's amazing what changes when you actually start living in a room!