Weekend Abouts

We have raspberries!  Now, if we can just keep the birds off 'em

Saturday....

Saturday night I went out for and awesome girl's night full of food, wine, lots a baby talk and lots of laughter.  Sarah was a wonderful hostess!

This little stink-pot turned THREE on Sunday!

We went to the park, rode his strider bike on the great walking trail

This didn't turn out well because I got Matt twirling the leash in it, but you can kind of see Charlie's face.  He was running around and around with this very serious face.

Then we went to the store and bought him this awesome pool.  It has a slide and cute little whales...I can't wait to play in it this summer!!

Pardon the crappy picture - but we went to see Monsters University at an actual movie theater, it was Charlie's first time.The movie was cute, but he doesn't watch movies really, and if he does, he's down playing on the floor. So sitting still was a little hard for him.  We went out to fancy dinner after at IHOP (Charlie LOVES diner food).

Small Changes

Got this solid wood broyhill dresser at a garage sale 2-3 years ago.  Slightly dated, but sturdy and functional.  I have no idea why it took me so long to make a $15 change....

Cheaper than buying 8, I bought 10.  This is in our guest room, so cheap was key.  Plus, I had to go pretty traditional because of the style of dresser (anyone need 2 drawer pulls?)

Half way done- Hi Fletcher!

I was afraid the giant pulls would have marked up the wood, but it didn't at all.  The few markings that were there came off with a damp rag

I hate those giant, scrolly, brassy pulls.  This dresser just needed to chill out. Still used a slightly muted brass because any other metal would have looked ridiculous with the 80's-esque vibe this dresser has going on. Our DIY list is getting a little long, so I've been searching out small changes that don't pile any more 'honey do' on my husband

Summer Projects

Because if I post it here, I'm more likely to do it, correct? First up, make a bench for our 'new' kitchen table
Using pipe turns and inexpensive wooden bench into a much more costly project, but how flippin' easy source 

As you can see (through the bad lighting) we are using our chairs from our old table and they are uggo.  I want a bench on one side and then 4 new chairs - hopefully these.

Also hoping to paint the kitchen this grey color and a white...we shall see if it actually happens Martha's Cement Grey via favoritepaingcolorsblog.com

Next up- For our front porch.  It's fully exposed, so the only 'rug' that has worked are the God-Awful rubber 'wrought iron' looking rugs  Source 

You know, these horrendous things?

How cool is this?  Could you imagine when it's all filled in?  This is made using an old paper lantern source

And remember this?  Our bench still coming along, I told myself I wouldn't post the bench until it was 100% completed

I wanted it to be beach-washed blue-ish.  Thought it would good up against our red house.  The above is super easy, it just Minwax Wood Finish in Classic Gray via ana white 

Another Ana White project, a big one.  We may wimp out and buy a bed, but I hoping we can get this done to have Charlie in a big boy bed by end of the summer...another big, fat 'we shall see'.  Full plans and awesome directions via ana white

King Girl's Weekend!

Yet again, we crash my sister's house to get the girl's together

Long overdue visit

Melinda's Goddaughter, aka our second cousin (your first cousin's kid, right?) has been watching the girls this summer and I don't think Melinda is going to let her leave!!

Charlie escorting Haley to bring the girls something at their sleepover

The only man we let crash our girl's weekends.  He was (mostly) hilarious all weekend.

Cards!

Haley has been slip and sliding, not black eyes, I promise

The girls! B: Pat, Jess, Haley, Stacey, Val, Myrna, Lea, Joyce, Mal F: Melinda, Elise, Lauren,Dudley the wiener dog, Mollie, Charlie

Charlie and Dudley watching me load up the car

You know, we are so lucky to have family like this around.  Not everyone gets that.  My cousins are most of my best friends- even my aunts.  I love as adults we are are still going strong and ALL make the effort to see each other regularly.  These ladies are so important to me.

Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market

Went up to my sister's for a girl's weekend.  At my sister's insistence, we got up at the crack of dawn to get down to the Farmer's Market.  I thought my sister was exaggerating how crazy it gets down there.  She was not.

Their farmer's market kicks our Farmer's Market's butt - everything about it is better.  I may have to explore other farmer's markets around KC and see if I can find a better one.  I didn't know that's what they could be! 

Charlie was pretty much a nightmare the whole time.  Over crowded market's aren't a good place for high-energy, curious toddlers. 

We did find a train like ours in KC, but in this department, KC's train is much better than Des Moines

The driver at the KC market is hilarious, and gets SO into it with the kids.  This guy just kinda looked like he could care less.  But hey, it was a choo-choo and Charlie was thrilled.

My camera died, so I have no other pictures from the Market. I know you are all fascinated, I'm sure the NY Times will hit me up any minute to see if they can run this hard hitting and in-depth review on Midwest Farmer's Market choo-choo's....

Look who got to come to work with me!

I love working for small companies...

Gettin' it Done

Charlie has always been terrified of the mower so it was time for a little desensitization

Matt wore his headphones so Charlie would keep his on

It looked so comical to me

Steer that way!