First Project of the New Year

I actually managed one project on day one of 2014! A chalkboard picture frame. Lookie:

Haley is my precious niece. I think I'm going to give this to her on her first birthday….it's in April…I got excited…..

Here's how I did it. First, gather the raw materials:

Chunky frames work especially nice. I found this antiquing in downtown Newnan. Someone had already painted it black.

Next, prime it with a coat of spray paint:

While that's drying, go ahead and paint your board with its first coat of chalkboard paint.

                                         

I put two coats of primer on my frame. Then I put two coats of white spray paint over top. I think this was the first coat:

I especially like that you could see a little of the black peeking through the white. Made it look a little more shabby chic.

                                        

Then, voila! Put the two pieces together (I'm going to attach them using a little silicone caulking). Don't forget to mark up the chalkboard with a layer of chalk and erase it before it's ready for use.

A Carpenter

Jesus was a carpenter.

My daddy is a carpenter (by choice — or maybe at first out of necessity — rather than by trade).

Obviously I hold carpenters in high regard. As we toast today to 2014 and new beginnings, I am excited to announce a new beginning of sorts for my blog. Maybe more like a resurrection ;-)

There was a time before Nora when you saw home renovation projects and overall craftiness. You'll recall my father's helpful home improvements, like our Pottery Barn-inspired mirror:

Our foyer coat rack:

Our pantry:

And the raised bed for my garden:

You'll recall that my father-in-law and husband redid our back porch, including repainting, rescreening and recarpeting:

We all pitched in to lay stones for a patio in our backyard for a grill and picnic area:

There were also a lot of landscape projects, a kitchen redo (one month before Nora's arrival) and lots of home staging!

These projects were backbreaking. Everything took at least twice as long as we anticipated — and probably ended up costing about that, too. And we love it!!!!! I love getting my hands dirty for a cause. In 2014, there will be more of that (Nora & God willing!). I'm going to start small and build my way up to bigger projects (remember, there's an entire upstairs of my house that is blue and is beckoning me….). I hope to build my wood-working skills a bit at a time. Hopefully the carpenters in my life will step up and help when I get in over my head. And I will get in over my head.

So, for now, consider me a weekend, nap time warrior.

Consider this blog Simply Melville-lous, redefined.

I have a guy now who is supplying me raw materials for some of the projects I've dreamed up. Like I said, I plan to start simple. Here is a preview of the materials for one of the first projects I'm planning:

Happy New Year everyone! Make this the year that you do what you love.

Happy First Birthday, Nora!

I abandoned my blog because life got too hard.

I'm baaaack.

It's not that life is easy now, but we're in a much better place. I'm not so scared of my child....I think she started sleeping through the night somewhere around 9 months (yes, there's a correlation between my sleep and my anxiety). We've established a little routine. I know her in a way only her momma can. I can read her nonverbals. I can finally provide her comfort in ways outside of feeding her (we also weaned somewhere around 10 months).

Despite those challenges of becoming a first-time parent, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Nora grow, learn new things and develop a distinct little personality.

She's fiery and passionate and stubborn — and she's not even a Taurus like her momma! She's so expressive and talkative. She's already a social butterfly. She's going through a touch of separation anxiety, which is sad but also makes me feel needed and appreciated.

She loves her teddy bear and blankie and can't sleep without them. Her new fav toy after her birthday party is her cuddle monkey that Aunt Amy got her. Her favorite thing to do in the entire world is read. She would sit and read all day if we'd let her. Her favorite stories are The Boy with the Drum from Farm Tales and Goodnight Moon. She loves music and already has rhythm; I love it when she breaks out an unexpected jig. Of course, her dada and I have been making songs out of EVERYTHING she does since she arrived in this world. Her favorite thing to say is: "Nora, Nora, Nora KATE!" That and a four letter word (on accident) that I won't post here — we think she's possibly trying to say sheep, or stop, or sit, or this.... She really has an impressive vocabulary. She is either saying or trying to say: Mama, Dada, kitty cat, hi, hello, uh-oh, tickle tickle, baaaa sheep, Tyler, stretch and peek-a-boo. The other day I pointed to the letters "T" "B" "S" and "P" and she was able to make the letter sounds!!! She is not a picky eater at all — anything we eat, she wants. The child has never turned away food. It's good that she has a mouth full of teeth — we lost count, but we think she has more than 6. Also, she's nearly ready to walk, but we're not in an awful rush for that!

They say parenting a child takes a village. Jonathan and I feel blessed that we have a village of people who love Nora and take excellent care of her (and US!). She has wonderful family, friends and caregivers.

Thank you, baby girl, for the most terrifying, awe-inspiring, rewarding, wonderful year of my life. I am just so proud of you. Your health, your heart and your curiosity are just such blessings to Mama and Dada. I thought I would be nothing but excited on the occasion of your first birthday. But, it's bittersweet. I will never get your first year back. Every day you're less my baby and more my little girl. I hope we made your start to life wonderful. I hope you'll always know how much you're loved.

Without further adieu, here are my pictures from Nora's first birthday party:

Happy 1st Father's Day

Jonathan/Daddy,

I married you because I knew you'd be an amazing husband. I just assumed that you'd be an equally amazing father...

In the beginning, we were both terrified. Here was this tiny life placed in our hands for constant care—and you took that responsibility very seriously. Dr. Google was your constant companion in those days. Then there was the problem of long daddy arms and a tiny baby girl who always seemed to slip through, much to your dismay (and sometimes discouragement). But practice over the past 7 months has indeed made perfect.

Now, I'm in awe of the relationship you've fostered with our daughter. No one makes her ba-bas like you (or sterilizes them like you!). No one can compose Nora-specific songs on the fly like you (except maybe me!) Her face lights up for her daddy in a way that is exclusively for YOU. Sometimes, when Nora does something precious just for you, I can almost hear your heart burst. I love watching you show her off proudly to anyone who'll listen. I love your baby banter—you already offer her so much wisdom and insight into life.

There is so much I look forward to seeing you both share over the years to come—trips to Lowe's, geology lessons, daddy/daughter dances, Disney world, Halloween & Christmas—just to name a FEW!

All this to admit that I was wrong about you. "Amazing" doesn't do you justice. I'm in awe and without sufficient words to describe you as a father. And because of that, I love you more than words. You are the heart of our family.

We love you,
Nora & Mommy