Nursery Pics!

I finally remembered to take some pictures of Julianne's room before it got dark last weekend. We are just about finished in here and I wanted to document the results. I am not pleased at all with my photography skills (as usual) but this is the best I could do. I hope you get the idea and will come see the room in person. I don't feel like these do it justice at all. Here we go though...

This is the view from the door taken at different times of day. Andrew's mom made the pillow we will move to the chair once Julianne is here. Just thought it looked cute in there for now. She also made the crib skirt ...I love how it turned out. Andrew is adamantly against crib bumpers due to the recent research that suggests they are unsafe. I think the bed looks pretty without them though and I understand his reasoning, although I think bumpers are pretty.   

Window view with toy basket and little owl....

Other side of the room. Andrew's mom also made the basket liners for the changing table. I still need to hang that mirror you see on the floor there.

Some additional attempts at getting more shots of the room.....

Overall I am pleased and love how it has all come together. I really like all of the handmade touches and that most things in there can't be bought at BabiesRUs or some such retailer.

Hope you get the idea....

Nathalie



Home Improvements

I have neglected my blog the last couple of weeks in part to a little home improvement project we have Andrew has been working on non-stop. WhileI have not helped outright on anything, I have been in a support role providing lunch, drinks, and the occasional Home Depot run when needed. One of my posts months ago made a pitiful attempt at describing what our plans were for the space off our kitchen previously part of the garage. If you would like to see some before pics I included some then (see post HERE). At that time I had dreams about what our new pantry/dog/storage/utility room would be like, but the results are more than I could have imagined! It is so beautiful and wonderful and huge! Some of you have been to our home and know the limitations to our previous pantry space. I am simply amazed at what Andrew with the help of his brother Marty (THANK YOU MARTY!) were able to do in such a short amount of time. The pictures don't quite do it justice as that pesky window which I am thankful to have there, seems to mess up the lighting. Either way I think they communicate the beauty and splendor of our new home space. Enjoy:)

This is the opening from the kitchen....

As you round the corner

looking in...now you can see the pantry on the left...love it!

Spacey and luxurious dog area

Wesson's view from the crate...

Looking out...have I mentioned I love the pantry? 

We still have some shelves and hardware to add but it is essentially done and I don't have to keep our food on the mantle anymore! Thank you Andrew....I am very impressed with your handyman-ness.

Nathalie

Home Renovations

The McClish family is working on a project in our home. We are adding a small room off our kitchen to serve as a mud room/dog room/storage/utility room/walk in pantry. It will have multiple uses. I say we, but Andrew has really ran solo on this. I am in more of a support role to assist him whenever he needs a drink refill, extra hand to hold something, that sort of thing.  The whole project was also his idea and he has executed it perfectly without prior construction experience! Not that I am surprised, he is brilliant like that. One of the many cool things that comes with marriage to an engineer! The need for this room came from growing our family to 2 dogs and wanting a place to keep them and their gear when we aren't home that is not one of our 3 bedrooms. I have other plans for that bedroom one day...and it is not for a dog if you know what I mean:) The added space will also provide more storage, square footage, and value to our house that may come in handy if and when we sell someday.

  

                                    

 It is difficult to imagine if you have never been to our house, but this is our pantry before. A VERY small closet type space next to our hot water heater closet. We plan to knock down the wall behind these shelves:

                                     

 Behind that wall is this space. See that Budwiser cooler (don't ask me why we have such an item..I think we bought it in a pinch at a gas station in Austin) in the top left corner shelf? That is the original pantry wall.

Andrew demolished that work bench area you can't really see. He eventually built a wall accross that space closing it in as part of the house. We now walk into the new room from the old pantry.

Before this was taken I moved all of my pantry contents to our mantle, kitchen table, and various other areas of open space I could find throughout the house and Andrew took out the shelves.

Let the demolition begin! Good thing he didn't wear his nice socks for this....

So far the wall is up and the skeleton of the room is complete! It looks great and I will take a picture soon so you can see for yoursleves. Now we Andrew, with the help of his brother who used to remodel homes for a living, will finish it out by instaling a new pantry, hanging shelves, painting (I get to help with this part), and installing new tile. I can't wait!

Nathalie