15 Months and Oh-So-Cranky

I find myself lacking in the "spare time" department. Lorelai is 15 months on Thursday and I think it is a transitioning age for her. To be blunt, she is wearing me out. She sleeps "okay" during the night...mainly fussing only from tossing/turning or finding a dropped paci. When she is awake, however, it's a completely different story. Crying, screaming, throwing toys, disinterested in meals, easily frustrated, trouble balancing (?), and generally angry pretty much sum up her over-all mood for the past week...especially the last 2 days.

Usually taking her out of the house helps this fussiness...but no longer. Today's errands were: grab some lunch, go to Old Navy and then Hobby Lobby.

Did. Not. Go. Well.

A new pet peeve of mine? When I am wrestling a crying, shouting, slapping 1 year old, do not ask me how I am doing or if I'm finding everything all right. Obviously you can take one look at us and know we are not having a fun, casual time shopping...so just keep on walking please.

Oy.

I could go into detail, but frankly, why bother? You all can imagine the hourly play-by-play, I'm sure. I did get her a cute, clearance t-shirt; and I got some iron plaques for my empty wall space...so I did accomplish something.

Cell phone quality...oh well. Still, finished set-up here! :)

She is napping now and I am soaking in a few minutes of quiet relaxation, no laundry, no dishes, no chores...and more importantly, no baby crying. Oh my poor babe, I hope this phase pass quickly...for both of our sakes!

Ok. Oscar ballot run-down. Basically, I sucked this year. I did pick nominees I knew probably weren't going to win, but still...I missed a lot!


BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse


Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball


Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close


Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn


Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help


Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Pa nda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango


DIRECTING
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants - Alexander Payne
Hugo - Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick


The gold font were my votes, the bold are the actually winners. You do the math...seriously, do it, Lorelai is up from her nap already. *sigh*


M.LEWIS

My Ballot

Now this ballot is a mix of "what I want to win," "what I think will win," and "what I feel deserves to win." Overall I feel pretty good about my picks. I will update you all later with my % of correct winners. Looking forward to tomorrow night indeed!


*I must say this: I have unfortunately not seen many of these films, but I have seen several. So when it comes to the films I haven't yet seen, I use an "educated guess" system. ;)


What are your picks? Do you agree? Disagree? So much to think about....


BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse


Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball


Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close


Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn


Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help


Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Pa nda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango


DIRECTING
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants - Alexander Payne
Hugo - Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

There are many more categories I did not mention, but I have predictions on those as well. I will give you all the complete list of winners after Sunday...if you (at that point) don't already know (or care). Have I ever mentioned I spent 1 weekend years ago making an exact replica of the Oscar statue? Yeah...it's awesome. If I receive feedback, I'll take a picture and share. ;)


Happy Oscar Weekend everyone!


M.LEWIS

Every Faucet But The Kitchen's Sink...We Already Did That One

House update time!

As I mentioned before, Chris and I decided that we would buy all new faucets for the bathroom sinks as a "anniversary present." I was looking forward to this...I hate the faucets. They were builder-grade, 10 years old, hard to clean, and just not pretty. Well, you can see for yourself. Not awful, but no where near nice.

 I hated the fact that the spout was waaay to close to the back of the sink. Your hands were practically pressed up against the basin just to wash off the soap. And the hard water residue, specially under the icky "glass" knobs, was enough for me to just toss them.

This faucet is in the guest or "kids" bathroom. No fancy design, no nooks and crannies for toothpaste or soap to get embedded in, just simple and sleek...easy to match brushed silver.

http://www.lowes.com/

This style of faucet is what we put in the master bathroom. A matching pair, this style is a bit more fancy but still easy to clean and easy to match future light fixtures and cabinet hardware.


http://www.lowes.com/





I love new improvements! Now we do have to go back to the store this weekend for a few more "odds and ends"...and hopefully something to silence our horribly loud master bathroom toilet. What's next on the list? Well, major projects include upgrading the master bath in the design department. Paint, re-staining the cabinets, installing a new light...well, heck...a lot really.See for yourself.
Other than that, we still have to do something with "the purple room." And maybe some outdoor lights?

Stay tuned. :)

P.S. Thanks to my husband who spent his whole day off switching out all the old faucets and installing the new ones. ♥


M.LEWIS

LEL & Ava...and Some Camera Leftovers

I feel like today is on pause. It has looked the same outside since 7am when we got up. Gray, rainy, dreary. Hard to believe it is almost 4pm. I had a good day so far...I miss Chris though. ;)
Chris went to go hang out with a bud while I had Maggie, Jen, and her little girl Ava over for lunch and a baby girl playdate.
Lorelai is too cute around other kids, I find it very endearing. :)

I am pretty sure Ava had a nice time too. She seemed to love Phoebe...minus the puppy licks.

It was good to see my pals again. I am thankful to have friends going through the same things I am in my life.



A few pictures to show you all now...I found them on the camera and decided "why not?" ;)

Here are the shelves I installed over the tv...I know, I know...they look warped, but it's the angle...no worries.

I am not sure what's on tv...but that is the full view of the shelves. I am happy with them. They help fill that annoying blank space over the television without being too bulky.

The bookcase I built...it now has a lamp on top and baskets on the shelves. They hold Phoebe's toys and sweaters. I still want to get something small to "top off" the wall area. Any suggestions?

See? It needs just a little decorative something on the wall to fill the void. I was thinking maybe a small mirror? Or maybe some cork tiles to pin paper work on? Not sure yet.

This collection is placed over my couch. It has been there since we moved in, but each season I sketch a new couple of pictures to put in the black frames. The tulip I made last year, but the bird is new. I think it achieves the "subtle spring" vibe I was going for. I wish I could find new and different places to swap out too. My rules are: light-weight and inexpensive...and a mix of colors. I am liking the eclectic style with this. :)



So, that is my picture post...I love that first picture of Lorelai and Ava. Those two are too cute!

M.LEWIS

Latest Lewis Lifestyle

It has been awhile since I did a general household update...so here we go.

As far as household updates goes, I haven't done too much, just simple stuff like painting the halls, redoing the pantry and filling my wonky wall. Chris and I's second wedding anniversary was a couple weeks and ago and we decided our gifts to each other would be new faucets for our master bath...and now one for the kids bath. So once those are installed I can post some before and after pics. Spring is just around the corner so I look forward to doing some upgrades outside with liners, plants, and flowers. I also plan to have before and after pics for that...in time. ;)

Lorelai is going through a...well...not-so-great phase. I blame it on upper teeth coming in (2 broke through, 2 more to go) but I fear my day-to-day life if this is not the culprit. She is can become this screaming, crying mess at the drop of a hat. Yesterday she seemed fussy so I showed her an animal cracker, asking her if she was hungry. She screamed, turned away, then ran, crying, running into a chair...making the fit worse...of course. She cries if her socks are twisted funny, if Phoebe goes outside and she doesn't (even when it's raining), she cries when she falls 3 inches onto her booty...seriously, anything and everything will make her act like her cute, tiny world is falling apart at the seams. What makes her happy? Walking around stores, standing out on the deck, and seeing other children. (She has begun stalking them in the aisles of stores.) Other than that she is doing okay, a little picky on her eating, but nothing severe. She mainly wants "big kid" foods, but need more teeth first. She is also going through diapers like no other...I am talking easily 6-8 a day...and since she "loves" diaper changes, she is super excited and cooperative when I need to change them. ;) She is walking full-time, and slowly out-growing her clothes just in time for new short sleeve t's...good timing. She drains me lately but I love my crazy little monkey girl.

On a sad note, I shattered my awesome camera lens. I can't think about it too much...it's so depressing. I still have a closer range one, so that's something. It just costs $$$$ to replace my 24-70mm broken one...and we all know I can't do that for awhile. *sigh*

I am having some good friends over tomorrow. Jen, her little sweetie, Ava, and our mutual friend Maggie! I am excited about it! The 3 of us haven't hung out in forever, and Maggie has yet to meet Ava...Lorelai will LOVE seeing Ava. I hope this breaks her out of her cranky funk. I plan to take some pictures. I am glad Lorelai has so many kids around her age she can play with. :)

That's pretty much the run down of our daily excursions. Cross your fingers that Lorelai's teeth come in soon...she needs some relax time, and mom needs a break! ;)

M.LEWIS

My Funny Little Wall

In the house, I have one wall area that was always tricky.

This picture is a little old, but it is the only "before" picture I have with this particular space in frame.

You see that DVD shelf under the light switch on the right side of the picture? Yep, that's the wall. It is about 3 1/2 feet wide on an angle leading towards the master bedroom/nursery wing of the house. I moved the DVD shelf ages ago because the little one learned how to crawl in this house and she soon found out dumping out dozens of plastic cases was oh-so-fun.

I did have a toy area there for awhile but it was the first thing you saw down the hall when you entered, and I never liked that. It was also a little annoying stepping on toys when you go to the bedrooms and back. I have since moved her toys and had a blank wall with an awkward empty space.

Available at Target

What to do? I took to the DIY/crafty mom bible, pinterest, hoping to find inspiration. Not much luck. So after staring at the space day in and day out I finally decided to get a console table (aka sofa table) to place against the wall. There were outlets near and I could easily throw a plant and a lamp on top and it could be a good place to charge phones/kindle.  Here is the issue with this piece of furniture: too deep and not tall enough. Basically it would look squatty and awkward there...and I envisioned catching the corner of the table every time I walked by it.

So, the table idea was out. :( I wanted something open and light there...nothing that seemed clunky and heavy...but I had a hard time finding any kind of table that fit my needed dimensions.

I finally decided to think outside the table box and I figured a bookshelf would be much narrower and not as long. I still wasn't crazy about the heavy, boxy look of a bookshelf, but hey, sometimes you have to give up some part of your vision in order for the majority of your wish list to work.

Poor quality from camera phone :\

So that's what I ended up getting. A bookshelf, a nice one...on sale too! :)

I went back to the store to buy a lamp and the large basket to help fill it up, but everything else was just laying around the house in some fashion.
I did have to help the lamp out a bit and give it a boost with some books to achieve the height I wanted (lamp sizes are limited) but overall I think I created the gist of my angle-wall-vision. I do want to get something subtle for the wall above...that light switch messes up my decorator instincts.

We do charge our phones there (giving me more counter space in the kitchen) and Phoebe's sweaters are stored in the smaller basket while her collection of toys sit in the large one below.


Just another improvement to our house, our home. :)

M.LEWIS

A Little Lorelai Moment

Me: "Lorelai? Are you stinky?"

Lorelai: Looks at me suspiciously.

Me: "Lorelai, do you need a diaper change?"

Lorelai: Turns to run away in her onesie heart pajamas. She then pauses, turns back around, runs to the coffee table and scoops up a handful of cereal. She then turns back again and continues escape.


Yep, my daughter stopped for a snack before running away from a diaper change. You got to love that girl ♥

M.LEWIS

And Now, I Present To You All...

...A little post called..."Pinterest's DIY: The Projects [I hope] No One Will Actually Do."


*Sorry to all who might find some of these appealing...I just had to say "Really?" when I saw these*


Torn Rag Wreath

http://pinterest.com/pin/284641638918144242/

                                 Crocheted Rock Covers    

http://pinterest.com/pin/193021533999205361/

 Old-Toys-Glued-Together & Painted Lamp                 CREEPY Make-Your-Own Skeleton Creature

http://pinterest.com/pin/182606959860873066/

http://pinterest.com/pin/263038434455928495/

            Chopped-Off Pencil Necklace                                         Too Many Hangers Lamp

http://pinterest.com/pin/94364554662095833/

http://pinterest.com/pin/182606959860873014/

Strange "Baby Fairy"...Decoration?                                           Test. Tube. Chandelier. 

http://pinterest.com/pin/6051780719137754/

http://pinterest.com/pin/255508978828934678/

So, next time you are on Pinterest, I encourage you all to think "Who would make this?" while browsing the DIY section. ;)

M.LEWIS

Marriage, Year 2

 Happy Anniversary to my husband of 2 whole, wonderful years! ♥

M. LEWIS