Who Are We Today

 We pretend here, we pretend a lot. So I knew that our one 'fancy dress', tutu skirt, and couple of hats for dress up wouldn't get us far. Back in October I started collecting items on my thrifting trips. Bigger sized fancy dresses (one sailor outfit - ahem, cute!), colorful scarves, clip on ties, and various hats. It took me about two months to collect enough things to be a true dress up set. In addition, I sewed a few pieces. Two crowns, two capes, and a waitress apron.

Years ago, while searching the internet for clothing storage ideas for Piper's itty bitty closet-less room I came across the cutest hanging branch clothes rack. I didn't end up using it then. Recently, I came across the idea again. I thought it was the perfect solution to storing the dress up set. Fit the bill for something compact and accessible. Moving to a bigger house hasn't really left us with loads of empty space, we're still eking out 'extra' space where we can. Dress up would be sharing space with the book nook.

My sister brought the littles this stick. The thought of her getting on and off the bus toting this stick still makes me giggle. To use as a walking stick. It's really the perfect size for a pint size walking stick. Unfortunately, many fights ensued over its use. Along with things and people getting accidentally clobbered with it, led me to retire it from its use as a walking stick. When planning out our dress up installation I thought of searching the yard for a good stick. Then remembered the perfect stick.

We hung it from the ceiling with eye hooks and twine, for a natural look. I slipped on a set of curtain clips before we hung it to hang the hats, scarves, crowns, etc.

What gets used most is the 'fancy dresses' and crowns by Piper. Calder likes to go the farmer hat route. Quite the pair. Piper is usually the instigator in Calder's part in playing dress up. I'm sure he'll be at it full bore soon enough. For now, Piper helps him unclip his hat from the rack. Then they dance in the mirror.

Piper's other favorite is the waitress outfit. I made an apron with pockets from a cloth napkin, some fabric scraps (recognize the vintage sheet?) and some trims. Looks more like the cafe waitress apron, after all the kitchen is her cafe.

To go with it I ordered some guest check pads from the internet. Piper loves them! Real waitress pads! And she's such an attentive waitress. Always asks for drink, meal and dessert. Then off she goes to make it up in her kitchen. Bringing back exactly what you ordered. The best part is when she gets this scrunched up sad face and tells you, 'oh, we don't have that today.'

We've had it up for over two months now and it's getting plenty of use. That makes me happy.

Moving Along

We're getting there. Settled in that is, but very slowly. We're on the, we-have-two-kids-and-a-kitchen-in-the-midst-of-some-updates pace. Slowly we are getting used to things in a new spot, or faucets that run a bit differently than we're used to, or trying to figure how these cabinets were ever functional for the previous owners and working on adjusting before we decide to go our own way. In some moments I feel as though we're just borrowing this space, because it all feels so different.

I have learned my limits for home improvements since we went through this with our last house. I know that I can't handle pulling everything apart and slowly putting it back together. Not now that my work is my family and home and I don't leave the mess behind all day. One thing at a time.

We still look like this through out most of the house. Many boxes unpacked and things out of place. There are walls that are still not painted and I think that I'll be painting trim for a year's time.  I have yet to hang anything on the walls or windows. The list goes on, and on... and on. But I finally have more than just a path cleared and a load of laundry in the machine, and that's something.

Luckily, some spots are closer to being set up. Giving a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

Some spots were set up first thing and have been used many times over. A spot where the littles can retreat too, away from the rest of the mess. Where they can surround themselves with their own mess. Something they are quite used to.

Then there is nothing like a nearly complete new floor and just delivered pretty appliances to make you over look the silly things like not having any baseboards. Or having your dishwasher where your dining room table should be.

These things are not important anyway, right?

Progress

Well we're eleven days in, and we've been busy. We move in two days. A lot has been done, yet there is a lot left to do. Here is a little peek at some of what we've been doing. Please excuse the pictures, I took many of them quickly as we left the house tonight. 

Calder's room: remember that lovely wallpaper. It took two and a half days to get down. At which point I was so tired of working on it that I closed the door for a few days and went elsewhere. Finally returned to prime the walls and ceiling (had been painted to match the wallpaper - ugh!) and painted it all. The color is off in this picture, it's actually a green. Which reminds us all of a toned down version of our old living room.

The downstairs bathroom is now blue - kind of a dirty robins egg. It was a quick paint, sometimes small is good. It was (near) instant gratification. Zac even found a few minutes to install a new light for me.

Living room was the first room to be painted. Khaki/beige - boring I know compared to our last house, but I decided to go more neutral this go round. Hoping it will be easier to swap out the fabrics as I tire of them. The halls though out the house are the same color just two shades lighter.

Piper's room: it's pink! Her current favorite color. Luckily for me she chose a light shade, based on the color name - what else? She's also request stripes which we've yet to get too. Soon, I keep telling her. It was so much fun to have her come into a half painted room and jump and squeal with joy over having a pink room at last. 

Lest I make it sound as if I've done this all myself - I must say that my two Madison based sisters have been an immeasurable help in this process, and will continue to be. Without their help painting and watching littles, most of this would not be done.

Zac, along with his friend, have been working on installing a new tile floor in the kitchen in the after work hours. There is so much more that needs, we want to be done. It's slow going, but that's fine. Zac has been a good balance for me throughout these days. As I stress over what's not going to get done before we move in, he gently reminds me that we have forever. I love that... but I still can't wait to get curtains hung and things on the walls.

Home Sweet Home

Today was a big day for our family, we closed on our new home this morning. Our for-a-very-long-time home. We're so happy to have found it.  We went straight 'home' after our closing. Piper held the new keys. It was a bit surreal going in by ourselves for the first time - we'd been waiting for this day for months now. It didn't have any of our stuff, nor our smell, but it was ours. 

We had cake, that Piper and I made yesterday, in celebration of our new beginnings in this place. I think us girls were the most excited about this celebration, as we planned it. Calder was just happy to have been given chocolate milk. Zac busily walked around documenting the house, which we didn't do in our last house and always regretted it, before we put any of us into it. 

Then we got right to work. The littles and I attacked this room while Zac pulled up the very (very!) old linoleum in the kitchen. This will soon be Calder's room. Very man's office-ish, no? 

All that not so cute wallpaper you see came down. We still have a bit of paper backing to scrape from the walls, then to wash them before we can start painting. But I already feel it's much improved. We forgot to take an end of day one picture, but will first thing tomorrow. 

Zac has already met neighbors on both sides of us and a few others from across the street. As my mom says, he's good for that. And many other things - of course.