Can you see it???

My Craigslist diamond in the rough--$75...

My found-on-the-side-of-the-highway at a three item yard sale--10 smacks!...
You have to look past the dreadful colors. Can you see the hidden potential? More of Operation Jie Mei Hwa (beautiful sisters) coming soon...

Just another day in the neighborhood...

Meet the offender...
View the scene of the crime...
Our little offender was placed safely in her crib while throwing the queen of all two year old tantrums. I came downstairs to call her Father and tell him what a little sassy pants his daughter was being. Two minutes later I see a little orange and black figure sneaking quietly across the living room. WHAT?????? Little sassy pants is standing in the living room. WHAT?????? Did you note that I placed her kicking and screaming IN HER CRIB? I could not speak. Every time I opened my mouth I almost laughed with disbelief. Did she REALLLLY jump out of her crib? There MUST be another explanation.

Mom: MG, HOW did you get out of your crib?
MG: {blank stare}
Mom: MG, HOW DID you get out of your crib?
MG: {blank stare}
this went on for about two minutes and then she replied...
MG: I used my feet

Lord, help us! This is what happens when your two year old is at the 97th percentile for height. I should note that her brother was too but he never attempted an escape. So, can you guess what I'm doing right now?

The forthcoming solution...Two white iron "Molly" headboards...coming right up. Operation Jie Mei Hwa (beautiful sisters) is coming around a little sooner than I expected. Good thing I've been preparing for it for a while.

{Edited to add: The picture of her crib was taken before she was born at our old house. Now, the mattress is at the lowest level and the bumper is gone. I just wanted to add that before someone thought I was a complete idiot. Also, I'm just buying the headboard in the picture...not the 1982 heart bedding. I found the picture online.}

Joining the Mistreatment Club...

We interrupt the current blog hiatus to inform you of my new membership status: the "Mistreatment Club". What is a mistreatment you ask? The Nester explains in her own words...

Mistreatment: (n). covering for a window that is quick, cheap and pretty. may or may not need hardware does not require sewing. a real designer's worst nightmare.

Mistreating: (v). the act of treating a window with dignity and respect without use of the following: hundreds of dollars, sewing, time, crying, divorce, child neglect...

Unfortunately, I can't say this entire window treatment is a mistreatment but at least half of it is. So, I'm pretending to be a full fledged member of this club even though this probably only constitutes part time status. I guess the Nester will have to decide.

The cast of characters:

-Two wooden plates from Hobby Lobby, 5/8 dowel rod, one Handy Manny (um, I mean hubby), a big power drill and some fancy drill bit that hubby just HAD to have to make this work
-10 perfectly fancy drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby (on sale 50% off)

-left over pink paint, a strong arm to push in the drawer pulls, a little Sumo glue to fix the drawer pulls that Handy Manny broke while using his strong arm and TAAADAAAAHHHH!!!!

-10 mistreated ties (cut, folded, ironed and ends snipped after they were tied...why sew something that is going to be on the ceiling?)
-2 of my FAVORITE flat sheets from PB Kids (pretty and pink with a touch of Asian inspiration--the girls will share a room), the girliest fringe I could find, and a friend named Stacey who loves to sew

**This is the part where I become a part time MC member...they are for the girls room and needed to be lined with blackout. If you are going to line them you might as well make them beautiful, right?**
-The window before (with a crazy haired, blue paci sporting baby girl and an ugly ladder because I didn't want to ask Handy Manny to move it for a photo op--by this point he was OVER my mistreatment)
-The finished product. Isn't it a great feeling when something in your mind becomes a reality? They are EXACTLY what I envisioned. I double knotted the ties around the dowel rod, hooked the drapery hooks into the tie and cut the ends of the ties into a "v". Don't they look precious with the crystal chandelier?

I can't wait to finish this room for my girls. Some day, I'm sure they will want a room of purple and yellow fluorescent stripes but for now they are going to have the prettiest little girl room I can dream (on a budget, of course). When I'm finished, I hope they love it as much as their Mommy.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my mistreatment and remember...

It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

That's a wrap...

Today was our last homestudy visit at the Social Workers office. MG decided to put on a show so we had to cut it short. It's not a great feeling when your toddler is showing out in front of your Social Worker. All you can do is smile and wonder what the appropriate response to the situation might be. Daddy could tell I was about to flip so he took both of them to the van. I wonder if she'll put "the googly eyes" as Mommy's discipline strategy? We should have our draft back in a couple weeks. Once it is approved by our agency then we can apply to immigration.

and in honor of our last homestudy visit for baby sister, LOOKY LOOKY LOOKY what came today...