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Thursday, September 3, 2009

What's Going On

Occasionally when it gets a little heavy in here, I like to do a post about some everyday things that don't have much (or anything) to do with infertility. My goal over the past few weeks has been to try to focus on some activities and hobbies that I've been neglecting lately. Unfortunately, that means less time spent blogging and reading blogs, but I've tried not to get too far behind.

Three main areas that have been keeping me busy for the past few weeks are reading, scrapbooking, and home improvements.

I'm still sticking to the reading list that I made at the beginning of the year. It has been fun yet challenging, but it has mostly kept me reading steadily each month. (I like to cross things off of a list!) The list has six books remaining that I want to read before the end of December. If you'd like to check out what I'm reading, there is a button right over there in the sidebar. Just last night I finished reading The Year of Living Biblically, which I found very entertaining. I'm currently in the middle of reading Crazy Love, and I think I'm about to start reading Little Women.

Scrapbooking has been my favorite hobby for almost a decade now. Each year I try to do a chronological album for that year, and I have several other themed albums apart from that (like for our wedding and special vacations). Truthfully, blogging has been detrimental to my scrapbooking! Since I started writing and reading blogs I've gotten very little done and am suddenly 2 years behind. Last week I eased back into it and was able to get 4 pages done. It was a slow start, but this week I picked up steam and completed 12 pages in 2 days! I'm still working on the 2007 album, but it feels great to make some progress.

Our current home improvement goal is to install crown molding in the 3 bedrooms. We've had the crown in our garage for at least 6 months now, waiting patiently for us to find the time to get to it. Last weekend we tackled one of the guest rooms. That room was once a nursery for our home's previous owners. Although I planned to use it as a nursery as well, I hated the way it was decorated. I remember when we moved in it was quite a chore removing the wallpaper border, repainting the room, and repainting the trim (the walls used to be a light aqua color and the trim was yellow). Of course, we owe the transition from carpet to laminate wood floors to the Great Dishwasher Leak of '08.

Anyway, back to the crown. Chuck and I worked together last weekend to get that room done. It always amazes me that he can learn to do just about any project around the house. My version of helping involved a lot of standing around and holding stuff, but we got it done and are really happy with how it looks. (The rug is a recent purchase that I absolutely love. Don't look too closely or you'll see my hubby's guitar case and amp peeking out from under the bed.)


Just a quick word about miscarriage here -- when we bought this house we were expecting our first baby. I miscarried in between the time that we closed on the house and actually moved in. For quite a while after that loss and a few others, this room remained mostly empty until we finally made the decision to put a bed in there and use it as a guest room. My nephews now call it their room. They sleep here when they stay with us, their toys are in the closet, and their pictures hang on the walls. It does make me happy that the room gets used by them and other guests. Hopefully we will get the crown molding up in the other guest room (which doubles as my scrapbooking space) and our master bedroom before the end of the year!

We are getting ready to leave town to visit my in-laws for Labor Day weekend. We have not been able to make that trip in way too long. It is a 6-hour drive, but Chuck will get off at noon on Friday and we will have the extra day on Monday. They've been having great weather there in North Louisiana and we have been so jealous! The cooler temperatures haven't quite made it all the way down to us yet. We have still been in the 90s every day and we can't wait for fall (neither can our electric bill!). Autumn is my favorite time of year.

There's a long and rambling recap of what's been going on here. How about you? What are you reading? Do you scrapbook? How do you use the room that you wish was a nursery? What's under the bed in your guest room?

17 comments:

~ Katie ~ said...

I'm reading Crazy Love too! I keep it in my purse so i have something to read when I go out to eat by myself :) Imagine reading at Hooters- it's a hoot! :)

I wish I could revamp my little house- but we live in a single wide trailer that will hopefully become our lake house, and there's not much to do with wall board. I am saving up to put hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom- our furbabies have ruint the carpet. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm reading The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. I don't scrapbook anymore, though I did for each year of college. Right now we have a single gal living in the room that I wish was a nursery, and I don't know what she has under the bed!

Hope in Virginia said...

I'm impressed by the crown molding project. I'd like to add it to our guest room but am scared to attempt it myself. Your husband is impressive! The room looks great.

Sunny said...

Stacey, is that bed in there the same as my guest bed only white? Do we have something else in common? LOL Well, let's see...my nursery wanna be room is currently my sewing room/my office/ironing room. ha!

prayerfuljourney said...

I love the crown molding...I wish I could get creative and add some special touches to our bedrooms but not right now. Our "nursery" is my office space where I do all of my work for school(now my plan A). I used to scrapbook in here too but since starting classes...I don't have time to scrap. My books are so behind. I also love to read which I don't do much for enjoyment when I have to read textbooks and articles. That is why I love summers...I have more time to do the things I love. I'm so tired of IF, I love reading blogs that talk about something else. Blessings.

Susan said...

My son moved out of the nursery while I was pregnant three pregnancies ago. A year and a half later, I finally moved the cot out of the room, and now I have my own sewing room :D. Hopefully we can move the cot back in one day. (I won't mind sharing, I'm sure!)

Life In Mazes said...

The crown work looks great. I loved to hear how your nephews refer to that room as their room. When we were moving into our house, our oldest nephew/godchild said "Put this in MY ROOM" meaning our guest - dream nursery room. He still calls it his room. I have so much stuff for scrapping and have not done it at all. I will try to do some when I have some time off! Glad you are doing well!
Keeping you in prayer, my friend.

Sharon said...

I also try to keep myself occupied with other projects so that I don't get too obsessed with my infertility, but my problem is that I normally land up over committing myself and getting totally stressed out by all my activities.
ENJOY!

A said...

Cool post!

What are you reading? "Prayer: Does it make any difference?" (Yancey)

Do you scrapbook? No, mostly because the one time I made something from scrapbooking for my little cousin, I about died with how expensive it was!! I love everyone's beautiful scrapbooks, but I'm afraid of the cost! ;-)

How do you use the room that you wish was a nursery? Another guest room :-P

What's under the bed in your guest room? We don't keep anything under any of our beds. I learned in a feng shui class a few years back that it is really bad feng shui to have things under your bed- it supposedly affects your energy while sleeping! (Not that I am super into feng shui, but some of the tidbits I think make sense..)

Journeymark Cards & Gifts said...

Currently I am reading The Whole Adoption Book. I have switched out books throughout the year, so because this one is a bit heavy, it is taking a little longer.

Scrapbooking - Have to say this has never been a hobby. My wedding pictures are still not in an album, so maybe it is time to complete that this year.

We revamped our guest room, so I am happy to say it is clear under the bed.

I do love the fact that you are doing things that are important to you. Conrats on the crown molding project. It looks great!!!

Connie said...

Love the crown molding! The boys will be excited! :) Have fun and be careful. XOXO

Andrea said...

I'm reading "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." So far I'm really enjoying it! It's all about Savannah, Georgia. It makes me want to go visit again. Have you been there?

I see you have "Stardust" on your reading list, have you seen the movie before? I loved the movie and I liked the book a lot too.

I love the color of the walls in your guest room! The crown molding looks great, post pictures when you do the other rooms too!

Stacey said...

I love to know what you guys are reading! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the compliments on the crown molding.

Andrea, it's your book blog that introduced me to Neil Gaiman. I had seen the movie Stardust before I'd ever actually heard of the author. Loved the movie and I'm looking forward to the book. I read Coraline earlier this year as well, but have not seen the movie yet.
I have been to Savannah before. I went to visit friends in the Hilton Head, SC area several years ago and we had dinner one evening in Savannah. I didn't get to really SEE it, though, so I'd love to go back. It's so charming!

Anonymous said...

Your room is beautiful-I love that white bed with the coverlet. i dont have fertility issues (I have 2 kids ) BUT my daughter is headed to college this week and even though many of her things will still be in her room i am thinking its going to look awful lonely and bare in there. That part i can relate with you...

Anonymous said...

Your spare room turned out amazing! It looks so fresh and cheerful! Ya'll did a great job.

I just started reading "Wicked." Someone left it in our breakroom months ago and I just picked it up. I don't scrapbook, but I think it's so artistic! We don't have a nursery ... I don't want to think of any room as a nursery! So we have a spare room. Under the bed are extra blankets and pillows, and our rescue kitties! They love to sleep under the bed, although lately they're getting brave enough to sleep on top!

twondra said...

I love reading Christian romance. I'm currently in an Amish Christian romance series and I love it. :)

Like you, our "nursery" is our niece and nephew's room. Hopefully one day it'll be both of our nurseries. :)

Jenn said...

I can totally relate with your home projects. We are building our home and I'm READY TO FINISH!!!! (That was a scream, btw!)
I am not currently reading anything now. No time at the present. I am a sucker for the Little House on the Prairie books and I am itching to read them for like the umpteenth time!
I do not scrapbook because I have no patience whatsoever!.
I do not have anything under my bed. I never did like to do that. My kids have junk under theirs (dirty clothes, water bottles, papers, etc.) and it drives me insane!