Baby Hodge's Nursery

This one has been a long time coming... I am pinching myself that this thing we have prayed for has become a reality.  And I am thrilled I get to write and share this with you all.

Blaine and I have prayed over a child of our own for a long time.  There was some heartache and feelings of hopelessness along the way.  And my heart goes out to so many families we know who have experienced pain far greater than ours.  This past Summer, we were overjoyed to learn we were pregnant, and prayed even harder for a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby.  God answered our prayers in a huge way -- we are so happy to say that our baby boy is doing great, and is expected to arrive March 1st!  (Or, whenever he decides he is ready!)

Of the many, many things I look forward to doing with this little one, getting his space ready is one I've been able to enjoy in the meantime.  I would be lying if I said that this room all came together after we found out we were expecting.  The truth is, I have dreamed of little pieces of this room for a long time.  I've picked up things here and there at yard sales and thrift stores, thinking at the very least, I could pass them on to someone else for their nursery.  But I truly hoped one day I would get to bring them together in our own home, for our own child.  Seeing it in reality is even better than I had pictured.  No, it's not perfect, but to me it is almost as beautiful and miraculous that I can stand here and see it as I can the sonogram pictures of our son.

So with that, let's get into the room tour... Welcome to Baby Hodge's nursery!

I'll tell you first off that the only piece of furniture we purchased for this room was the crib.  The dresser, bookcase, and the night stand were all pieces we had around the house.  We just cleaned them out, (I gave the night stand a fresh coat of paint), and moved them into this room.  And for all intents and purposes, it all came together.

It should come as no surprise that I chose to incorporate a lot of Disney into his room.  "Most of all, Winnie the Pooh."  In a funny way, it all started with this little Roo.

DIY Weathered Wood Headboard

Hey Guys!

It's been decided: I am terrible at this blogging thing.  So, I am trying something new... welcome to my first blog/vlog combo!  (Let's see how this goes).

It has been forever since I've shared any DIY house projects.  But rather than write an instructional guide along with some photos, I decided I would just bring you guys along for the steps, and let you watch it in action.



After years of saving, Blaine and I recently bought a King bed (*claps*)!  I won't tell you how old our Queen bed was, but I will tell you that I may or may not have graduated from Junior High, High School, and College during its lifetime...  so, it was overdue.

Before we even bought the King mattress, we've had a King size headboard sitting in our shed that was given to us by my brother and sister in law when they moved.  Where did they get the headboard?  So glad you asked.  Remember the fireplace makeover?  The same handyman who helped build that, built this headboard.  Our good friend Tim... I think everyone needs a Tim! His talents abound!

The headboard was a beautiful, unfinished piece -- I wish I could tell you the type of wood he used, but I have no idea.  Blaine and I knew we wanted to either stain or paint - Blaine wanted to stain it, I wanted to paint it (surprise).  But we were (meaning, I was) undecided about what color would look best in keeping with our bedroom.  So I went Pinterest hunting.  And I found a nice compromise.  (If only Pinterest could solve every stumbling block so easily).

I found a "weathered wood" look, which is literally a mixture of both: stain and paint.  And the best part: it comes out looking gray!  I felt like Clark Griswold plugging in the Christmas lights (when they actually worked)!

via GIPHY

You'll see the process in the video, but the gist is to stain the wood first, let it dry, then mix one part paint with one part water, and paint it as you would any piece of furniture.  Except instead of letting it dry, you take a lint free rag (we just used an old t shirt) and wipe the paint away, so you end up seeing the wood grain through the paint.  In the end, it didn't turn out exactly like I'd pictured, but it didn't disappoint me, either!  There are places I could have gone heavier or lighter on the paint, but I will say this is a very forgiving project. There isn't any right or wrong way to do this, but more just playing with it until you "get it like you like it" (Ben Harper, anyone?)  Anyway, this is one Pinterest "pin" I can check off the list!  There are about 800 others I haven't tried, but I might soon!

I promise I will get better about posting content for you guys!  Summer is so close, and I can guarantee I will be spending a lot more time with a paintbrush in my hand and a DIY idea in my head :)  In the meantime, leave me a comment to let me know how you like the video vs. reading a blog post (like I did with the fireplace makeover).

Thanks for reading & watching!
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"Think left and think right and think low and high.  Oh, the thinks you can think up if you only try!" ~Dr. Seuss

Leader of my Heart

I took this photo of my first graders on our field trip to the pumpkin patch a few years ago.  They didn't know I was taking the picture, which is my favorite part about it.  These three boys are different in just about every sense of the word -- different races; different socio-economic backgrounds; with different definitions of the word "family".  One has a Mom and a Dad, one just a Mom, and one only a Dad and his Grandmother.  But, in this moment, they shared one thing in common - their friendship.  I keep this picture on my desk to remind myself of why I do what I do every day.  But recently, I realized these boys can serve as a much bigger reminder: how we should move forward as a nation.

Fall and Fireplaces

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year!  There's a lot to love about it - the cooler weather, the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, and the welcome break from months of heat and humidity of the Southern Summer!  But, I think what I love most about it is that Fall just seems to draw people inside their homes.  And if you're a homebody like me, there's something cozy about that.

Today, I'll share one of my favorite updates to our home, and also my favorite spot in the house this time of year: our fireplace!

When Blaine and I left our 1960s Ranch style home and moved to a 1990s Cape Cod, the thing I missed the most was our brick fireplace.  I probably just lost some of you there... but I LOVE a brick fireplace!  Maybe it's because I grew up with one; or because Christmas is my favorite time of year, and having stockings "hung by the chimney with care" is a must!  Unfortunately, when we first moved into our current home (the cape cod house), the fireplace left something to be desired...

11 Tips for Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World!

(11 things we learned on our trip - September 2016)

Hi guys!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know that I recently returned from a trip to Walt Disney World.  I was lucky enough to go with my family - all 10 of us!  It was a blast, and I'm still getting over my Disney blues by looking back over pictures and videos we took during the trip.

Hello!

Hi friends!  I've wanted to start blogging for several years, but always made excuses to never begin.  My biggest excuses were, what would I write about; who would care to read it; and of course, what will others think of me?

Now in my thirties, I've decided to put all excuses away and just put myself out there.

I don't expect a large following, but I do hope that I can share some things that may be useful to anyone who cares to listen (or read, as it were).  I'll cover DIY home projects, books I'm reading, Disney vacation tips, and any lifestyle tidbits I find along the way.  After all, some of the best things are what you don't expect, right?

Welcome to my blog!  Let's begin...

"Be weird.  Be random.  Be who you are.  Because you never know who would love the person you hide."  - C.S. Lewis