Now I know...

Yes, that's right! Now I know why it cost $$$ to reupholster a chair, but it is definitely so very satisfying. I finished the last stitch just moments ago and the final product is ready for viewing/sitting pleasure!

I forgot to take a complete "before" picture, so here is the chair upside down and the seat cushion piece to the left ready to be traced.

This was the fabric we found under the current look. There was yet another fabric under this one (definitely a sign of the decades-60s, 70's (below) and 80's the fabric we just removed!)

The final product!

Another view of the final product!

picnic at the park

We have had some beautiful days here and now with the sun being up for a few more hours at night we decided to meet our friends at the park for a picnic. We went to the playground first and then picniced by the pond so the kids could feed the fish/ducks afterwards!

Samuel is SO BIG! This picture isn't great, but it just reminded me of about this time last year when he could barely see over the rim of the swing!

He just melts my heart!

Going backwards down the slide...apparently this is the best way to do it!

feeding the ducks!

Parks with is girls, soon to have another! It will be fun to see him this time next year with his sweet little ladies!

Introducing Martha & Bob

That's right! Ryan and I have dawned new names this week. Martha Stewart and Bob Vila have officially moved into the Powell house! Ryan has been working on his "work bench" in preparation for building bunk beds and various other items around the house. I have been working on transforming John's old room into Samuel's new playroom/eventual room! Here are some beginning pics to let you see what we're doing!

Ryan's work bench and shelves he put up!

Wood sanded and cut waiting to be stained for bunk beds

Stain for the wood

In the process of taking apart the chair and re-upholstering it!

My AWESOME friend, Trista, just finished reupholstering a chair at her house, so she has graciously decided to help me transform this old chair! So very excited!

I need your help!

Samuel has a new playroom (it will eventually become his bedroom once he is out of his crib-hopefully not anytime soon!). It is a nautical theme and we're working on getting curtains for the room. Below are some of my fabric choices and I need your help in choosing the best one!

I LOVE this fabric, but of course I waited too long and the discount fabric store I found it in no longer has it and cannot get it! I have exhausted all of my options in trying to find it anywhere else!

Some of the fabrics up against the bedspread. The curtains will be on the opposite side of the room, so the patterns won't compete with each other!

A few things to keep in mind: All of the stripe fabrics will be vertical (all hanging horizontally right now). The walls are painted a light grey/blue and the bedspread is also blue (I like the blue stripes, but want to introduce something else in the room but BLUE!)

Proud Mommy Moment

Samuel is really talking up a storm these days. He blabs on at the table while eating his food (most of which makes no sense, but he talks, laughs, points and laughs some more!). He is constantly pointing to things he knows and says "dog" "ball" "eggie" (for Veggie Tales) and is 24/7 saying "mommy" "dada" or "mada" if he doesn't know which parent he would prefer, so he puts us into one entity! His vocabulary is ALWAYS growing and sometimes I am amazed at the words he knows.

Case in point!

As many of you know I love my couponing (Definitely not anywhere as extreme as the women on TLC's Extreme Shoppers). Tonight we were pulling into the parking lot of our local grocery store. Mind you we visit at least 2 times a week, and sometimes more if we're having a HUGE coupon event. Every time I point to the sign and say "Teeter, Samuel this is where we buy our food". He will point and say "da" (for that). Tonight, Ryan was with me and as we are pulling into a parking spot Samuel points to the sign and very clearly says "Teeter". He proceeds to say it about 15 times before we walk in the front door!

Now is when I am not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed! I have decided that it is best to be the proud momma of a sweet boy who knows a great place when he sees it!

Fun outside

We have had some beautiful days here lately and Samuel and I have taken full advantage of our opportunities to go outside! Here are just a few fun photos of our adventures!

Samuel holding out his hands to catch the frisbee!

Still holding out his hands, it is SOOOO funny to watch him "hold out his hands"

Another shot of Samuel holding out his hands

Samuel LOVES blowing bubbles, not so much interested in catching them or letting mommy blow bubbles! He's so cute!

He loves his car, and his favorite part is that it has a piece in the floor that lets him rest his feet while mommy runs all over the yard pushing him!

Sorry abut the lack of pants...the first chance he got to "blow bubbles" he thought he'd dump out the container to make sure there were bubbles inside!!!