Decorating Attempt: Couch Pillows

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

Book Review: Too Much and Never Enough

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.

Big Boy: 7 years old

My first born turned seven this today. I can't even begin to describe how crazy this is to me. So much has happened in seven years. He has grown and changed so much since that first day I held him. This 7th birthday was unique as are all the birthdays celebrated during the pandemic. Parties and plans have been canceled for everyone. But William was not going to let this dampen his excitement about his birthday. He declared months ago that we would be having a Pokemon party - just for the four of us.

And so on Saturday, we put up a homemade Pokemon birthday banner (thanks to the help of a Cricut a friend let me borrow) and watched the Pokemon Movie and ate a Pokemon cake with ice cream. We let him open one present early and held off on the rest until his actual birthday. (So this morning at 7:30 a.m. he opened the rest!) And at the end of the day he was so happy and felt so loved. Just as he should on his special day. 

He requested the candles be the flame that come out of Charizard's mouth.

William is growing as fast as ever. The jeans I bought six months ago are now getting to too short. He is now 52 inches tall and 53 pounds. His feet look huge. I've been saying these things for 7 years . . . and I'm sure I'll be saying them for another decade. He isn't going to stop growing anytime soon.

William loves legos, Pokemon, and duplos. He loves being read to. Throughout sheltering in place, we have been reading books by Geronimo Stilton, about a mouse solving mysteries. And since the library has reopened (for curbside pickup) we have been reading new ones nonstop. Thankfully Stephen likes them too! His favorite shows are Wild Kratts and DinoTrucks. And our newest "toy" has been letting the boys pay video games with Dad - MarioKart is a favorite now.

He has been doing first grade virtually for the last six weeks and although he doesn't love it (or even like it slightly), he does participate without too much fuss. When the zoom classes run long he gets upset and asks to leave early. And he doesn't like showing up for the class before the teacher. He is very prompt on his own and I barely have to remind him to "go to class." He learning a lot about responsibility this year - signing in to his zoom class on his own and deciding when he wants to do his homework. There aren't any forgotten lunches or homework left at home right now. He misses recess and seeing his friends in person. He was so looking forward to playing soccer with his class (and beating the new kindergarteners). That will have to wait. Still no word on when they can go back to in-person learning. 

During this season of being home so much more than we are used to, we've added a few chores to William's list. He is now big enough to take out the trash which we give a "commission" for. He was so interested in earning more money that we even had him washing dishes, but his interest was very short lived with that one. And the level of cleanliness we expect in the bedroom has gone up a bit. 

As William gets older we are seeing him explore boundaries and experience bigger emotions. When he was young, he was fairly compliant and went with the flow. Now, he is very willing to put up a fight to get his own way and complain when it doesn't happen. He tends to show a bit of anxiety when we are running late or things are uncertain. I'm seeing more of myself come out of him all the time in this area. He also has new fears of spiders, fires and death that lead to long conversations and prayers.

Pandemic life and fire season have certainly changed our year. And he is old enough to know that things aren't quite right. Thankfully he handles it like a champ most of the time. 

My first born turned seven this today. I can't even begin to describe how crazy this is to me. So much has happened in seven years. He has grown and changed so much since that first day I held him. This 7th birthday was unique as are all the birthdays celebrated during the pandemic. Parties and plans have been canceled for everyone. But William was not going to let this dampen his excitement about his birthday. He declared months ago that we would be having a Pokemon party - just for the four of us.

And so on Saturday, we put up a homemade Pokemon birthday banner (thanks to the help of a Cricut a friend let me borrow) and watched the Pokemon Movie and ate a Pokemon cake with ice cream. We let him open one present early and held off on the rest until his actual birthday. (So this morning at 7:30 a.m. he opened the rest!) And at the end of the day he was so happy and felt so loved. Just as he should on his special day. 

He requested the candles be the flame that come out of Charizard's mouth.

William is growing as fast as ever. The jeans I bought six months ago are now getting to too short. He is now 52 inches tall and 53 pounds. His feet look huge. I've been saying these things for 7 years . . . and I'm sure I'll be saying them for another decade. He isn't going to stop growing anytime soon.

William loves legos, Pokemon, and duplos. He loves being read to. Throughout sheltering in place, we have been reading books by Geronimo Stilton, about a mouse solving mysteries. And since the library has reopened (for curbside pickup) we have been reading new ones nonstop. Thankfully Stephen likes them too! His favorite shows are Wild Kratts and DinoTrucks. And our newest "toy" has been letting the boys pay video games with Dad - MarioKart is a favorite now.

He has been doing first grade virtually for the last six weeks and although he doesn't love it (or even like it slightly), he does participate without too much fuss. When the zoom classes run long he gets upset and asks to leave early. And he doesn't like showing up for the class before the teacher. He is very prompt on his own and I barely have to remind him to "go to class." He learning a lot about responsibility this year - signing in to his zoom class on his own and deciding when he wants to do his homework. There aren't any forgotten lunches or homework left at home right now. He misses recess and seeing his friends in person. He was so looking forward to playing soccer with his class (and beating the new kindergarteners). That will have to wait. Still no word on when they can go back to in-person learning. 

During this season of being home so much more than we are used to, we've added a few chores to William's list. He is now big enough to take out the trash which we give a "commission" for. He was so interested in earning more money that we even had him washing dishes, but his interest was very short lived with that one. And the level of cleanliness we expect in the bedroom has gone up a bit. 

As William gets older we are seeing him explore boundaries and experience bigger emotions. When he was young, he was fairly compliant and went with the flow. Now, he is very willing to put up a fight to get his own way and complain when it doesn't happen. He tends to show a bit of anxiety when we are running late or things are uncertain. I'm seeing more of myself come out of him all the time in this area. He also has new fears of spiders, fires and death that lead to long conversations and prayers.

Pandemic life and fire season have certainly changed our year. And he is old enough to know that things aren't quite right. Thankfully he handles it like a champ most of the time.