back to reality

wow, what a week. we had perfect weather on sanibel island (high 70s/low 80s and mostly sunny every day) and the trip was a blast. what a blessing to be able to take a week away and spend quality time relaxing with family. but as fun as it was, i'm very happy to be home on this monday morning with laundry going and a rare cup of decaf. i'm a homebody and a routine girl. plus, coming back to 30-degree weather doesn't hurt!

this post is just a handful of thoughts and updates.

:: i am 17 weeks along and feeling great. i think yesterday was the first day when i really felt like i was showing——like my tummy looks like a pregnant tummy instead of just a poochy tummy. :)
:: two weeks from today, Lord willing, we will find out if baby is a boy or a girl. i kind of think boy, but i really have no idea.
:: my six-month-old nephew isaac is really cute (and big). most of the pictures i took in florida were of him. the waiters at the restaurants kept asking if maggie wanted food or juice for him, and she kept saying "he's not as old as he looks!"

:: my sister is getting married in less than two months. i'm cohosting a shower for her in a few weeks, and it has been a blast to plan. the shower will be at our house and i'm really excited to start working on the decorations.
:: speaking of our house . . . ben and i have been praying, thinking, and planning, and we have decided to tackle the upstairs renovations before baby comes in july. it will involve minor work to two big bedrooms and a few closets, but a full bathroom reno. yikes. it's now or never, though. first step is tearing up the carpet. stay tuned for more——i hope you like renovation posts!
:: in other news, i'm learning how to coupon. my friend alissa sat down with me for a few hours and showed me the ropes. we use the pocket your dollars method. i'm weaning myself off of my devotion to supertarget and scoring free items along the way, including floss and a few boxes of mac and cheese. and a big tub of baby wipes for 50 cents doesn't hurt, either.

i think that is it for now. until the future!

k + t engagement pictures

good morning!

not long ago, i added some of my pictures to pinterest, and i've noticed a little more blog traffic since then. if you are new here, welcome! :)

ben and i are leaving snowy minnesota to jet off to sunny florida at the end of the week (!), but i've got one quick post before i go. my little sister is getting married in a few months, and this fall i took her and her fiance tyler out for an engagement shoot. (they were really gracious because i pretty much told them i was going to take their engagement photos for them. bossy older sister? perhaps.) they are a wonderful couple and we praise God for bringing tyler into our family. he is such a sweet guy who loves Jesus and my sister very much. he makes her laugh. just look at her face in these shots. and when it rained a little he gave her his shirt to keep her warm and went to get the car to pick us up. awww!

we had a blast. it was a perfectly hazy october day——not too cold, not too sunny, perfect for pictures. we walked along the river, visited the guthrie and its "red wall," and then ventured across the river to st. anthony main. here are some of my favorites!

signing off!

diy bookshelves with bert

hello, friday! and hello, friends!

i'm here to share possibly my favorite diy project from last year. okay, i say that a lot, but this one really is a doozy. along with a much better layout, this is the project that truly transformed our living room: bookshelves we built ourselves!

our friend bert is quite the woodworker. he's the one who made our new tabletop for us. five out of five stars. and bert graciously signed on when i asked him if he'd be up for another project. "gracious" because i get these crazy ideas in my head and he helps me translate them into reality.

he and i put our heads together and spent some time on ana white's site. we kicked around a few ideas, but in the end we modified this plan for the favorite bookshelf. we made two units, both of them wider and with taller legs so that the bookshelves wouldn't block some huge air vents we have at the baseboards.

i made quite a few trips to menards and home depot to buy lumber and supplies. on build day, bert brought over his chop saw, nail gun, and kreg jig (such a great tool!). beki and gwen came, too, and we ate dinner together right in the middle. i can't believe we hammered out two bookshelves in one afternoon/evening. it was amazing.

i stole this picture from ben's twitter——i forgot to take any "during" pictures. this is proof that i was involved in the construction!

but after the shelves were built, they sat in the garage for a long, long time while i procrastinated adding the adjustable shelving, filling holes, and sanding. (some of the lumber was less expensive to buy pre-primed, so parts of it are white and parts are unfinished——all pine though.)

once that was done, ben helped me bring them into the basement and paint. painting took a long time. can you guess what color they are? ha! you know me well.

but instead of all white, i decided to paint the plywood backing a color: my favorite aqua. like i said, this room needs color!

i arranged some books, vases, and other goodies, and we just love love love the shelves. (our books are a curious mixture of theology, investing, and literature. and yes, they are arranged by color. dewey decimal, be gone! ben is very patient with my ridiculousness.)

the crown detail was very simple to add, and i think it helps these bad boys look a lot less generic.

the bright colors look nice with the pillows and curtains on the other side.

cost-wise, these units were pretty reasonable. using pine kept the costs down, but you could go crazy with fancier woods and nicer trim up top. the cost was more than the ikea billy, which is what i originally considered for the space, but i think these look a million times better. plus, the billys would have covered the air vent, and we couldn't have that! so custom (and custom cost) is worth it in this case. and with such a sturdy build and solid wood, i'm hoping these bookshelves can stay with us for a long time.

much thanks to bert, without whom i could not have made these (i was thinking of going it alone, and i'm so glad i didn't). and much thanks to ben, who kindly parked outside for a long time while i turned our garage into amy's woodshop, etc.

capture2011 :: no. 260 :: 12.31.11 :: new year's eve

ben and i went to our friends' annual party, but i couldn't quite make it until midnight. when we got there it was raining, and when we left around 11, there were beautiful, thick flakes falling. their street was quiet and peaceful. happy new year everyone!

this is the last picture for capture2011. thanks for following and encouraging me!

capture2011 :: no. 259 :: 12.30.11 :: a very, very special picture

yup, that's a picture of our little baby. i'm pregnant! due in mid-july. :) :) :) :)

i'm currently 12 weeks along, but this was taken a few weeks ago. we had a dating ultrasound at 8 weeks and then another at 9 weeks because they saw a small cyst on the umbilical cord. doctor said they'll just keep an eye on it. we're praying God would be pleased to take it away or keep it from growing. but if He doesn't, we know He is still good!

can't wait to meet our precious little one!