Reno upon reno ...

We are currently in the midst of our downstairs bathroom renovation and things are looking great! Thanks to my Uncle David (carpenter extraordinaire!) our bathroom is getting a new lease on life. Our old bathroom had a "dusty rose" tiled wall and a horribly brown and white tiled floor. For added offense, it also had a lowered ceiling in the shower area because apparently dropped ceilings were all the rage back in the day! The only thing the poor space had going for it was the new toilet we had installed when we renovated our upstairs bathroom and the deep tub. Here are a few pics of the before situation:

*Would you just look at that beautifully tiled ceiling!!

We decided to save the tub since it is in excellent condition. Turns out that was a huge money saver! And since Magnus likes to stay out of as much of a reno as possible, I decided we would use white subway tiles throughout the entire shower area and covering a large portion of the walls. As for the floors, they will be a white carrara marble in a herringbone pattern. 

I did manage to sneak a few photos of how things are going so far:

Pics of the new sink (pedestal was not my 1st choice, but with such a small space I couldn't find the exact console I wanted under 26 inches) and newly tiled tub area. Hallelujah folks! You have no idea how skeeved out I was by this bathroom. I remember as a new Mom pumping on the floor of the bathroom in the middle of the night to try and keep things quiet in the bedroom, and even though it was clean, it still just always felt dirty in that old bathroom sort of way. 

So of course, once we got going on this reno, other projects started coming out of the wood work: Moving our closeted washer/dryer combo to the basement (*shiver), pushing out our side entrance and making a petite mud-room and then a much needed patio out back with french doors off of one of our current guest rooms. I guess this is what home ownership is all about ... the projects that never end! I must admit though, these are the types of things that keep me sane. I love renovations and am hoping to get my hands dirty in the future and help out with some of the manual labor myself.

Hoping to have some new updates soon and as per usual, striving to blog on a more regular basis!

I'm back at it folks!

After a very long silence over here, I am going to try my best to blog again more regularly. I have been meaning to blog for quite some time now, but every time I start a post, Astrid wakes up, or the washing machine beckons to me ... yada yada, you get the picture! So here we are, zooming towards Christmas at a rapid rate, so why not throw some blogging into the mix of get-togethers, present shopping and entertaining!

With the holiday season upon us, I have been thinking a lot about different ways we can fix up both our apt and UpstateHaven. The man of the house asks for a list every year of items I would like and even though I certainly have enough "me" items to make for a pretty lengthy list, I also have hit the age where I would like things to spruce up our living spaces as well.

Currently, we have these 3 whimsical prints on our wall from Ikea. Don't get me wrong, they are fun and add character, but with all the toys and toddler gear we have floating around here, I think it is time for something a bit more grownup.

I have been talking about hanging some sort of bright abstract behind our couch for a while now and this just may be the perfect opportunity (Santa, are you listening?). Both Rachel Robbins and Christine Dovey of Art & Reverie via Etsy have pieces that are right up my alley!

I've also been pining for a leather armchair for UpstateHaven for ages. This one looks like it might be able to fill the position:

Stay tuned ...

So much stuff!

I type this as I am running around prepping our apt for a new paint job and simultaneously packing for our long weekend upstate. We are headed to UpstateHaven tomorrow morning until Monday, so that means we basically need to pack up the entire nursery for A. Why do children require so many things? You would think since the boobs are coming with us, courtesy of myself, not much else is required ... wrong.

Knowing I left diapers up there and wipes last time, I THINK we are covered on that front, however, lest we run out ... I need to pack more of each. Then there are the many many outfits in case of stains and a girl needs options, right? Poor A ... since she is my daughter, she will probably inherit the constant need to overpack and pack away our entire closet in case something is left behind that may want to be worn. So there are the clothes, the necessities, the breast pump ... the BAIN of my existence ... blankets that she requires to nap and sleep, my clothes, Hubs clothes and then Emma the cat and her paraphernalia. Add in all of the crap that we have been meaning to move upstate for storage purposes and Easter goods and this should take me another day to complete. PHEW! Also, don't forget the Baby Bjorn and anything needed to get out and exercise.

Is it just me? Or does everyone feel this way before going anywhere for more than a day?

At least the weather is looking up and the sun is out again :)

Have a Happy Easter or Passover!!

A light at the end of the tunnel!

I had pretty much given up all hope of ever feeling settled and at home in our current apartment. We moved in after breaking our lease on an apartment 2 floors down to get more space and since we broke our lease early, we hadn't planned out the move and everything was tossed in boxes and/or carried upstairs and put away without giving it much thought or a proper home.  Since Hubs is not a big fan of purging or really "cleaning things out" and re-organizing/re-decorating, we have a bit of a mess on our hands and an apt, that is in my eyes, lacking any sort of cozy/homey feeling.

There was talk of painting our walls, but then we weren't sure how much longer we would stay in this building and who wants to go through all that trouble or pay someone to paint when it would need to be painted white again when it was time to move out?

Turns out, since we are renewing our lease come May and have been here 2 years, we get to have our walls painted for free ANY COLOR WE CHOOSE! Hallelujah!! Can I get an AMEN?! haha

If you can't tell I'm pretty pumped! We have always been a white wall loving family (case-in-point below), but let me tell you, after moving several pieces of furniture, moving around wall decor and just general everyday living, these white walls are beyond scuffed and the person who painted in the first place did such a sad job. Plus I'm completely over the Clockwork Orange nonsense. Bring on the color :)

* White

* White

* White

* Practically White

I'm sure you have already guessed we aren't the type to go wild and paint anything bright or crazy, but our walls will be receiving a lovely shade of gray (Titanium (OC-49) Benjamin Moore). We could not be happier!

I'll be sure to post before and after photos!

Scavenger ...

Is it normal to go around eating your daughter's uneaten Puffs that are laying about because you are starving? I sure hope so!!

Juggling it all ...

while dealing with a crazy 7 month old ... HAH! That is what I say about that! I WISH I could juggle it all. Sadly, if I get all the dishes done and a child who is alive and not screaming by the time Hubs come home I call it a successful day. Please someone enlighten me on how you can get everything marked off "to-do" list with a baby who is now on the move (ALL THE TIME!) and going through a new learning period which is making her irritable, whiny and needy. I recently purchased an amazing book called: "The Wonder Weeks" by Hetty van de Rijt, Ph.D. and Frans Plooij, Ph.D.. Let me tell you, the authors really know what they are talking about and hit the nail on the head with each and every week/month the babies are at in their development. Thank goodness I finally broke down and bought it because I was starting to feel like maybe I was giving A too much attention, or maybe not enough attention, overwhelming her with toys or perhaps she wasn't eating enough?! ... and the list goes on. Turns out, A is just at a new learning phase and when this happens the babies are more needy, whiny, sleep less etc. I'm really relieved to know it isn't something I inflicted or brought out of her. PHEW!

We will traveling this weekend to Miami for our first mini family vacation, so please with us luck! We will need it.

One of THOSE days ...

Today is shaping up to be one of "those" days. You know the type ... child goes down for nap (that said child is typically down for 1.5 - 2 hours on a normal day) then decides after MAYBE 30 minutes, they are over it ... the washing machine decides to overflow (right as child decides to get up and practically barrel roll off the bed) after being  told it was "fixed" months ago and then the computer mouse decides to just stop working, ARGH!!!! I have an appt with the dermatologist this afternoon and am PRAYING A goes down for a nap again beforehand so we don't have any mental breakdowns on the subway or even worse, the Dr. office. Lest all those fancy women living in Tribeca witness a child act up in their place of sanctuary ;)

I should have known this morning that we were headed towards a downward spiral when A decided to start throwing temper tantrums at the tender age of 7 months. I mean if this is how she is now, what should we expect come 2 years?!?!

*Warning: This is not the clearest nor the prettiest photo, but it is reality:

Wish me luck folks!!

You know things are getting out of control when ...

your husband says to you: "honey, is there anything I can do to help you get things cleaned up in the guest room?" Now don't get me wrong, he is cleanly (kind of ...), but I clearly let things go around here if those questions are being asked. Yikes!

I suppose I should start maximizing the time I have when the beast is sleeping:

*Following in her parents footsteps with an early addiction to candy ...

 

Today is glorious ...

rain OR shine. It's just far too nice outside temperature wise (think spring!) to not be spending it outdoors!

If you don't believe me, ask this little person below ;)

 

Folks, it's almost over ...

the doldrums of January that is. I don't know what it is about January that makes it a particularly hard month to get thru. Maybe because it follows one of the most festive/happy times of the year .... the fact that the weather was unusually cold this past week or that it's just gloomy and blah. Time for vacation for this little lady/family! Nothing is planned yet, but if I'm not on a plane by the end of February headed somewhere toasty, I will most likely need to be institutionalized ;)

A is almost 7 months old and even though she isn't extremely mobile yet, it is still hard to keep her entertained all day long ... especially when you are stuck inside due to the rampant spreading flu and cold weather.  We have our weekly music class on Tuesday and a few other various mommy-and-me activities to get us out of the house throughout the week, but between trying to keep her on a quasi normal nap schedule and the fact that she is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off when meeting people at bars and/or restaurants, I'm forced to stick close, if not stay IN the home a good portion of the day.

I remember Hubs and I discussing what we each found appropriate for entertaining our child before A was born ... no mobile devices before the age of 16 ... absolutely no iPad ...... and TV?!?! The horror!! Well ... turns out once your sleeve of tricks has been emptied, you will pretty much do anything for a moment of peace and quiet. Case in point: here A sits watching who even knows what on nick TV ...

She was rather enjoying herself, even if it did only give me maybe 10 minutes to do some brainless internet catch-up.

Not only have I learned not to place unrealistic ideals on ourselves and our parenting, but that my daughter cannot rock anything in fuscia. Noted!

Christmas/NYE at the Erhardt's ...

I feel like I have sat on this post now for far too long and I can no long cover Christmas/NYE over the course of an entire post. We are almost into February for pete's sake! Where does the time go? This whole Mom thing makes the days pass through your fingers just like sand. The minute I sit down to write I'm being beckoned from either A's crib or I have 10 loads of laundry calling to me from the hamper.

I'm pretty sure that Hubs would not be too pleased about my picture selection from our tripod test run, but it really is the only photo that showcases a good portion of our small tree. Notice the heart cutout ornaments and the little bearded heads (which I realize sounds totally creepy!). They are a couple of the selected ornaments from Ikea. The bearded folk are what we refer to in Sweden as "Tomte" ... aka the Christmas gnome.

Hubbie also got a little crazy outdoors and decked out the front bushes:

*My personal fav Christmas accessory being the wreath ...

And just because this pic is beyond cute, here is little A with her new friend Katie (whom my Aunt made for A by hand):

*Katie and A had QUITE the convo that night on Great Grandma's chair 

I think that is going to have to wrap up Christmas (no pun intended ;)). Time to move into the present with more regular posts :)

The Holidays

Since this blog is still technically about our UpstateHaven, I am collecting a few pics from our Christmas and New Years spent there. I should have them all uploaded and ready to go tonight :)

Below is a pic (albeit grainy pic) of our living room after we got the tree up. Can you spot the feline?

The time is flying ...

and I had hoped to be "moved" into my new blog space by now, but with most things these days, it is taking a bit longer than expected. SO, I will continue to blog from UpstateHaven for a bit longer until I can get things organized and ready to go.

A is now a week shy of being a 6 month old, which BLOWS my mind! It seems that with each stage you are convinced they can't get much cuter or more fun, but then they pull all these new tricks and faces out of their hats and BOOM ... cuteness overload.

That tongue makes an appearance in at least 75% of all photos ha

Now that I FINALLY have my bearings and things have leveled out a bit, I will be back to normal posting on this blog (and hopefully the new blog very soon).

Hope everyone had a magical holiday and that the new year has gotten off on a positive note!

Meet Astrid Beatrice ...

Astrid Beatrice

Born July 10

6 pounds and 15 ounces

20.25 inches long

More pics to come!

The waiting game ...

I am not the most patient person, however, when it comes to having our little lady, I was willing to wait it out as long as possible since I was still feeling good, mobile and full of energy. Not to mention our "to-do" list is the size of Texas, however, things can really change in a day or two. Suddenly I'm feeling swollen, moody and just ready to have this pregnancy over with. I feel like I have been tethered to our apartment for the past few days, other than the bi-weekly Dr. visits. It doesn't help that the weather has been beyond toasty and humid, not a pregnant ladies friend, that is FO SHO!

My sister has this term that she uses when she is feeling unsocial and just all around moody .... she calls it feeling "savage." Well, that basically sums up how I've been feeling lately. It's to the point I actually am looking forward to labor to get out of the apt, have a job to do and then get back to reality .... well, reality with a baby ;) Hubs and I could be spending our down time preparing the nursery, but every time I come in to start sorting through things or organizing, I get completely overwhelmed and can't seem to get anything done. It's time for our little lady to come out now ... Mama is starting to go slightly crazy and Daddy cannot wait to meet you!

I would love to post some pics but for some reason, I am experiencing technical difficulties. When the Hubs comes home later today, I will get him to take a look!

Pregnancy and the subway ...

I only have 2 short items for this list ....

1. Ladies out there who are not giving up your seat for the pregnant ones, you are SO going to have bad karma when it is your turn. Beware!

2. Why do we pay so much for our MTA cards each month when the subway keeps getting worse and worse? I mean 25 minute waits on the platform PLUS waiting for 4 trains to pass before you can even board? The MTA should be ashamed of itself. I thought that they added more L trains to the subway service?

Ok, on to nicer topics ...

Today Magnus and I (because let's be honest, I did not get pregnant by myself) are officially 38 weeks preggo with our little lady. This is what 38 weeks looks like ... on me anyway:

I may complain at times that I am tired or feel a bit swollen, but honestly, I have had the easiest pregnancy so far I really am thankful to the pregnancy gods. Hopefully the remaining couple weeks and delivery will go just as smooth.

Last weekend Magnus and I worked really hard on the nursery all day Saturday, but it didn't prove to be enough since we barely touched the surface of our loooonnnngggg cleaning/organizing list. Sunday we were a bit burnt out after the all-day affair on Saturday, so we weren't nearly as productive. This weekend we are hoping to finally get the nursery done, finish packing up the hospital bag and then some additional organization that I know won't get done once baby is here. Wish us luck because this baby has been forbidden to arrive until her bedroom is organized and things are all washed ;)

We are finally getting somewhere ...

in terms of baby prep in our apartment.  Our trusty little helper, Emma, was kind enough to test out some of the new furnishings for the nursery...

* The mandatory sniff test

* Taking in the Brooklyn views

* I dare to say that our "baby" is rather enjoying herself

How could we NOT let Emma be the first to try out the crib? She is very light weight and loves small/enclosed spaces, so we plopped her into the finished product and I think she really took a liking to it! haha

Thankfully, I don't think that she can actually clear the side rails to jump in on her own, but she has officially made the crawl space underneath her new hideout.

We also purchased a new rug for the nursery via UrbanOutfitters, of course our tester was right there to try that out as well ...

* New carpet for the nursery... really breaks up all the white

Now that we have our crib assembled and a carpet, we can start organizing the babe's closet, hanging things on the wall and painting stripes on the ceiling. We have so much left to get done, but I think with a couple more free weekends, we should be able to pull something fabulous together!

Belated posts ...

I've started this long overdue post over and over again and just cannot seem to find the inspiration to write something worth while. SO much has been going on in our lives right now, all good of course, but it has been a whirlwind of activity and I've found myself too wiped out to come up with anything interesting to share.

I have managed to upload a picture that was taken after Baby Erhardt's upstate shower .... after the last guest left and I found Magnus outside power-washing the garage of it's built-up residue with an A etched into the dirt ...

* If you look closely you can see the A behind me ... (33 weeks preggo)

This particular day was gloriously sunny and I wish I could have trapped it in a bottle to let it out this week during all the rain and humidity. Let's hope it all dissipates before the long weekend coming up! I see sun in the forecast and I could do without my hair looking like Diana Ross for at least a day.

I totally want to get into Baby Erhardt's dual showers (both in BK and in Bainbridge), however, let's touch back on the nursery topic. It has been a while and although I THOUGHT Mags and I were dead-set on a replica of Jenna Lyons nursery (yellow and white striped ceiling .... black accent wall), it started to all feel a little too harsh for the little lady we are about to bring into this world. Granted, I also don't want an all pink situation either, but with all white furniture and draperies, I think a couple hints of pink and maybe gray (I know, so played out) could be the better option. Everyone keeps asking the theme for the babies room but we honestly don't have one. It will be a cross between contemporary (crib), traditional (changing table) and then some romantic touches.... I clearly have issues deciding on just one idea!

So here are my NEW inspiration items for the room:

We have both of these items already, but here comes the tricky part .... do we go with a more modern zig zag carpet ...

A little less modern scallop pattern ...

OR this modern take on the traditional oriental design to brighten up an otherwise all white nursery?



All carpets are courtesy of UrbanOutfitters, bed is Bloom and Jenny Lind changing table comes from Amazon.

In terms of lighting, we will be needing a night light, so I was thinking this little guy from Restoration Hardware could do the trick since we have a gift card there ...

These mirrors from RH also keep calling to me from the other side of my monitor ...

*I especially love the rectangular one in the bottom right

This will certainly end up being a very eclectic nursery and I cannot wait to share photos of it once it all comes together!



We will also be painting some very subtle stripes on the ceiling in a pale pale pink to break up the all white paint.

As we plan out the baby's nursery, Mommy is also making some changes to the master bedroom since I figure we will be spending loads of time there soon :) Pictures of everything to come!