MrsDrPoe: Noah's Ark

Since we painted virtually the entire house immediately after we bought it (and almost every room is a neutral color), we decided that we were tired of painting.  Our new girl would have a tan room with a Noah's Ark theme because that would be easy, fun, and based on the Bible.  To help decorate the walls, I asked my grandmother to paint some animals two-by-two for the room, and here's what she came up with:

camels, elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, and doves (they're out of the picture).  How fun!  And they look so real!  The room is slowly coming together...yesterday I even put on the lovely Noah's Ark sheets that the Barclays gave us. 

MrsDrPoe: Baby Things

Good morning, and happy Foto Friday!  Today I'd like to share some of our new baby things that Mr. Poe and I are pretty excited about.

Mama and Papa Poe largely contributed to this lovely 4 in 1 crib and changing table set that we found on craigslist for a steal (barely used!):

And my sis-in-law, Mrs. Brodrecht, who's about 7 weeks ahead of us, told me about a great deal on baby slings here (enter the code CCMother and get a sling for the cost of shipping).  Mine arrived this week, so of course I tested it on Sascha:

She was not a fan, and 'said' as she often does, "It's tough to be small!"

MrsDrPoe: House Progress, Week 7

Another week has ended, and another Foto Friday has arrived!  I am please to announce that today I will both 1) continue with some helpful painting tips and 2) show you some finished house pictures (but not in that order)!

Here's what we've accomplished this week:

Kitchen: over 50% of the hardwoods are installed
Stairwell: second coat of paint was applied (two coats on the spots I couldn't reach)
Master Bathroom: remaining wall-paper removed, two coats of paint applied
Carpet: put down in all bedrooms, closets, upstairs hallway, and staircase

And the finished rooms: 

The "Guest Room" (formerly the "Boat Room"...11th in the before post)
-no boats
-newly painted room and closet
-newly carpeted
-no brass fan

The "Baby* Room" (formerly the "Front Room"...12th in the before post)
-newly painted room, closet, and trim
-newly carpeted
-no brass fan

The "Office" (formerly the "Blue Room"...10th in the before post)
-newly painted room, closet, and trim
-newly carpeted
-no brass fan

The Master Bedroom (9th in the before post)
-newly painted room, closets
-newly carpeted
-no brass fan

The Master Bathroom (8th in the before post)
-no lattice garden wallpaper
-newly painted
-no brass light fixtures or hardware
 

  
Hopefully we'll have some pictures of finished downstairs rooms to show you soon!  And, as promised, here is the second installment of Painting 101:

Painting 101: Measure Once, Cut Twice

Ok...so you don't really have to measure or cut to paint, but the principal still applies.  To make the most of your painting experience, you'll need to put in the prep work:

Remove Wallpaper - while it can be painted over, it will never come off if it has been.  Save yourself any future issues and get a nice, even finish by removing it before painting.

Spackling - unless you're reusing the holes in your wall, make sure you fill them in (but be sure to remove any wall anchors first).

Sanding - if your wall was previously painted, simply sanding over the Spackle spots will ensure a smooth finish.  If you've had to remove wallpaper, you'll want to sand the whole wall to help get off and/or smooth over any sticky backing.  Be careful in an older house, however, as sanding can release lead and asbestos into the air.

Washing - painting over dirt/dust/etc. can cause your paint to peal later.  Save the trouble by wiping down your walls with a wet rag, using solvent if necessary.


*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but Lord willing, we will be one day.  Thus the "Baby Room" is currently as empty as the "Guest Room," but we're calling it that because the twin bed that my Grandpapa Wolgemuth built my dad that was passed to me and will be passed to my children will go in this room.