Playroom Redo

Since moving into the new house I've wanted to make the Bug's playroom into a place she could play and also a place I wouldn't mind hanging out in while she was playing.  FINALLY I have that space!  I wasn't a fan of the blue color on in this room.  Not that it's a bad color really - just not what I was looking for - and it's in 3 rooms of the house.  Well was in 3 rooms, now only 1.  Remember this redo? (and I should probably update that redo picture.  There is now a table in that room.  And some shelves hung - but maybe I'll get to that in a bit!) So here we go with before:

{before}

And now the after:

{after}



*I used the Photosynth app again.  Better than other pano apps I've tried but still has some obvious flaws*

Now we have a jungle-eqsue room with ORANGE walls.  I've wanted to paint a room with orange walls for like EVER.  I love it.  Such a great pop of joy and happiness when you walk into the room!

{finally using an Ikea shelf I bought back in college and another Ikea gadget to display some of the Bug's art.  The animals and leaves I have had for a while (I knew what I wanted to do in this room I just hadn't gotten around to actually doing it) and were both picked up at superb clearance price - Miss Frugal here, never paying full price for ANYTHING!} 

{a Pinterest inspired project.  I had originally planned on making some pictures into canvases from a trip to Lazy 5 Ranch, but when I saw these I though they would add a more personalized touch - I painted these bad boys.  Ok Ok NOT masterpieces, but they fit in this room!}

{Buggy artwork of course, the top canvas is the Pinterest inspired name in tape and have the kids paint over it project, the bottom canvas is her 'scribbles' cut into a design and mod podged on the canvas.  I may need a third canvas to fill the space - what do you think??}

{the letter 'E' - the Bug's new favorite thing to point out -  $ bin score at Michaels + a fresh coat of paint courtesy of the leftovers in the garage = a place for a cute Buggy apron}

I'm working on a comfy chair for under the big leaf and for a place to put my awesome free pillow from Lacefield Designs that I received when I worked the Fall Furniture Market.  But other than than redo = COMPLETE!

Bieber Fever

The house has been PLAGUED by Bieber fever.  And Buggy has caught it hard! I suppose there could be worse things - but it's safe to say I know all the words to most of the Bieb's songs now.  All times in the car it's Bieber and most times at home she's asking for him on the TV or the radio (as if i could control that!).  This girl is definitely a performer!  These next videos are a bit longer than the norm - I just couldn't turn it off she was cracking me up so much.  Hopefully they are a bit better quality though since they were taken with the Flip and not my phone -yea about time I got out an ACTUAL video camera!

Enjoy the Bugg performances!!

{a little before bedtime Bieber action - i told you it was pretty much a constant plague!}

{Buggy made her own Bieber music video}

[DISCLAIMER]

the following video is slightly vulgar!!  doggie parts vulgar.  i just HAD to share because it's so darn funny.  Buggy is the videographer and just goes about her business not paying a bit of attention to what exactly she is recording - and recording pretty darn well too.  TOO MUCH funny for me to handle! 

{laughing...so...hard....cannot stop....yea i'm easily amused!}

Happy Friday and possible NC snow day!!!

Body by Buggy & Thundersnow

My little Bug shows great interest in working out, sweating and running.  On the weekends when she's awake and I do a WOD or go for a run she always insists that she must go with me and must also work out.  She has told me several times that we work out so we can sweat.  :O)  Makes me smile.  Always a good thing to start them out early in recognizing that physical fitness is a good thing - and is FUN!  It may be brutal but it's brutality at it's best.  I'm going to check into getting her some more routine with a CrossFit Kids programs.  Some of the local CrossFit boxes offer CrossFit Kids courses and when she gets a bit older I would LOVE to get her enrolled but for now, I'll be her instructor and use some of the ideas posted on the CrossFit Kids site daily.       

{some bench press and transporting the 10 pound weights all by herself across the garage - the pants she is wearing are her 'running pants' and cannot be worn for any other occasion!}

{doing squats like a pro! we're also working on push ups and sit ups, she's getting there!}

In other Buggy news - she's recently started recognizing what letter her name starts with.  She will say 'hey that's my name' when she points to the letter.  I try and take that opportunity to teach her how exactly to spell her name and what letters make up her name.  I think she'll have it down in no time. I'm pretty sure i can say she knows ALL the words to Justin Bieber's 'Beauty & A Beat' - it's her fav!

 She also had her first visit to the eye doctor this week.  Just a precuationary thing since my eye problems started when I was her age.  She got a good report of eye health - might have some need for glasses later on when she gets into school but for now she is good to go.  I'm very proud of how she acted at the doctor - she had her eyes dilated and the whole 9 and didn't cry a drop or throw any type of fit!

{big girl at the eye doctor}

 

Now a quick blurb about this crazy weather we've been having in North Carolina this week.  Last Sunday the high was in the low 70's and today is a snow day!  We even got to experience something called a ThunderSnow which was definetly something I didn't even think existed!  It was pretty cool to experience something like that.  Buggy was off school today so got to head out and enjoy the snow for the first time - well first time since she's old enough to understand what's going on. 

{the morning snowfall}

{and evening of pretty snowfall}

{checking out this white stuff - i think she likes it!}

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Christmas - Only Slightly Behind

I took a TON of pictures over the Christmas holiday.  So I've just now gone through and picked out some good ones to highlight the season.  We had some visitors throughout the month and spent lots of time doing Christmas-y activities.  Without further ado on with the photos!

(disclaimer: i'm trying out a new website called PicMonkey to edit photos, which i really love.  however now that i've made the pictures i wanted to share all cutesy in collages, i realize they uploaded super small.  i'm not sure why that is but i plan to investigate and get that fixed for the next post.  sorry about the itty bittyness of some of these pics!)

{pappy, gigi, aunt madison, aunt meredith & uncle tommy came right after Christmas to visit}

{Christmas magic on Christmas morning}

{celebrating with her sweet girlfriends - Kernersville parade with Lilly, Christmas Eve church with Kayla, and annual Christmas celebration with the Brown's}

{Old Salem while the Bookwalter clan was visiting.  i LOVE walking through Old Salem and need to remember how close by it is and get there more often to enjoy it's beauty}

{Santa pictures - Buggy wouldn't go near him without both Mommy & Daddy right there. and no way was she sitting on his lap}

{Uncle Tommy, Aunt Mere, Bug and Me walking along the covered bridge at Old Salem - there is not one picture with us ALL looking!}

{yea she pretty much ate more then she put on the house - but you get the idea!  and after the house was constructed she was caught sitting on the dining room table picking the candy pieces off and eating them.  she certainly is her mother's daughter}

{this picture cracks me up!  hanging out with Brayden and Jack on Christmas Eve}

{i was lucky enough to get to spend the morning of Dec. 16 with Bug at school for a Christmas fun project - decorating ice cream cones with green frosting and cereal decorations - i absolutely loved watching her with all her friends and in her element}

{santa buggy}

Pilot Mountain 5K Challenge

Remember a few months back when I mentioned a serious 5K challenge I was attempting in December?  Well December has come and gone and I COMPLETED the challenge!!!  Back on December 15, 2012 in extremely chilly temperatures - it was only in the high 30's at the start of the race - I ran the most difficult 5K I have ever done - straight up Pilot Mountain!  It took me 50 minutes and 56 seconds to complete with a 16 minute and 6 second pace per mile.  Not exactly that 5K in under 30 minutes goal I had huh?! But I suppose it would be ok to say this was NOT the 5K to try and complete that goal in! The total distance was actually 3.16 miles according to the MapMyRun app on my phone.  The most brutal 3.16 mile run I've ever experienced!  Take a look at some of these pictures and check out the path we were running.  ALL up the mountain - and see those pictures with stairs?  Yea those were EVERYWHERE throughout the run.  So many darn stairs. Oh the massive amount of stairs to run.  And some parts of the path up the mountain were downright scary.  Covered in rocks and tree branches.  I definitely felt as if I needed to look down all the time to ensure where my foot was landing to avoid tripping and falling, or even worse sliding down the mountain!  There were definitely several times throughout the race where I thought I wouldn't make it - but I kept on trekking on!

{before the race.  you can't even tell we are FREEEEEEZING!} 

{pretty running landscape and views.  the bottom center picture is the starting line of the race and the other pictures are during the race.}

{pretty darn gorgeous up there}

{a pano i took after the race at the top of the mountain with the Photosynth app on the iphone}

{after the race. WE DID IT!! yay!!  i'm so proud of us!!}

I ended up placing 63 out of 86 runners.  Not exactly in the top spots or anything but I'm just glad to have finished, and to not have fallen off the mountain!!  Next year I will improve my time and placement - with some more training beforehand!!

Bring it on Pilot Mountain - we got this!

A Future Star

It's possible the Bug is destined for some greatness.  As a rock star or dancer, or a dancing rock star.  This girl just LOVES to dance and sing and 'shake her booty.'  And if you don't believe me just check out these videos!

{a spin off of Justin Beiber}

{some more Justin Beiber action - he's her new favorite}

{rockin' out to her own song}

To further discuss the Bug - some Buggyism's - a few days ago in the car she randomly says "it smells hot in here, because I'm hot."  and I just couldn't stop laughing.  I know what she meant, well no I guess I don't really, but just the way she said it had me rolling in laughter. 

She's also been watching Doc McStuffins lately.  Cute show by the way.  A cute little doctor who gives medical care to all her stuffed animals and toys.  So the Bug says to me something the other night about a diagnosis.  I asked her to repeat it and she made a statement with that word in it, she didn't use it in the correct context but she used the word.  Way to go Bug, using big words so easily!

And last, she is becoming such a big girl and is so darn independent.  I like that fact but also it has hit me that she is no longer a baby.  She gets herself dressed, puts on her socks and shoes, brushes her teeth and hair with only minor assistance, and helps herself to pretty much whatever it is that she may need.  This is where things get hairy.  If she wants something that happens to be just a bit out of her reach she just grabs the chair from her little table and carries it (my mini Hercules) to wherever she needs it then proceeds to climb onto the chair and then onto the counter, table, or wherever else the item she wants may be located.  Who needs someone to help when you are an able-bodied three year old?

School is still going well.  She's even learning Spanish. And dance class is by far her favorite day of the week!  I am so anxious for her recital in April - my little performer's time to shine!!

Better late than never.......A Trip to the Mountains

I know I'm late.  But this whole 'you ran out of picture space' thing really messed me up.  I just haven't done good about figuring out how to get more space for my pictures.  Until NOW!  so viola!  Time for some update blogsto make up for the things that happened while I ran out of picture space.   

First things first.  Back to our mini vaca to the mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with the Browns.  It ended up being me and the Bug on the trip.  The flu had Shawn down and out.  Bug and I had a great time and I enjoyed every minute of these sweet little girls on vacation!  We even got in a quick modeling shoot while we were there - but you know that is a given of course with these little beauties! 

{our cabin all dressed up for the holidays}

{yea, i could definitely live here}

{the gorgeous mountains}

(photo courtesy of Deondra and her iphone pano capabilities)

{photo shoot with the ladies}

{we held our respective kids for the first one and then did a little switcheroo for this one}

{a typical Buggy look}

{my favorite picture from the trip of these two gorgeous girls}

(photo props to Mike for snagging this one while D and i were busy outlet shopping!)

{beautiful little models in the mountains}

{a little hip and head action}

{my sweet Bug with our cabin in the background}

{the girls being good Samaritans}

{sitting sweetly on the carousel}

{{these girls loved hanging out with Mike, so much they ALL crashed!}

{Miss Sweet Sophia - i LOVE this picture of her}

{the view heading up Ober Gaitlinburg}

{look closely - there's SNOW! manufactured snow but snow nonetheless.  if i'm ever in Gatlinburg again i will definitely have to do this sledding.  looks like loads of fun!}

{a little reminiscing - the sweet girls in their matching strollers at the beach in 2010 and in Gatlinburg in 2012}

More update posts to come!