Heather Johnson Photography

Here is the best picture I could find in my archives of the project before me today–paint the dresser in the girl’s room.

I am actually undecided if I am going to paint the whole thing, or just the inside of the drawers. (Which is, incidentally, the reason I am painting it in the first place. While I love the smell of an antique–I do NOT like that smell on baby clothes!)

I also have a bit of repair work to do, notice the third drawer down. I was super mad at myself when I did that, but thankfully I saved the piece that broke off. Last time I checked it fit perfectly back on. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that during the move I didn’t mess it up:) Now if I can just find the glue…..

I just might drag Holly’s bookcase outside too. (no picture of that–sorry) That needs painting even worse, and I mean really–what else am I going to do on a 75 degree March day?! We are looking at a whole weekend of weather like that so I am really hoping to bust through some projects that have been sitting around here for far too long.

The girls spent their second whole night together last night. Holly apparently can sleep through anything, as she didn’t wake up at all, and Marie had me up THREE times. Not even when Marie was a newborn did she get up that much at night…..I seriously don’t even want to put her in her room if that’s what it is going to mean! When she sleeps in the bassinet next to me she doesn’t get up at all.  (Thursday night she slept 730-530am without waking, no kidding!) She doesn’t even go down easy for the night in her room, often carrying on for 30-40 minutes. (Again, in the bassinet she just goes to sleep.) Let’s keep our fingers crossed that she soon figures out that the crib is her home now for the next few years, it’s so hard to see her upset. Seriously, I have the happiest baby who NEVER cries–and now, well I am just stressing her out with all of this self-soothing stuff!

I have been working on my project list (the one I mentioned in an earlier post that is inspired by the awesome Elise Blaha) and so far I have came up with the name (Forty before Forty) and a list of MORE than forty things I want to get done before I turn forty. Need. To. Edit. And seriously need to find a lot of energy.

It appears Marie has finally given up the fight and is down for her morning nap. That means I have about thirty minutes (when will they get longer?!?!) to mop the kitchen floor, get my painting station set up, and do laundry.

Have a great weekend. Project Life is going to be really full this week–just might be an insert! I can hardly believe it’s the eleventh week of the year already!

*****oh and if you are wondering the puzzles are still not hung. However, the paper templates are no longer on the wall. Baby steps is all we can muster around this crazy house right now!

This is my Holly, last week, right before we picked Aunt Holly up at the airport. Love her sweet little face!

What a week, what a week, what a week.  I am so glad it’s over!  (Actually, let’s scratch that.  I HOPE it’s over!)

We are all trying to recover from a whole host of illnesses here. Holly picked up the chicken pox from school. Justin has a cold. I developed mastitis for the first time. Somehow the baby and Aunt Holly (our second houseguest of the month) sailed through the week unscathed.  Thank goodness. And really–thank God Aunt Holly was here.  I don’t know what we would have done if we were on our own!

My Project Life pages for this week are about 90% done, so hopefully I will be able to post later today, if not tomorrow.

I also have fun things to share on the sewing front. Since Holly now has an American Girl doll I have been to JoAnn’s a few times picking up patterns and fabric to start creating a wardrobe.  I am working through my first simplicity pattern, and can honestly say that I am pretty confident in making elastic waist pants. PJ tops with sleeves, collars, and button holes–not so much.  I am struggling through it….it seriously would really help if the directions included had pictures to go along with their less than stellar instructions!

Just wanted to pop in and let you all know I am alive. I hope to get back to regular posting soon!

Things have been a bit different over here at casa de Johnson–Holly is pretty sick so finding time to blog has been fairly challenging.  (But I have found time to take photos…go figure!)

She appears to be heading into recovery now, must have something to do with the American Girl Doll she is clutching. (Side note: the frown is totally real.  She was that under the weather, she wasn’t aware her picture was even being taken.) Her dad went to the Mall of America yesterday and brought her home one, turns out an ambulance ride/ER run the night before can make a dad do just about anything for his little girl.

Guess I really WILL be diving in head first into sewing projects huh?! Before all of this hit, we did get one Simplicity Pattern and some fabric to make a pair of pajamas for her doll. (Her doll, incidentally, will be referred to by her name from this point forward….Rosie.) Rosie/Holly really like polka-dots, so you can be sure there will be a lot of dots in her wardrobe!!  Almost all of the fabric I have so far is dotted:)

I am not sure where Holly came up with that name, but Rosie was the name Holly was going to have for the longest time.  (At one point I think I was even calling my pregnant belly Rosie.) Uncanny yes?

My mom arrived yesterday and will be here for a week! Holly is, of course, over the moon to see her “cake,” and little Marie–well mom swears that Marie remembers her.  (When Marie was born my mom was here two weeks to help out, and help she did. We weren’t expecting me to have to go BACK to the hospital a day and a half after getting discharged, so mom had to do something she hadn’t done since ’75–stay up practically all night with a newborn!)

Since there is someone here to sit with the baby I was able to spend some time with Holly in the yard yesterday.  Helped her build her first snow(wo)man! Either the snow wasn’t exactly right, or I am out of shape…it wore me out to do this little one with her.  We are getting some more snow tonight I hear, so perhaps we will make another tomorrow.  Or go sledding. Something that’s for sure, it’s really nice to have the extra set of hands around so I will take advantage of it while I can!

Already started in on my Project Life layout for this week, with a weekend at the farm and my mom here, there has been tons of opportunity for photos!

Planning a Valentine’s Day party for ten little girls is a lot of work!  Every spare moment this week went into shopping, baking, or creating for this little get together–not to mention it was my eighth wedding anniversary this week to boot–so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to blog or much else!

Picture taking is even kind of light, so perhaps I will end up with a normal two-page spread after all!

Little Marie is doing great, just losing a lot of hair unfortunately.  She spends a lot of time in her bumbo seat now, and is getting used to a camera in her face quite a bit.  I must say she is quite the pro–flashed the big smile above as soon as I brought my Nikon up to my face. Now that’s a great kid!  Holly on the other hand is burnt out…done with the whole camera thing.  I have driven her crazy for four years with it and she is not interested anymore in smiling or much else for me!!!

We are heading up to my in-laws on Sunday for a day visit (we typically go for entire weekends), so I expect the weekend to zoom on by when you add that to the party. After that we have a week long visit from my mom starting next Tuesday, so can’t wait to see her and her extra set of hands!  No big plans as of yet for her visit, we tend to do lots of hanging out, stories, and games. I can’t wait to see Holly take her own with the wii truth be told!

That about sums it up for us this week. Have a great weekend!