Keeping the baby DOWN

Well, this isn't about hurting my children... although after 12 hours alone with them and each night doing bedtime while Andy works on his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) classes, it's been enough to make me super glad for bedtime!!!  This is actually just a quick post about this awesome baby gate I MADE.  Yep, just "Suzy Homemaker" here.  Actually, I really enjoy sewing and since we don't live close to much, it's made me really utilize my handiness!

This is a baby gate for THE BOTTOM of stairs.  NEVER at the top, those need to be screwed in and secured and made specifically for keeping baby safe from falling down the stairs.  This gate is for deterring baby (kids) from going up the stairs- it is NOT foolproof, but it does a pretty good job and at least gives me more time before Maxwell is up the stairs. :)

I found the idea at this link Merrimentdesign.  I put it on my to-do-list and it was always hanging in the back of my mind.  Then, about 2 months ago (at 8 months), Maxwell started to crawl up the stairs.every.chance.he.got.  So, something had to be done at the bottom of the stairs.  I did not want to screw into our banister so I had to find something else, that's when I finally made the fabric baby gate.  It's GREAT!

I made a few changes to the design partially, because I didn't have enough fabric, but mostly because I lack the sewing skills and was nervous!  I used a pre-quilted material for the back, that I was going to use to make crib rail covers, but decided instead to just go onto Etsy and buy these.  I was a little nervous to do the whole interfacing thing too.  I haven't sewn much and that seemed a little too much for me and my $50 machine.  I also did not use the velcro idea, because I was nervous to sew velcro, but also, because of the way our stairs are, I need to have an extra loop to attach to the wall.  I like how it turned out and I LOVE the fabric, from a local store.  So far my projects have been successful!!

Tatertots and Jello

Crafting Room

If you have talked to me since we moved into (started buying) our new house I have been talking about my CRAFT ROOM.  Well, it's finally photograph worthy!!  I did have to take a couple of boxes of random stuff out of there to get good pics, but I think it is pretty awesome!!

I can't find a picture of the before ... my mother-in-law took the picture so I don't have it digitally.  I will get one scanned and do another post.  But let's just say it had a HUGE mural on the wall in permanent marker.  Yes, you heard me permanent marker.   BLACK permanent marker does not get covered up easily.  There was this HUGE Indian smoking a pipe in the middle (for the Waukon Indians I am sure).  Anyhoo... after about 6 layers of paint there are only 2 spots that you can still see the black marks.  My husband and his Dad did ALL the work and they are awesome!!

While the kids and I were shopping with my Mother-in-law, the men painted my lovely craft room lavender.  It's pretty.  My hubby and I put up the boarder with lots of help from our 2 1/2 year old, it's a sticker boarder from Pottery Barn Teen.  I can do a post about where all the specifics came from if anyone is interested.  Most of my ideas came from random places in blogland... An awesome place to get ideas!!

The view from the door

Closet- for storing extra supplies and the giftwrap station.  The gift wrap station started because of this post on Delightful Order.  It reminded me of this article I had gotten in a Lowe's magazine a couple of years ago and had even torn out- I still haven't found it, but I know I put it somewhere safe!  So eventually, my gift wrap station will look like the Lowe's one (or close to it).  Right now I am still trying to figure out how to organize the closet without buying gobs and gobs of new organizers. :)

These are the shelves where I am storing some of my scrapbook stuff and the "machines" I have.  

Behind my work table (kitchen table from when my parents got married and use to be  our kitchen table, too)  is a bookshelf with various embellishments, fabric, hardware.

Next is my sewing corner.  This will definately need a revamp to get my fabric all corralled (or maybe I should just make some of the projects I have bought all this fabric for).

The cube shelves hold all of my scrapbooking paper, paints, stamps, styrofoam, and misc "stuff" needed for crafting.  I want to declutter the top of this shelf...  just gotta figureout what needs to  go... and/or paint a new shelf for in there.

Then it's on to the BIG box-o-crap I still haven't gone through and the unplugged entertainment. :)  

One Last look at my beautifully clean room. :)

I love my new space!!  I can't wait to get more crafting done.  I love crafts.  Good thing I get to go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow... I'm sure there is SOMETHING else I need.

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