Furniture Makeover - Part 1

I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. On one hand, it inspires me and sparks creativity that I might not have had. On the other hand, there are so many tips, tricks, crafts and projects, my head spins trying to find the time to do them. The twins only nap for 45 minutes each day (an hour, tops), and I'm usually so exhausted, all I want to do is nap during that time. I've started to be more proactive and planning times to complete projects. Can't say I've gotten far this year, but I will!

Last year, I completed a few projects, and there are two that I'm pretty darn proud of: my two dresser finds from Craig's List. Someday, when I have more free time, I might parlay this into a business venture, but right now, it's just for fun. Quite frankly, when I found these, I wanted to sell them to earn a few extra dollars, but they were so pretty, I kept them for myself.

The first one I found on Craig's List and she had already done a distressed paint job on it. It wasn't exactly my style, but I loved the piece, so I bought. I found a link on Pinterest and it took me about four days to finish. Coral Dresser Update

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which is a rare find in my area. Only 1 store sells it here and it's a little pricey, but after I mixed the colors, it was totally worth it! The pictures above are before the project.

                       It wasn't hard to do, just time consuming. Sanding the old paint off, removing and spray painting the hardware. Waiting for everything to dry..... but the end result was so much better than I imagined. 

Ta-dah!

Tell me what you think! 

What furniture projects have you tackled lately? 

Please share! Tomorrow, I'll share the other dresser! Stay tuned!

always,

astreia

Shoe-shells

I'm a Florida girl at heart. Although I've lived in other states, I was born and raised here and it's hard to picture living any where else right now. People who aren't from here don't like the humidity or the bugs or our slow pace, but once you've been here a while, you get used to it.

The best thing about living in Florida is, of course, the beach. Sun, sand and surf.... there's nothing like it. I remember before Jesse and I had kids we would bike on the beach or just sit for hours on end, people-watching while enjoying a cold (adult) beverages.

Now that we have kids, our beach trips are a bit different. One of the things we all enjoy is looking for shells. Of all the years I've lived here, I have never found a shark's tooth or sand dollar, but we have found some cool ass shells. 

Last month when we visited, it was really more just a walk on the beach and we found a few shells, but the most entertaining part was the lady feeding the seagulls. No matter what beach you're on, there is always somebody feeding the dang seagulls. It might be cool the first time, but honestly, it's just gross. Birds fighting over bread or Doritos, all while leaving poopy drops of sunshine on the sand and your shoulders... not exactly my idea of a good time.

Jackson is fascinated by seagull swarms. I was pretty relaxed that day, so let him have some fun. Luckily, he didn't get pooped on :)

Amaya wasn't too interested in the birds at first. She was more concerned about finding pretty "shoe-shells". We are trying hard to get her to properly say "seashells".

Thanks again for stopping by! I'm still playing catch up, so the next few blogs will be of past events.Hopefully I'll be caught up by April. If you haven't already, sign up to receive new blogs by email. If you like what you see here,let me know and don't forget to tell a friend :)

always,

astreia

I'm talking to you, Super Mom

Yes, I consider myself a super mom. I don't mean to be vain when I say that. My "power" comes from God, because without Him, I would not be able to handle all the responsibilities of a stay at home mom and wife. Between taking care of three kids, a traveling husband, the photography business and keeping up with the housework, there is rarely time for fun or let alone, going to the bathroom by myself.

A few years ago when the twins weren't as independent, life was tough. It was frustrating trying to go anywhere with all three of them, plus I was still new at the whole "stay at home mom" gig. Anytime I had time to do something or if my husband gave me a "day off", I was so exhausted, I didn't want to do anything for myself. Now that I have some experience under my belt and a tighter routine, it's easier to plan "me time".


As women and the primary caregivers of our families, we need to find time for ourselves every once in a while. I love to workout, so I try to make it to a yoga or Zumba class a couple times a week. With only one income, it's a low cost way to get my zen on or shake my groove thang. Quite frankly, it's not just something fun, it's survival. If I didn't get that time to myself, I would be a grumpy mess. My husband truly lives by the adage "Happy wife; happy life".

It doesn't matter if you are a working mom, single mom or stay at home mom, you should be celebrated! You grew a person inside of you. Some of us grew two or three (or more) at the same time. Find time for yourself and make it count! Here are a couple things you should schedule for yourself this month:

• Mani or Pedi (or both. I do mine at home)
• Get a massage
• Get a haircut 
• Take a 30 minute walk.... alone
• Take a bubble bath
• Download or buy a new book. Too expensive? Check one out from your local library

Get out there Super Mom, and work it, girl!

Have a good idea? Share it! I'd love to hear how you make time for yourself. Perhaps you will inspire someone today :)

But before you go, subscribe to my blog for more tips, stories, and craziness! It's over there on the right--->

always,

astreia

Kiss Me! I'm Irish

Top o' the morning to ya! Hope everyone has a shamrockin' Saint Patty's Day! Amaya and I had a little fun with a cute hat and her "pinch proof" tee shirt. What sort of fun things do you with your family to celebrate?

 I think she was pretending to sleep. But look at those crazy long eyelashes!

See you guys next time :)

always,

astreia

Won't you be my Sweetheart?

What do you think of Valentine's Day? Is it "just another day"? Or do you go all out with candy, decor and presents?

Jesse and I have never celebrated it. I don't dislike the holiday, per say, but I don't feel like you need to have a special day to celebrate love. Birthdays, yes. Anniversaries, yes. I'll even take a "just because I love you" day. We simply don't buy into all the Valentine's Day hype; we do things in our own way. 

If other folks want to celebrate it, I support their right to.... and I'll offer a special Valentine's Day photo shoot from Astreia B Photography (wink, wink)

When it comes to the kids, we try to do something special because they talk about it in school and such. Nothing terribly fancy, but a little treat or Valentine's craft is cool with us. We did a styled shoot for Facebook and had some fun!

I know you guys take pictures of your kids. Doesn't matter if it's on a professional level or just snapshots. With kids, sometimes I feel like you can take 700 pictures and only 3 of them will be good ones. Here's another behind the scenes photo. Andy photo bombed this one and didn't even know it.

Behind the scenes: Jesse had to get the chair ready for Miss Amaya. He and I work well as a team. He would probably never admit it, but I think he enjoys doing photography with me.

Thanks for stopping by today! 

always,

astreia

throw up vs. stinkie

What a way to kick off your weekend, eh? The hubs is only a few days past the flu and I thought the kids and I would be unscathed, since we were armed with 10 days worth of Tamiflu. But alas, I was woken up by my youngest son this morning telling me that he had thrown up on the stairs.

"The stairs?" I ask as I reach for my glasses and turn on the lamp.

"Yes."

Andy is by far, the easiest kid when it comes to sickness. The other two scream and cry at the sight of throw up and beg and plead to sleep with me afterwards. He was very calm and offered to me to the scene of the "accident". He was, er, partially right. The stairs, the wall, the handrail... After trying to keep my composure as my eyes starting watering at the smell, I got him all cleaned up and gave him a drink of water. He assured me he felt better and happily climbed back into bed.

Now the real work begins. Resolve, brushes, towels. On my hands and knees scrubbing vomit out of my brand new carpet at 2 in the morning, I began to wonder: what's worse? Throw up (aka "vomit") or Stinkie (commonly referred to as "poop")

For me, throw up is the worst. I think because I come in contact with stinkie several times a day (whether it's my own or one of my kids) so it's pretty commonplace. But vomit.... ew. Especially when you recognize what they ate earlier.... Ugh... it makes me gag just thinking about it.

He made it through the rest of the night and this morning, until about 30 minutes ago. 

Here we go again.

So tell me, Super-moms (and Super-dads)... what's worse for you?

always,
astreia

Happy New Year (a couple months later)

Yes, I am aware it's March. But as we have discussed, busy moms don't always get to do the things we plan. As I mentioned, I made several resolutions this year and one was to start blogging again. It would have made sense to start in January, but better than never, right?

In addition to blogging, I resolved to read at least 4 books this year, to work out more and eat better, to run the Gate River Run and travel more and watch less TV. I think it's important to have goals to work towards in order to improve your health, wellness, and just improve your life overall. You'd be surprised how small changes make a big impact.

To kick off the new year, the kids and I had our own little NYE par-tay at the Bauer Haus! Complete with hats, horns, and sparkling water with stripey straws. Party over here!

Andy felt like such a grown up wearing a tie and drinking out of a real glass instead of a plastic cup. I tried not to let me anxiety show every time they wanted to "cheers"!

 Miss Amaya jumps at any chance to wear a dress AND a tiara with a cute slogan! 

 The countdown was my favorite. We watched the ball drop on DVR since they couldn't stay up late enough to watch it live. You wouldn't believe how excited they were. Jackson loves New York City and to see the ball and the crowds and confetti was a real treat.

Believe it or not, Jackson likes to get dressed up. He isn't always thrilled when I'm snapping pictures, but once he sees them, he says "Mommy, I'm so handsome!".

Sometimes, I get so bogged down with the daily routine of cooking, cleaning, laundry and helping with homework. It felt good to just let loose and have some fun with the kids and to relax for a while. They had fun, and admittedly, I did too. This is a fun thing to do for any holiday. The best time to buy holiday party supplies is right after the holiday passes. I don't think I paid more than $3.00 for all of our supplies. 

Quite frankly, it doesn't have to be a holiday or a special occasion to celebrate. Throw on some fancy clothes and have your own house party just for the fun of it!

Rock on, guys!

always,

astreia

hello there

Welcome to my blog! One of my resolutions for 2014 was to start blogging again but I wasn't sure what direction I wanted to take. Last year, my blog was strictly for photography, but that's only one part of my life. This year, I want to share more because there is so much going on my chaotic, beautiful life. You guys have so much to look forward to! Adventures with the kids, stories about parenting and family, hobbies, exercise, artsy fartsy crafts; vivid stories all told through pictures since photography was my first love. I would love for this blog to able to help or inspire someone, so feedback is always welcomed. I'll be playing catch up at first, sharing events that have already happened. Eventually you guys will be up to speed. 

Last Friday, the twins and I had a playdate with a good friend at their home and we all had so much fun! Stacy and I click because we are both OCD about organization, cleanliness and share the same views on parenting. Plus she used to work at Pottery Barn, so her home is goregous! Here are some snapshots of the kids in action.  

 After craft time, the kids had a blast playing with toys. To be honest, I did too! The kids played so well together and they were worn out afterwards. I've met so many cool folks around here. We are very thankful for the friends we have made and the experiences we've had.

 

Thanks for taking time to read my post today. Plenty more is on the way. 

Have a terrific Tuesday!

always,

astreia