Camera

I have been getting a lot of questions about my camera so I thought I would give her her own post.  This is my baby:

It's a Nikon d5000

I THINK {but I am not positive} that Nikon came out with a new model this year and now you can get this for around $800.  

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One of my favorite features is the screen on the back.  When I did all my research I didn't really think I would even appreciate this feature but with Aidan being all over the place, I find myself standing on chairs, laying in the grass, peeking around corners and using this feature often. 

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This is my camera bag:

It's small.  It does the trick for now but I need to spend some time looking for a bigger one.

I have the standard lens that came on the camera.  It is an 18-55mm and then I have a basic zoom lens that is a 55-200mm zoom lens. Nothing fancy but I love it!  

I do use the zoom lens when I take most of my "portrait"  style photos of Aidan. 

I  have had no formal training on how to use my camera. Thank God for the Internet and You Tube videos.  There have also been instances where I have made Aidan sit still and gone through every setting on my camera until I get the look I am going for and then I take a mental note for the next time.  I don't pretend to really know anything about this camera. It does a million things I have yet to learn.  I am hoping to get in to a camera class sometime this summer.  Maybe by the time by birthday rolls around in August I will be more educated about lens options and can ask for a new one.

 As far as photo editing goes... I use Lightroom for some stuff, Picnik for fun stuff and that's it really.  You can click the Lightroom link and try it out for free for 30 days.  I had no clue how to use that so once again I just googled my questions and figured it out.   I don't have a lot of editing to do typically so I don't have any tips for you.  Sorry. 

For those of you that were curious about my camera strap from the post I did on my outfits a few weeks back, I got it from the Etsy seller August Blossoms.  I love it!  Pictured here:

The only thing I am thinking about doing is adding a piece of Velcro to the lens cover pocket because I am always worried I will loose my lens cover.  I get so many compliments on it.

See how cute they are! I may have to have a back up strap in the form of the middle one here very soon.  $29 bucks. 

 I remember someone asking about the battery life and my answer to that is the battery life is great. I take a ton of pictures and only charge it maybe once every two weeks.  And I am one of those annoying people that scans through and looks at every picture after taking them which tends to drain the battery.

I hope that sums it up for everyone.  It's been a great started DSLR. 

Questions for me?

Recently I have seen a lot of people doing this little question and answer posts and they seem like so much fun. I am basically an open book on here so you probably don't have anything to ask me at all BUT if there is something you want to know that you haven't read here (or have and want more info on) email me at april@youmeandthekid.com and I will post the answers.  Feel free to ask me anything. I will give you honest answers.  Just be nice. Please.

In other news...I am loving my new job!  I work side by side with another receptionist and she is the sweetest!  I even convinced her to start her own blog!  I am feeling really, really blessed to have found something that I am enjoying so much.  It is definitely helping with the sting of leaving Aidan.  I just teared up writing that.  I miss my little man but he is more than benefiting from this change. Today he is spending the day with mom and could care less about where I am.

It has been raining here for two days.  It's funny how much I loved rainy days when I was staying home. It was an excuse to watch movies and cuddle all day.  Now I just want some sunshine!  We want to be able to plant some stuff around the yard and I feel like I will be out of time if I wait too much longer! 

Thanks to those of you who wrote something on my post about Boundaries.  It's nice to know we are not the only ones in this situation.  I do wish Adam could be a little more confrontational because when he isn't I think I am the one automatically blamed.  But once in a while you have to be the one to take one for the team and where I am not the strong one in other situations, Adam makes up for it.  So there you have it, we aren't such a bad team!

I am attempting to watch American Idol for the first time EVER! Julie our Wednesday night dinner date loves it so we are trying to watch with her.  I have to tell you, Scotty is my favorite and yes it's because he is from NC! It helps that I love country music.

I hope you are having a great Thursday!!!  It's almost the weekend!

What I am LOVING Wednesday

I thought it would fun to start participating in What I Love Wednesday's over at Lollipops.




This week it's all about the Outdoor edition for me.  Especially since warm weather is right around the corner!

House number pillow

The Ammero Gazebo from Ikea.

A few of these outdoor floor cushions from Ikea.

{In black}

One of these fire pits.

An outdoor rug. 

 and for my backyard to look like this...

and I would also love for all of my friends to be in the picture enjoying it with me. 

Happy Wednesday!

Bethenny Ever After

I know I've told you I have a girl crush on Bethenny Frankel a million times now.  She is so freaking cute. I just love her. Out of all the silly reality TV nonsense I watch, I most look forward to her show. 



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Adam doesn't have to admit it publicly but he loves her show as well.  I was so so so excited for her when she met Jason and she had Bryn.  

I love her show so much by itself but I am loving it a whole lot more right now because some of the issues she and Jason are having on the show Adam and I can directly relate to and it's really interesting to be the ones outside of the situation looking in on a couple with some of the same hurdles.

You will only understand what I am talking about if you watch. If you don't you can call it quits here or you can read and try to decipher what the heck I am talking about.

Boundaries with our families are a big, big, big issue around here.  It has been a serious situation.  Adam's parents and my parents opinions about their time with us vary greatly.  One set are happy to spend the time they do with us. If we choose to do something alone with Aidan or celebrate a holiday with the other family, there are no questions asked, they don't ask us to split our time they respect our the boundaries of our home and our time together as a new family trying to grow together.

The other parents, are a little different. I love them dearly and I know they mean no harm and they just want to spend time with their grand child but I think sometimes they have trouble realizing that Aidan, Adam and I are a family now and rather than trying to put us in a situation where we feel we need to please everyone,  they need to encourage us to be concerned with what makes us as a family happy.  It has gotten to the point where we cannot even tell them if we have spent time with the other family because they get upset.  People's feelings unintentionally get hurt and the situation worsens.  

Adam and I made the decision to put the boundaries out there with both sets of parents.  Some people were a little bit upset and some people totally understood because they were already on the same page with us.  For the time being the best conclusion we have come to is to truly do WHAT MAKES US HAPPY.  Both sets of parents have had the opportunity to grow a family and now we feel like it is our time.  We aren't going to make excuses for who or how we choose to spend our time.  We try our very best to be gentle with peoples feelings.  Adam has a small problem voicing these things because he is a people pleas er.  It ends up making me look like a crazy person that doesn't want anyone in our lives.  This however is not the case so we are trying to build Adam up to stick up for us when he needs to.

At the end of the day we need to do what makes us happy.   Our family is what needs to matter the most. 

Anyone else in the situation?  Or are we nuts?  And if you don't watch "Bethenny Ever After" you are seriously missing out.  Monday nights on Bravo. 

xoxo



I Got a Job

A real, full time job.  It's nothing crazy.  A receptionist position for a great family owned company.  The job became available,  Adam and I discussed it,  I interviewed, got the job and started on the 3rd.

It all happened really fast.  I never thought they would offer me the job and need me to start immediately.  Like as in the NEXT DAY.  That's a big change after being a stay at home mom for almost four years.  We have been rushing around trying to find childcare for Aidan on the days Adam has to be at work without shaking up his little life too much.   I don't want to pull him out of his preschool program and put him in full time day care so we are going through a transition period around here.

I didn't realize how sad I would immediately be about my time with Aidan being over with. I didn't really even have time to process it before I started work.  As much as I will miss our time together, I still have my evenings and every minute of the weekends.  He's going to get to spend more time with people that love him the most and I am sure he will be spoiled beyond belief.  This is a step I needed to take to help us get closer to growing our family this year.  We were in desperate need of medical benefits and this is going to solve that problem.  The extra income doesn't hurt either.

We are looking forward to the future and everything this job is going to help our family accomplish.  Say a little prayer for us.  We are so glad you all are along for the ride! xoxo

While I was at it...

While I was painting my bathroom and giving it a little make over I realized I REALLY, REALLY needed to organize our little linen closet in there. So much stuff, so little space. I already had all of the bins I just needed to throw a ton of stuff out and get organized.  I feel so much better now and I don't have to listen to Adam a certain someone ask me where stuff is everyday.  

                                              {Mom do not look at these just skip to the afters}

I am a relatively clean person so I mortified to show you these photos. Ha!

We have a ton of towels they are just in the pile of laundry that needs addressing. Much better...RIGHT?



Design DayDreams-Aidan's Bedroom

I feel like so many rooms in our house I had a vision for and either it didn't turn out quite like I would have liked or I just have yet to finish it.  When I set out to do Aidan's big boy room I wanted it to be youthful, bright and cozy. I wanted it to also be a room that would grow with him.  

I painted his dresser.  Bought him some new bedding, drapes, a new lamp and nighstand.  We painted his name and hung it.  I had intended to make some pillow covers, add a chair for us to read in, buy him a new rug and paint an accent wall.  Other projects came up or the money wasn't available.  Finally, I am getting my motivation back to get his room DONE!


Remember the post about my Nana's wing back chair? Well it's here {at our house} in all it's Waverly floral fabric glory and I am watchin You Tube Videos and reading blogs on how to slipcover it. I may chicken out and use a guy a friend recommended to just reupholster it.  I decided on an white twill fabric that way I can use it anywhere in the future. For now, it's new home is in Aidan's reading corner in his room.  Ottoman included. Hopefully it will end up looking similar to this...{I have no clue where this image came from}

For those of you that have never seen it, this is his dresser that I painted.

I want to add some new knobs for some pop.  I love both of these from Anthro.

This is his nightstand.

It is getting three new knobs as well.  Also found here.

His room is not set up like this anymore but I wanted you to see his bed.  The wingback chair is caddy corner where his bed is in this picture.  The brown drapes will stay.  For now.

We are going to paint his ceiling orange, add some chunky crown moulding and add a ceiling medallion with a new chandelier in the middle.  I use the word chandelier lightly because I think people automatically think of a girlier room. 

I am thinking I will buy this Ikea chandelier and either spray paint it matte red or white. 

and put these light bulbs in it.

I want to find two white Euro shams {these are Ikea} and have them monogrammed in kelly green or a blue.

He needs a new rug.  We have this seagrass one in our dining room and love it.  The price is right and it hides everything.  I want a rug big enough to cover most of his floor.

I love this as well but it might be a little much with all the other patterns going on.  Plus all the reviews on line say it's so hard to vacuum and y'all know I love to vacuum.

These are the fabrics I want to use to make a bolster for his bed and a throw pillow for the wingback chair. 

Ideally I would like to make this fabric the center of the pillow {think big square}...

and edge it in this.  But we will have to test the sewing skills to get that done.

I will most likely use this fabric for the bolster and add a little red pom pom trim.  Or not. We'll see.

I love this hook for his closet door. 

My Dad's nickname of Aidan is Hap. Which is short for Happy.  Instead of his name on his wall in his room {since his pillow will be mono} I thought it would be cute to use these zinc letters to spell out Happy above a gallery wall above his bed.

Also going on the gallery wall would be the two large photos of him currently in there {you can see one in the pic of his room above} a few black frames with pictures of him, smaller colored frames with some cute quotes in them and if I am really lucky...

One or two of Casey Wiegand's original pieces of art...

If I had to I could split it up into two gallery walls across from eachother.

Lastly, even though we have those shelves on the wall in his room I am thinking they may need to be moved and repurposed and we could buy one of the Lack shelves from {you'll never guess} IKEA!  Aidan has so many books we need some more storage. 

I know it seems like there is so much going on but in my head it looks amazing!! And as so many of you know things can change as I am moving along with this project.  I will update when I have made some progress!