We Survived

We survived The Wilderness Cove Campground Experience 2011.  It's been a few weeks since we've been back but I finally got around to sorting through the 200 pictures we took while we were there! Be forewarned, this is a picture heavy post!

No way were we over packed. Adam brought a window A/C unit. 

Friday we ended up leaving the city late.  We stopped once to sit down and eat and then we spent about 30 minutes lost because our GPS was loosing signal in the mountains.  We got to the campground around 10:00PM.  Quickly we realized how out in the middle of nowhere we really were and the men took off in search of beer after being in the car for 2 plus hours.  Chelsea and I made the beds air mattresses and took the little boys on a "nature walk" walk to the bath house to let them burn off some energy before it was time for bed.  Just as we got them to bed it started to pour rain and we were so grateful we had decided on the primitive cabin option versus tent camping on this trip!

{Cabin #2.  What a beauty}

{Sleepover Central}

Saturday morning we were up and at em'.  We had breakfast around our campfire and then loaded the bus to head a mile up the river to tube.  The boys were so excited.  Ryland tried to get in his tube on land and had everyone laughing.  Despite a few family feuds about paddling while in your tube and getting stuck on rocks, it was a great time! At the end of our ride,  Chelsea abandoned ship and let her tube float all the way down the river in case some stranger wanted to experience all the fun we had.

{The boys got right in when we woke up on Saturday}

{The Green River was literally right out back.  The boys loved it}

{Chelsea will teach you how to dance} 

{We ended our tubing trip right at the cabin}

We changed out of our bathing suits and packed up the car for a ride in to  Saluda for a small hike up to Pearson Falls.   Pearson Falls is a 90ft waterfall maintained by the Tryon Garden club.  It was pretty cool to see! And it was great for family photo ops.

{The hike UP}

{Pearson Falls}

{Mike, Chels and Ryland}

{The Harvey's}

Our big plans to cook dinner on the campfire were quickly forgotten when we stumbled upon a quaint little BBQ restaurant in town.  We were all starving and by the time we got back to the campsite, cooked and ate it would have been hours worth of work and everyone would be cranky and starving.

{Green River BBQ}

Once we got back to the cabin the boys wanted to play in the river so I suggested to Chelsea we put out chairs in the middle and let the boys swim.  The river is dam controlled so in the evenings its maybe 6" deep in it's lowest point and maybe 3ft deep in the deepest point.  Once we were out there, Mike and Adam decided they would just build a small mountain of rock out of the river and we would start a new campfire.   It was getting chilly and although I have to admit at first I was a little skeptical, it was sooooo nice to get to sit in the river and have a fire.  When the sun went down it was perfect.  The boys splashed around and we made some s'mores and put them to bed.  The adults hung out for a few more hours and then we all hit the hay.

Sunday morning I think Adam was the most anxious to get home.  None of us had showered in two days.  Aidan took off to Sunday school at the campground while we packed up the cars and the campsite and then we all headed home!   I literally hit my bed when we walked in the door and slept like a rock for two and a half hours.  I felt better when I woke up but the next day my body was aching! I think I worked out some muscles I haven't in a while!

I had a blast and would definitely do it again. Chelsea and I  have made a list of things we would do differently to make things go a little bit smoother and the time of year we think would be perfect.  Looking forward to our trip next year!!!

Fall Wreath

I know I am not the only one that is so pumped Fall is here.  I have been filling up my boards on Pinterest with ideas for the season and the upcoming holidays! I saw this wreath and thought "I can make that!"  

via Pinterest

My Wreath

and here is how easy it was to make it:

This is what you need...

This is such an easy, inexpensive wreath to make.  Especially for me this time around because I already had the glue sticks, plastic pumpkins, moss left over from a baby shower, a 50% off coupon for the wreath and the burlap was $4.99.  

My moss was a little bit different then the Pinterest wreath but I already had it so I stuck with it.  Also, if I had been using my brain while shopping earlier, I would have bought the green wreath form.

I'm not in love with this bow but I'm working on it.

I glued the pumpkins in a cluster and I am pretty convinced I can pop them off and add birds or some flowers for a switch up in the Spring!!!

Love it! My mom has already requested one for her door! 

Master Bedroom Reveal

Friday night after I snuggled Aidan to near death, I started to empty out our room and move things around.  I really had no clue if I was going to like the bed in front of the window or not.  I'm glad I did it, I love it now.  The room feels a lot bigger and it slowly but surely turning out beautiful.  There is still some work to be done but I had to start somewhere!

Before and After 

The doors have to be my favorite part of the whole room. They were a gift from a family friend and they have a great story to them.  I'll tell you all about it when I do a post on the day Mrs. Reynolds gave us a tour of her gorgeous house!

 Big difference isn't it?  I am still not finished with the chandelier.  I love the bamboo blind and the new burlap lamp shades.  The new fabric on the headboard is a very similar color to the old one but much prettier.  I was so over the ivory velvet.  We weren't really sure how we were going to handle the headboard at first.  It had been hanging on the other wall with slide in picture hangers.  I knew for sure I didn't want it screwed in to the bed so my marvelous husband made a frame that stands on the floor and we attached the headboard to it.  When we push the bed up against it, it doesn't move at all. It's the perfect solution.

 I kind of surprised myself and decided to keep the drapes I had.  They weigh a ton and have a great lining. 

 We moved the TV here.  Why do TV's have to be so ugly? The shelf that was above our bed is here now.  I stuck my yard sale mirror on it and some mason jars with tea lights.  The runners on the nightstands and this dresser I made with this Ikea fabric. It was almost the exact same fabric as my Pottery Barn Euro shams and only had to be hemmed on the ends. 

When I get something on the walls to the left and right of the bed I will take a wider picture of the room.  I don't think they need much. 

What do you think? Good decision?





Panthers Game

 

 Our Little Panther Fan (eating popcorn and actually watching the game!)

We are super lucky that my Dad purchased 6 seats to the Panther's games about 7 years ago.  They are awesome seats and B.A. (before Aidan) we used to have a phenomenal tailgate set up and we never missed a game.  Along came the little guy and we took a few seasons off and watched from the sofa at home while the rest of the family and some of our friends enjoyed the seats.  Well now that Aidan is big enough to attend, we are back!  We took Aidan to one game last season and to the Steelers pre season game last week.  He did spend the majority of the game staring at the page in our program that has the cheerleaders plastered across it while eating popcorn but it's a start.  He hasn't stopped talking about it!  I think we might just have a little Panther fan in the making! 

First Day of School 2011

Yesterday was Aidan's first day of school for the year!  I always try to tell myself I'm not going to get upset when Aidan starts school.  It's no biggie, he has to grow up.  NEVER WORKS.  It's so bittersweet watching your kids grow.  It's so much fun to see them grow and learn new things but at the same time you want to hold on to those baby days forever.  Luckily Aidan was so excited about school yesterday he wasn't upset at all when we dropped him off. That makes my life so much easier.

It was so muggy yesterday morning my lens was fogging up!

I mean seriously. THIS IS THE CUTEST KID EVER!

1st Day of 4's Class-Teacher Ms. Wendy

And just for fun...look how much he has changed in 3 years...

Should I Do It?

Pretty much every corner of my house is undergoing some sort of project right now.  Needless to say, it's quite the mess.  My head is constantly full of ideas of things I can do to improve our little house.  The other day  I was sitting at my desk and this thought came to my mind. What if I move our bed in front of the window in our bedroom? We have two windows and so light would still get in?  These were the inspiration photos I found during a Google/Pinterest search...

This is a little simple but I wanted you to get the point.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

And I love this.  When my brother gets his act together and gets a cute place. I will make him this room. {Motivation Bob}.

http://www.bloomingdesign.wordpress.com/

 This is kind of close to what our room would look like. I  have a tad bit more space.

http://www.decorpad.com/

 This is my dream Master Bedroom. Some day. Some day SOON!



                                  

http://www.andy-exclusivedesign.blogspot.com/

And this is our room now. But in real life there is laundry all over the floor, firetrucks in our bed and water glasses piled on our nightstands.  Something's gotta change. And it had to be this weekend.



I have had my eye on some simple, ivory drapes for in here and I think I will add a fabric trim to the sides, push the rod out a bit and  move the bed.  Nail head trim on the DIY headboard? Anyone?

I love that I have that shelf above our bed for me to throw my wedding rings on in the middle of the night but I don't know if I will cry when I don't have it anymore.

I got new bedding...It looks like this. It's Pottery Barn.  I paired it with some ruffle shams and a ivory quilt. It works for now.  I need something  monogrammed to make me love it. Call me Southern.

 I am determined to make this chandelier for my room with a $30 Craig's List find. Wish me luck. Scratch that...just wish me patience.  

 http://www.lampplus.com/

I bought new lampshades for our nightstand lamps. At TARGET. They have great lamp shades right now. This one was $9.99.  I knew I had scored when Adam said "Wow, I like those".  I wanted to clap for myself.

And recently I was lucky enough to land some antique doors from a family friend here in Charlotte. I am thinking about taking the mirrors off the wall, leaning a door on each side and then attaching the mirrors to them. We'll see how that goes.  

 BEDROOM MAKE OVER 2011 is in full effect.  Hopefully their will be pictures next week!!

UPDATE:  I made the move.   The room looks so much bigger!  My mom and I made the trek to Mary Jo's and I reupholstered our headboard in a gorgeous, heavy fabric with great texture to it.  I switched our blinds out to bamboo and got rid of our rug.  I am putting some final touches on it and then I'll post pics!!!

I think I need this...

Adam has been buying my bags (not complaining) since we've been together and I think the ole' Louis could use a break.  This is cute huh? And so inexpensive!