Lets talk paint.

I NEED a project. Something to get me out of this rut (also known as winter). I am dying of boredom and so I decided it's about time I paint my room.

Let me tell you something about me. I think I'm scared of color. I always go with neutrals when it comes to paint, frames, curtains, decor, furniture, clothes, accessories... Though, I have loved teal for the longest time. As I've started decorating my house I've gone with teal curtains in the kitchen, teal rugs in the halls, teal table in the entry... Makiah's room has some teals and two of our bathrooms are painted Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore, which is a light pretty teal color. So I decided that my room could not be decorated in teal. I needed to go a different route. But it did need color... The rest of my house is painted in various shades of gray.

In case you are picturing my house all gray and teal... no worries. I haven't decorated a ton yet but here are some of the color schemes I am going for in the living space of my house. :)

Yesterday I decided on Benjamin Moore Jamestown Blue for my room. It seemed calm and comforting to me and it seemed to flow with the rest of my house. So I got a sample and let my girls go to town on one of my walls.

I loved it, and then I hated it. And then I loved it again. Then the sun went down for the night and I hated the color without the natural light. It looked too... teal/turquoise (Kinda like this). I was trying to stay away from teal! So last night I started over, but every paint swatch I was drawn to had the same teal tint to it.

So then I decided, if it's teal that I want then I'm going with teal! I stopped looking at the bold bright blues and remembered my Sister in law has the prettiest living room painted in Sherwin Williams Quietude. It reminds me of the Palladian color in my bathrooms, but bluer and calmer in a way. It's also similar to Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue (which might have a little more green than the Quietude), I had a sample of the Wythe Blue already, so I painted that on another wall this morning and I LOVE it. But now I look back at the Jamestown blue and I think I like it more for my room. Goodness people!! I've come full circle and here I am choosing the color I started with? Who knows, by tonight I may hate it again... And tomorrow I'll be painting my room gray... Because I'm afraid of color and that's all I know.

Help! Someone tell me just to go with the Jamestown... It's bright and fun and who knows, I might just like it.

I guess my worry is this- My room is big with vaulted ceilings and the color is pretty deep and bold. I'm worried that it might be too much for my room and it might overwhelm me (I'm needing something calm and comforting since I tend to get anxious... but at the same time I originally wanted something deep and bold-a change). I guess I won't know for sure until I get it up on all the walls. Gah.

(The picture with Daphne is not the true color... It looks lighter and just plain blue-the paint was still wet. The other picture seems to be better match to what the Jamestown looks like in my room, but really it looks different every time I go in there and when the lighting is different.)

The Storm.

My husband probably thinks I am the most lazy stay at home mom ever. This is what happens when you get snowed  iced in and the only thing left to do is read, eat, nap and blog :) Okay... there are other things I can be doing, but really I love a day where I don't feel obligated to do everything and anything. 

The storm that is sweeping the country has past us (at least I hope it is past...) Last night the wind was insane and just the thoughts of being out in it made me shiver. On Monday I stocked up on groceries... and ice cream, doughnuts, chocolate chips... um yeah. I knew I'd be wanting something to yummy to eat while stuck at home for who knows how long. Walmart was insane. Worse than Christmas time by far. Apparently when there is a snow storm people like to have plenty of bread... the shelves were near empty when I was there. Every checkout line was open and the parking lot was full. It took me 20 minutes to get out of the parking lot and across the street to pick up Dallas from work. By the time we were headed home the snowflakes were HUGE and I was perfectly happy to just stay inside for the next few days.

Dallas woke up early today to go to work. He spent a ridiculous amount of time shoveling our driveway (with the help of our very nice neighbors). Then, as he was leaving I said: "I don't think you should leave until the road gets plowed. You WILL get stuck out there." He assured me he would be fine and left. Minute later he texted me and said: "You were right." He didn't even make it all the way out of the driveway. Surprise, surprise :) I love being right (except when it means I have to go shovel out the car...) Luckily it didn't take long to dig the car out, and Dallas ended up staying home today (this is how he now knows that I am the most lazy stay at home mom... at least for the day that is). Most of his coworkers were also unable to get away from home. 

We can handle snow. We lived in Cache Valley and we've had our share of snow. But this isn't snow, it's ice. We had to break it down with a shovel and then move it with the snow shovel. We helped neighbors as well. Dallas has spent the majority of his day outside digging out cars and shoveling, he is such a nice boy. We have not been the only ones to get stuck on the road that's for sure. I understand how busy the snow plows are today... but we always seem to be the last ones to get our road plowed :( Oh well... at least Dallas got a snow day out of it. 

(See Kiah walking on top of the snow? It doesn't even budge when you step on it... it's ice.)

Random:

Here is my wall arrangement for the kids bedroom... I am wanting to print some of the pictures from my last post and have them mounted them on styrene (and of course, place them where the brown paper is). The only problem is the cost (of course!) One day I will be able to afford all of my photography desires :) Haha... maybe not. Until then we will have the brown paper up, ever reminding me of the pictures I'd like to put up instead.  

(For those of you wondering what styrene is, it is a plastic mounting board 2 mm thick. Here are some examples... here and here (I love the idea with the letters!) I love the idea of styrene because it can be framed, placed on an easel, set on a shelf or just hung as it is without a frame... which I plan to do.)

Anyway... I hope you all are safe and warm at home! Hopefully spring will come sooner than later...

Comfy Cozy

Evan got this adorable shirt and cozy sweater from Grandma and Grandpa Bateman... so cute! He was so very happy to get a package in the mail a couple days before his birthday. Later that night he insisted on wrapping it up. He got out the paper, tape and was asking me for the scissors before I realized what he was doing. Thank you grandma and grandpa! Evan loves his gifts! Oh, and the book you sent? SO CUTE! It is my favorite... I might have to keep it for myself ;)

The collages that I have been using on my posts today are so much fun! They are actions for photoshop and they have made my blogging life easier... They are wonderful and I bought them here :)

Much to post...

I have much to post about... but that also involves effort. I will get to it, I promise. Some of it may include: Thanksgiving, a gratitude list, my crazy children, 3 trips to Walmart (soon to be 4) to buy MORE Christmas lights, and an incident that occurred yesterday... that involved scissors. But for now I just want to share something that is on my wish list :)

If you know me well then you might also know that I am a Pioneer Woman fan. I am so excited for this book to come out (February 1st!!), it is on pre-order now at Amazon :) Yeay! If you want to read more about the book click here. Ree is hilarious and I love, love, love reading her blog. 

P.S. My live signature is not working for some reason... can any of you even see it? I can't :(

Just a quick slideshow...

Here are some photos of our new home. We love it here! Some of the things that I am just loving are: our garage, dishwasher, not having the washer and dryer in the kitchen, my bedroom :) I love my room! Master bathroom and walk in closet, the kids big room/playroom, vaulted ceilings, big back yard, quiet neighborhood.... the list could go on and on :) I do need to do some major decorating and I already have some ideas. I just need some more inspiration, money and time :) Soon enough I'll have pictures on the walls. 

I do need some help with this wall...

Any ideas? I am clueless. It is way too big for what I have now and I am willing to invest in something or somethings to put on it. I love the quote that is in this room  (the big black board with the quote on it) but I'd use a different quote... I just like the idea in general. Would it work for this room? I could do it in any color, size, shape, etc. I am also planning to get family portrats done and I would love to get some LARGE prints :) That would be nice for this big wall. Any other ideas that you might have would be great!

More blueberries

I posted my favorite blueberry picking photos on my photo blog.... this one is my favorite :)

I have been wanting to buy some Photoshop templates like these so I can make some collages like the one above. Since I didn't want to fork over the money I found this tutorial instead. Now I can make my own templates :) I have had way too much fun with these! I wish I had more time on my hands so I can sit here and make one after the other. I have a feeling that I am never going to get sick of photography and photoshop and that's okay with me :)

My little crazies

Kiah is now in her last month as a 1 year old. Wow! That means we have almost lived in Indiana for two years... time flies. She is adorable... and she keeps me on my toes... constantly. I don't remember the last time that she slept past 6 am. This makes for a very grumpy Kiah and a very grumpy Mom. I don't do mornings. Enough said.

She loves to get dressed and she adores accessories. She is always the first one ready in the morning, all the way down to her shoes. She is ready to head out of the house before 8am almost everyday. 

On Friday I went to a girls night/pamper party and I painted my toenails for the first time this summer. Kiah was fascinated with my pink toes and so I thought for the first time that maybe I should paint her toes as well. She was... hummmm whats a good word? In HEAVEN. She didn't move a muscle the whole time I painted her nails and of course I had to do her fingers as well. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I am a lame mom that's for sure. She loves her pink nails and looks at them constantly. If they chip at all she gets worried, I've already repainted them twice since Saturday.

One more thing... Kiah is obsessed with mommies, daddies, and babies. She thinks every woman is a mom and every man is a dad. She calls out "mommy, a baby!" every time she see a little one. She is such a girly girl.

Evan is another story... 

• He loves to do silly faces
• He loves to build train tracks, then take them apart, and then put them together again
• He refuses to ride his new bike and I try not to force it on him
• He would rather play in the sand and build castles and cakes
• He chatters ALL DAY LONG and doesn't stop. I love it, I really do.
• His favorite games are: duck duck goose, hide and go seek, and red light, green light
• He is excited about our move and he will randomly grab an empty box and pack up his toys

One more thing...

Today I got these in the mail...

I won them in a giveaway on The Maternal Lens blog from Prissy Piggies...

Aren't they just adorable?? All I have to say is that I better have more kids and hopefully a daughter :) Wouldn't these be adorable with a blessing dress? If I end up with more boys I'll have to use them as a prop in my photo business :) I love them soooo much!

Don't miss this!

My good friend over at Between Linnet and Linen is having a giveaway today through Monday!! Head on over to her blog and check out her new look... it looks fabulous! Spread the word on your blog and facebook so all of your friends can have a chance to win!!

My First Giveaway...

Everyone pass on the word, I am having my first giveaway today on my photo blog! Head on over to enter the giveaway and to see some amazing headbands handmade by Wendy from Between Linnet and Linen. I promise that you don't want to miss this!

I took photos for Wendy and Kiah was my *willing* model for the little girl's headbands. I was lucky to get a smile out of her!!

I need a new 'do...

and I just found exactly what I want... can I pull THIS off?? Your honest opinion please... bangs?? Yes or No? Could I do this style without the bangs? I am thinking I need the bangs because I had a horrible experience with my hair dryer (at least that is where I am putting the blame) and my hair has broken off on one side. Oh and for those of you who live around here... where should I go for this style... any hairstylist recommendations?

My second idea is to grow it out for a while longer (to help the hair that broke away) and go back to something like THIS (the mom, not the bald baby :)).

What do you think??

When I am feeling lazy... um like today maybe....

I have talked about my lack of cooking before.... on days that I don't feel like cooking (oh wait... I think that might be everyday...) THIS is what I make. Healthy? No. Good? Yes. Try it... you will like it. In fact you could probably run and throw it all into your crock pot now and have it ready for dinner tonight. That is the beauty of it, it is soooo easy to make (and it has cream cheese in it :)).

For those of you who don't want to click on the link I'll fill you in. Chicken, black beans, corn, salsa layered in a Crockpot. Cook on high for an hour and on low for ummmm well... until it's done. Shred the chicken and throw in some cream cheese. Cook through and voila! There you have it... the best nachos EVER. Serve with green onions and lettuce on top of chips. Yum.

One LAST Nauvoo post...

I have to throw in one more post :) When we stayed in Nauvoo we stayed at the Nauvoo Log Cabins. We absolutely loved it! If you ever head out to Nauvoo I definitely recommend them. Dallas and I stayed in the Ferrin cabin and my family stayed in the Jameson cabin... check out the pictures and the site :)

"Our Cabin" as Evan came to call it :)

My fam's cabin...

Look at how much fun we had :)

Can't go with out the DS :)

Take a look....

Be sure to head on over to my photo blog for a preview from my last shoot and to hear about a special offer :) And be sure to spread the word....

Something new and exciting....

This has been a long time coming... and now it's time!! I am excited to announce my new photo blog... Jessica Bateman Photography. I am finally getting the ball rolling with my photo business and I am so very excited! Be sure to stop by the new blog and take a look around. Also be sure to scroll down to the bottom and become a follower. I am so excited for my latest post... you don't want to miss this one, so be sure to take a look! I took photos for three adorable girls, it's a must see.

If you know anyone in the West Lafayette/Lafayette, IN area who is looking for a photographer be sure to tell them about Jessica Bateman Photography :)

My friend Kim Davis designed my logo and I love it! Didn't she do a great job? Thanks Kim for all your help!

For all bloggers...... fun and EASY!

Blogger is finally getting a template editor that is amazing!!! I am excited to try it out. I read this post awhile back and I was just thinking that I should share this fun info :) Definitely read the post (above link) for instructions and also use this link for more help. It is extremely easy to do this and messing around with HTML is not required :)

I won't go into too much detail because the two links did that for me but basically.... Use the links above to add blogger in Draft to your dashboard (it's not hard at all). Then go to the layout tab on your blog and click on Template Designer. You will be able to choose from a variety of different templates, backgrounds and layouts. You are also able to change the width of your blog... that way you can have it at any width you like best. You are also able to change colors of everything on your blog to fit exactly what you want. This is so simple and you will all just love it! Now you don't have to bother searching for the perfect template... or mess around with the HTML. So fun :)

Another post.....

I've been having too much fun blogging these past few days. Today I used this tutorial to put these fun fonts on my blog. It was kinda a pain, but now I have it figured out. If you need help let me know... I have fun doing stuff like this...

I think I should give blogging a break now....

lots of links

I've had so much fun playing around with my blog and I think I finally like it :) Now I just need to figure out my photo blog. I wanted to share where I found everything....

Blog template:  Our blogger Templates
Tutorial (how to apply the template): Happy Chaos
Tutorial (how to add a background): Blogger Tutorials
Backgrounds: Pattern Cooler (this was my favorite spot.. you can also look on photobucket)

I had a lot of fun figuring this all out and so if you need help let me know :)

Remember this photo?

It's on the I heart faces blog today :) Head on over and check out the fun edits of sweet Makiah's photo :)

As of late.

Lately my attitude has been really blunt and sarcastic. I don't know what's gotten into me. Hopefully I can get through this post without adding too much attitude to it... A few different things have been going on around here. Nothing to exciting (well... except one thing...) but things I thought I could share.

Mornings. I am NOT a morning person. I honestly believe that there is no need (for a stay at home mom at least) to be up before 8:00a.m.... okay maybe 7:00 a.m. And this is a new rule around here. I don't get up before 7:00 a.m. If my kids are awake before 7 then they can come to bed with me or they can play in their room. Makiah is having a hard time learning this. She pulls on my arm and pulls down my covers and I just ignore it. (I am so so ridiculous, but I think she might catch on soon). Let me just say that the past two early mornings (5:30) have made me very irritable. (Maybe the reason for my new attitude?)

Evan has been a sweet little guy as of late. For awhile there I was wondering what happened to my sweet boy that I would brag about. He was ornery all the time. If he didn't have things just as he wanted them then, watch out!  He cried and threw plenty of temper tantrums just waiting for me to give in... and I would. A typical morning at our house consisted of this: Me carrying both of my kids down the stairs, Evan had to get the cereal and bowls HIMSELF, he had to have the right kind of cereal and the right carton of milk, He had to get his food first and if I poured it wrong then I had to do it again. If any of this went wrong then it was a crying fest. And this was just the first 20 minutes of our day. I don't know what I was thinking!!  One night as we ate dinner, Evan wanted to sit on my lap. I hate when he does this. I decided right then and there that I was through. No more. I told him no, he could sit on his own chair. He threw himself to the floor and cried every time I told him no. It was a awful meal time but it hasn't happened since. Evan has learned that when I say no, I mean it. 

Evan has also learned the word obey. When I use this word he knows I mean business (this has helped so much with potty training. We went a whole week of him refusing to use the potty.... that doesn't happen anymore). When Evan doesn't want to comply with me (ex: not wanting to clean up) I simply say: Evan you need to obey your mom. And he hops right to it :) I was waiting for this to back fire... and it did. One morning I asked Evan to obey his mom and he said: NO! You obey Evan!! I ignored it and it hasn't happened again :) He has been a happier kid all around! He wants to help me, and Kiah all the time. He always tells Dallas, Kiah and myself how much he loves us. He is back to normal :) And I love it!! It is so important to teach kids order in the home. I think it helps them to build trust and love for those who take care of them.

I found my new favorite website :) The Pioneer Woman is such a fun site! I have been spending a little too much time searching through her site. She is so funny and I love her sense of humor. She does photography which is why I first looked into her site. I read her Love Story of how she met her husband... it is great! She should get it published :) Lets just say that I've spent a little to much time on the internet these past few days :) Check it out... but watch out, you might get sucked in! Don't say I didn't warn you.

Last but not least... something a little exciting :) Okay, for us maybe it is very exciting. Dallas has his first (phone) interview tomorrow! We couldn't be more happy (okay... maybe we could... but this is a start right??) It is for a chemical and engineering company in Ohio and it is a job that Dallas would really enjoy. It would be a good start for us. But who knows... nothing may even come of it. Out of all the applications he has been filling out we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That is very reassuring. Wish him luck!! I think he will do great!

Past years and the cake...

Today is Evan's Birthday and so I have been thinking back... as most moms do... to the years before.

This was the hardest and most rewarding day of my life...

First Birthday!!

Second...

Today :)

The cake.... really, it took forever! But it was so worth it. It's a good thing that Kiah's b-day isn't for another 6 months. Maybe by then I will have the desire to do another fancy cake :) I found the directions HERE and more cake ideas on the Betty Crocker Website. I always do cupcakes for birthdays and I was determined to do something new! Here are the end results... Evan LOVED it :)

He couldn't resist :)

Evan had such a great day! He was so happy and the only time he got grumpy was during sacrament meeting at church... I think he was a little to excited to sit still. He loved talking on the web cam with family and he even talked to Cami on the phone (he usually ignores the phone). He loved all his gifts (thank you everyone :) You know who you are :)) We had such a fun day... I am sure I will post more pics of the craziness soon!!