Or should I say "impossible to find toddler bedding." Now that other projects are coming to an end (Nadia's circus party for instance) and others are under way (stay tuned for a post on Genevieve's dresser), I'm finally ready to get back to Genevieve's "big girl room."  My goodness, I've been working on this on and off for some time.  And I'd love to mark it as complete.  Besides finishing her dresser, the next step in her room is to get her out of her crib!  She climbs out if it almost on a daily basis (and will say to me "go stand over there and watch me." as she climbs out or climbs in--landing head first of course).  I'm just waiting for her to land wrong and hurt herself   It's an awful feeling!  But I guess not awful enough for me to grab her toddler bed out of the garage and make the transition   I mean, am I supposed to let her sleep on it without cute bedding?  What, am I an animal or something? ;)  I asked my husband about it the other night and he says, "well I guess we should do it soon--maybe you can go with her and pick out fun bedding..." All I heard was "blah blah blah maybe you can decorate her entire room with Disney characters" and I started to hyperventilate   I figured I better get some cute bedding fast before daddy intervenes.  So of course I started researching.  

I should give you a tiny bit of background--I initially figured I'd skip the toddler bed phase.  Why spend the money on something she's only going to use a short time?  A twin bed close to the ground would be fine.  I then found this adorable twin bed on craigslist.  But then Nadia happened.  I had zero time to paint her twin bed while designing Nadia's nursery.  At the same time, my mother-in-law's co-worker gave her a barely used toddler bed that would work just fine.  It's not nearly as pretty as the curvy number but it's white, real wood, and has nice clean lines.  I may even be able to get away with painting it (still contemplating that one).  And the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be really great to have more floor space for playing.  I'm definitely hanging onto that bed (is it wrong to assume our next house will have bigger bedrooms or a playroom?) but for now, the toddler bed reigns supreme.


Back to that bedding.  I'm looking for something yellow (or a vibrant pink) and modern.  Is that so difficult to ask?  I LOVE the Michael Miller zoology print in yellow (my inspiration room used this fabric) but alas it is sold out everywhere.  And I can't find anything close to it that I like.  However, here are a few sets I did find. Not all of them go with my color scheme but they are all cute and modern and might help someone else out. These are all either girly or gender neutral by the way.

Giraffe Neutral Toddler Bedding 5 pc Set by JoJO Designs. I love that you can create an animal themed room in a cool modern way (just please don't buy the wall hangings that go with this set). ;)

Gray and White Diamond Toddler Bedding 5pc Set by JoJO Designs. SO modern and cool! This one would look great in a boy's room!

Try saying that title three times, fast.  I mentioned in this post that I would blog about projects that I tackled after seeing it on Pinterest.  It's as much for accountability for me to DO something with all the ideas I collect there rather than just let them gather virtual dust.  It's also hopefully helpful for you if you want feedback on some of the recipes and ideas you see there.  So much of what's there looks either better than it actually is (recipes) or easier than it actually is (projects).  I can guarantee for now my projects will be pretty simple!  I don't have a ton of time to make pallet beds and crate bookshelves. ;)  When I saw this idea, I thought it seemed easy enough and would be so cute for father's day.  Well for Valentine's Day Joe and I usually forgo pricey gifts and instead go out for a nice dinner in which we can order whatever we want and not worry about the tab.  My love language is quality time so I'd much rather spend the cash dining out on a date night, sans kids. (And there's still time to hope for a nice night out AND diamonds, but let's just say that's a hope for the future if we play our financial cards right today!).

So I try to find fun little gifts I can give to Joe to still celebrate on that day.  Usually it's a simple gift/trinket and lots of chocolate that we both enjoy so I can steal it when he's not looking.  This picture seemed perfect for that!  I'd purchased the girls Valentines shirts from Wal-Mart a week or so prior.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money and I wanted it to be something Genevieve could ruin at school and it wouldn't make me mad.  I decided to dress them in those shirts and take the photos that way.  I figured I'd have 20 minutes tops before Genevieve got bored and started looking quite cross instead of adorably in love with daddy...and before Nadia started pooping, throwing up, or fussing.  [This is the life]. I printed out the words on card stock in a fun, somewhat child like font that I downloaded from here, threw them in a neutral setting with lots of light and went for it.  Because I waited until the last minute--story of my life-- I had to print the photos quickly.  I googled "online photos same day pick up" and found CVS photo.  There is a CVS moments from my house so that was perfect!  Here are the photos I used in the frame, the outtakes, and the final product.

8 months later and I still have a little post baby bump.  Why is it that "bump" sounds so cute when you're expecting but sounds hideous when your tiny infant is now 8 months old?!  Whenever I'm tempted to get depressed about my lack of six pack (one of my proudest features considering nothing else about my body was toned even before Genevieve!) I just look at my gorgeous, happy, sweet little baby and think about how I'd gain another 35 pounds any day for some Genevieve love!  Oh and I also remember that I have a picture of myself after a run with a nice sweaty six pack showing.  That's right-- a bit narcissistic but such a shameless picture comes in handy! Anyway, regardless of my boundless love for G and my "proof" picture, shopping for a swimsuit with a belly just isn't quite as fun as shopping for one pre-baby (and really how fun is shopping for a swimsuit EVER?!).  Not to mention the fact that it's now August and all the good suits are gone.  I found a couple of suits that seemed perfect to hide my belly that were out of stock (anyone else get annoyed that the site doesn't remove the photo?!).  Just so that someone else can share in my disappointment here are pictures of them:



How cute is the Target Xhiliration baby doll suit?  Considering how many women consider the stomach their problem area, I don't know why there aren't tons of suits in this flattering silhouette!  And this Marc Jacobs number...don't even get me started.  The adorable ruffles hide everything and doesn't seem "mom-ish" at all!  The price tag is about $300 but my girlfriend (who just had a baby in April and was also looking for some coverage) got one in a different pattern for $40 at TJ Maxx.  I'm sure you can imagine how pleased I was to hear of that amazing deal. I wonder when the bible says "rejoice with those who rejoice" if God meant even when friends find amazing deals that you WISH you were lucky enough to have found! ;)

So those would have been my top choices but here are a couple of tankinis I found that do the trick and were not only in stock but on sale!

The bright side of this abysmal economy (how long have I been unemployed again?!) is the amazing deals retailers are willing to give us to win over our dollars. Creative deals, sales, and clearance events abound. Take Target for example. Today only they are having a black Friday sale. "But Tiffany, isn't black Friday in November?" you ask. Why yes, you are correct. However times must be tough at the Red retail giant because this year black Friday is in July. Click here for awesome online deals, today only!

Happy shopping!