I do all my own stunts

The busiest room in the house

The nursery:  

I seriously don't know how those mommy bloggers do it.  My twins are 11 months old and I'm just now getting around to sharing these nursery photos.  Although they are not yet literally walking, they have been running circles around me daily (and nightly) since they were born.

Before:

And after:

Nearly all the elements of this nursery were handmade.  The curtains I had planned on sewing myself, but ended up in the hospital on bed rest for the better part of 8 weeks, so my mom graciously did the honors.  She also sewed the liners for the organizer boxes to match the dust ruffle on the cribs.

See:

All the bedding was sewn by my mom.  Amazing!  I am still in awe.  

I made that pillow case with the silly owl fabric one day while the girls were napping.

Look familiar?  I wrote about my Beatrix Potter decoupage dresser project here.  

All the artwork is from vintage story books that my mom found in the basement of an old bookstore that was going out of business.  That is Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin in the middle.  I love the creepy pose he is striking.  There's something so wonderfully disturbing about animal portraiture.  I can't get enough of it.

More of my mom's handiwork:  

The bird mobile was one of my projects.  This gem of a DIY idea came from one of my faves:  design*sponge.  

As you can see, we've got sort of a cacophony of colors, textures and fabrics.  Despite this, it is a very calming and welcoming space.  I think the handmade, vintage feel of the room is charming.  And we managed to give it a very feminine quality while still heeding my husband's request that there be very little pink involved.  As our household's only male, he was feeling a little outnumbered when we found out we were having two girls.  

Functional and beautiful - the best of both worlds.  We spend a lot of time in the nursery.  See:  

In my spare time

I've been knitting.

...up a storm.  

These little babydoll dresses just flew off my needles.  Absolutely no seaming was involved.  That seems to be my criteria for embarking on a new knitting project.  I used Sirdar Snuggly Bamboo DK yarn.  It is so easy to work with and the colors are so beautiful.  The pattern came from Ravelry which I am absolutely obsessed with.  It has become my most trusted source for knitting inspiration, patterns and helpful tips.  

What are these?  Why they're cloth diaper covers, of course.  I've read that knitted wool is the best material for a diaper cover.  It absolutely never leaks.  I was skeptical at first, but my grandma confirmed that yes, this is how they used to do it 'in the olden days' (her words, not mine).  I have an enormous amount of wool in my yarn stash, so I thought I'd give it a go.  

Cloth diapering with twins - you may think I've completely gone insane.  I won't dispute you on that.  I've read that one should expect to go through 600 diapers in the first month with twins.  But I've also read that each child using disposables is responsible for one ton of landfill space.  I just can't get over that statistic.  I've also read that the chemicals used in disposable diapers are dangerous not just for the environment, but for your baby as well.  And the fact that cloth diapers are less expensive made the decision an easy one.  Look at me.  I'm so green and frugal I hardly recognize myself.  

If you're interested in learning more about cloth diapering check out these quick articles recently posted on Simple Mom.  Here  and here.  

Next up:  Sweet Pea Hats to match the two little cardigans I wrote about a while back.  I just love this yarn, Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend.  I had quite a bit of it left over from the cardigan project and there is just nothing cuter than a baby in a hand-knit hat, right?  Oh wait, there is:  Two babies in matching hand-knit hats.  

I used my go-to hat pattern for this:  'Kim's Hats' from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.  And the flower instructions come from Stitch and Bitch Nation.  

And lastly:  My book club buddies gave me this fantastic Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton yarn as part of a baby gift.  The colors are so calming and delightful, I thought a pair of bonnets would be a perfect use for it.  Even though bunnies have totally creeped me out ever since I saw Donnie Darko, I really liked this patern I found on Ravelry.  

I think it is supposed to be modeled after an anime character, but I am entirely unfamiliar with that craze.  I just like its silly little face and floppy ears.  The blue eyed one has a little bit of the Donnie Darko look, but not enough to give me nightmares.  I hope.  

I taught myself how to crochet for this pattern in order to embroider those eyes on the bonnets.  It was an interesting diversion, but I think I'll stick to knitting.  I have a lot of spare time right now, but once the babies arrive, I highly doubt I'll be at liberty to just strike up a new hobby on a whim.  Who am I kidding?  Hobbies are like handbags; there is always room for more in your collection.  

Storybook land

Beatrix Potter Decoupage Changing Table/Dresser

When I found out I was pregnant, my mom, who had been eagerly anticipating this event for a very, very long time, immediately jumped into action.  She, of course being very familiar with my tastes, knows that I have a fondness for vintage items and began hunting for unique, classic nursery decor.  She hit the jackpot at a local bookstore that was sadly going out of business.  They had a number of old prints and illustrations from children's books that had been gathering dust in the basement of the bookstore since the '50's.  She scooped up a bunch of these treasures at thrift store prices.  Among them were these fantastic Beatrix Potter illustration panels.  I remember being enthralled with the adventures and misadventures of all of these characters when I was young, Tom Kitten, Benjamin Bunny, The Tailor of Gloucester.  And the colors of the illustrations are so calming and lovely, perfect for a nursery.  At first I wasn't quite sure I could incorporate the panels into our decorating scheme; they were an odd shape for framing, but I had to put them to use somehow.  

So I decided to get crafty.  

Here's what I did:  

1.  I found a changing table on Craigslist.  The girls would need a changing table, of course.  It was actually in pretty good shape.  Just not my style, see:

2.  I removed the drawer pulls and roughed up all the surfaces with sand paper to give the paint something to adhere to.  

3.  I chose a new paint color.  I finally went with 'Gumdrop' from Benjamin Moore.  I used their High Gloss Impervo oil-based paint, because I read that it is the best for repainting furniture.  It is fantastic paint.  But, all you pregnant ladies out there, fumes from oil-based paint are very, very harmful to your baby.  I didn't know this at first, but it's true.  Thankfully, darling, patient Brian was lovely enough to do the painting for me.  This crafting thing is definitely not his gig, but I think he did a great job.  

4.  Brian painted the changing table and the outside edges of the drawers.  Then I measured and cut the illustration panels to fit the inner rectangle of the drawer fronts.  I was very deliberate with my measuring and precise with my cutting.  I think my patience paid off; the panels look as if they were designed specifically for this piece of furniture.  

5.  I then used a sponge brush and Mod Podge (which ROCKS, by the way) to adhere the panels to the drawers.  I've learned that the key to a great Mod Podge project is applying a very thin coat.  It dries pretty quickly - about 15 minutes.  Then I sealed it with 3 more very thin coats.  

6.  I then drilled new holes and put in some awesome glass drawer pulls.  I found these at Rejuvenation.

7.  Et voila.  Fancy decoupage changing table for the twins' little nursery storybook land.

Mary Jane's first dance

I adore knitting baby clothes, don't you.  They're so quick.  Through the years, I've gained positively loads of experience with all things baby:  miniature blankets, socks, sweaters, hats and mittens.  Most of my projects have been gifts for my nieces, Madeline and Adrienne, or for my friends' kids, of which there are many.  

Well, the time has come to usher in a new era here at Briana's Knitting Factory.  I have now begun knitting items that will stay in-house.  Sadly, all my friends who have babies in the future will most likely be opening store-bought baby shower gifts from me.  Because my needles are going to be busy.  I'm expecting.  Twin girls.  

Indeed, those of you who are knitters yourself know that there exist far more adorable baby patterns for girls than for boys.  Some might say I've hit the knitting jackpot!  In fact, those were my exact words as I lay in the ultrasound chair after finding out their genders, trying with all my might to focus on the immediate positives and not allowing my mind to fast forward 15 years to the high-drama, hormone induced female mania that will inevitably infiltrate our household when these girls are teenagers.  (Pause for air.  Just breathe Briana).  

I came across the pattern for these little Mary Janes on Ravelry.  I feel like I'm a little late to the game, having just discovered Ravelry a couple months ago.  It is awesome.  Like facebook for knitters, and just as addictive, you can post all your knitting projects, peruse other's projects, download patterns, shop for yarn, meet up with local knitters.  Just trust me, it is awesome.  Here is a link to my profile.  

If you like, you can get the pattern for these Mary Janes here.  They are called 'bootees' in the pattern, but I can't say that word without cringing a little bit.  I prefer 'Mary Janes'.  And I figure these girls better learn appropriate footwear terminology as early as possible.  One can't start educating them too soon, right?  

As you may have guessed, I am entirely consumed with darling handmade projects for these girls.  In fact, the fabric background in the photos above will soon become a pillow for their nursery.  Those silly little owls make me want to do a dance they're so cute.  There are so many ideas bouncing around my head, I can't wait to make them all a reality and share them with you.  Stay tuned.  

O Christmas Tree

Last year around this time I did something perfectly antithetical to my character.  I didn't decorate my home for Christmas.  I'm serious.  Not a light, not a candle, not even a poinsettia made its way past my front door.  I really don't even remember the reason why.  The only plausible explanation is that I went temporarily insane.  Not decorating is so...not...me.  I'm the girl who showed up at 8:00 am on my then boyfriend (now husband's) doorstep with a 7 foot tree, fully ignoring his declaration of not being a big fan of holiday decorating.  Sorry Brian, if you're going to date me, then you're going to date Christmas too.  

I'm happy to say that this year, I'm back to my old self.  I unearthed the boxes and dusted off all my decorations.  Oh how I've missed this!  I am positively delighted every time I walk through the door to the wonderful smell of our Christmas tree.  I am gleeful when I drive up to our house at night to see our front porch all lit up with lights, garland and a wreath.  Having missed out on it last year, I felt doubly sentimental when I unwrapped all of my favorite ornaments and put them on our tree.  Each one is imbued with so many memories.  Most of my ornaments came from my mom, who has impeccable taste and has been selecting exceptional ornaments for me each year of my life.  All her choices hold special significance and represent something of importance in my life.  The nutcracker below acknowledges my childhood as a ballet dancer and the many Christmases I spent as a Lemondrop in the Nutcracker.  Isn't it lovely?

These days my mom buys ornaments for both myself and my husband.  They usually complement each other like these beautiful birds she found on a trip to Argentina.  They are made out of hollow gourds.  

My knitting obsession hobby prompted the purchase of these fancy sweaters for Brian and I.  Aren't they adorable?  

Another of my favorite ornaments was a gift from my friend Sarah.  This Lenox ornament holds a picture of my fluffy love bug, Oscar, when he was just a wee pup.  Sarah was with me when I picked up Oscar and brought him home with me for the first time.  She even puppy-sat him for a week when he was only about 9 weeks old.  

Some of my most memorable ornaments came from my first Christmas in my own apartment.  As I said before, my mom has been buying me ornaments every year of my life, but when I moved out, my ornaments...did not.  She kept 'em.  I guess I forgive her.  Harumph.  Well, my first Christmas on my own, I couldn't face a bare, pathetic tree, so I made my own ornaments.  These ones have become doubly special to me because of the memories they conjure of the excitement of being on my own for the first time.  

They were quite simple to create, but they are colorful and bright - a special part of my Christmas decor every year.  And of course, I had to do it:  the Washington Huskies ornament!

Brian's mom also bought him an ornament every Christmas as my mom did for me.  She, in contrast, let Brian take his with him when he moved out.  We have an entire box of lovely little ornaments marked 'Brian's Specials'.  This is one that always makes it onto our tree.  Brian's mitt.  

Many of Brian's Specials have a charming vintage quality to them.  I love this little wooden guy.  (Although it is definitely not vintage.  If you look closely, you can see that it says 'Millenium 2000' on the champagne bottle).  

Another of Brian's favorites is this little wooden santa.  He has a kind of gnome-like quality to him, pointy hat and all.  He is perfectly at home amidst the woodsy greenery of our tree.  

How do you guys feel about your Christmas ornaments?  Which ones are your favorites?