Happy Friday, everyone!  We’ve had a great week of Halloween parties and dressing up in costumes left and right.  We’ve also enjoyed a little renovation downtime with Handy Hubby while the pros take care of the insulation.  It’s been wonderful getting to eat dinner as a family for several days in a row…something we all miss while this reno is going on.  But it’s only temporary.

The winner of the Scout by Bungalow giveaway is Michelle who has two gerbils named Max & Ruby after the kids’ PBS show characters.  It was so sweet to hear about all of your pets {past and present} and how they earned their monikers!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend filled with tricking and treating.

Please keep my sister in your thoughts as she is losing her very bestest furry friend today and we are losing a special family member.  In loving memory of…

Harp Willow {a.k.a. Best.Dog.Ever.}

June 4, 2003 – October 28, 2011

Love you Doggie Harp.  May you suffer no longer.

image:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

The new metal roof, gutters and downspouts are installed!  Just for the sake of before-and-afters, let’s take a look at the Underdog with its old light gray asphalt roof…

And here she is rockin’ her new metal roof…

{Sorry about the long shadows.  It was evening time.  I couldn’t wait until the next day to take pics with the sun overhead.}

A few people were worried when I first said we were going with a charcoal-colored metal roof, afraid it would be dark and absorb heat.  We’re very happy with the color though.  It’s a nice medium gray…not too dark and not too light…and we don’t expect any problems due to heat.

The metal roof is a greener alternative to traditional asphalt shingles not only because we expect it to outlast an asphalt roof by 25 to 75 years but also because it was installed over top of the existing asphalt roof, keeping two layers of asphalt shingles out of the landfill.  This also helped to keep installation costs low since less labor was involved {no need to remove the existing shingles} to put the metal roof on.

Handy Hubby and I are thrilled with the roof.  We like the clean lines and slick contrast against the brick.  To us, it just looks tidy and neat.

The back of the house looks much busier than the front.  All business in the front and party in the back.  That’s mostly due to all the vents {bathroom, gas, radon mitigation, dryer, kitchen hood, etc.} required but also because we added four skylights above the kitchen.  I’m so happy we were able to keep the skylights off the front of the house.  With skylights in the front, we surely would have lost some curb appeal.  Just for fun, this is what the backside of the house used to look like…

With the new roof, we were able to get rid of some unnecessary roof clutter – ridge vents, original kitchen hood vent, etc. Read more about all that here.

So back to the new roof…

One reader had asked what color the gutters and downspouts would be.  As you may have noticed already, they’re white.

I think gray gutters and downspouts would have looked great but the existing soffit was white and in excellent condition.  To save labor and $$, we decided it should stay.  We thought gray gutters and downspouts might look ‘off’ with the white soffit AND we’ve thrown around the idea of someday lime washing the brick {to a lighter color}, so we went with white gutters and downspouts.  Although I’ve seen some pretty fabulous homes with white brick exteriors and black gutters!  White was just our personal decision.

The new gutters are wider than standard gutters used with shingled roofs to accommodate faster runoff from the metal roof. Oh, and all those holes in the soffit are where our electrician installed electrical boxes for exterior recessed lights that haven’t been installed just yet.  It was our electrician’s idea {versus the uplighting-from-the-ground idea HH and I originally had in mind} and we loved it.  A few homes in the area have similar outdoor lighting and they look so pretty washed in light from above at night.

It rained all last week and while I was at the Underdog taking pictures of the new skylights, there was quite a downpour at the time along with 20-30 mph winds.  Contrary to popular belief, the rain on the metal roof was no louder than what I noticed at our previous home which had an asphalt shingle roof.  And once insulation is installed in the vaulted ceiling of the great room and attic space, the noise should be even less.  Most new metal roofs are made with an embossed texture that helps to disperse rain and reduce noise.  Plus, when installed correctly new metal roofs shouldn’t yield a significant noise increase as opposed to other roofing alternatives.  Metal roofs have come a long way!

All in all, HH and I are 200% happy with the new metal roof.  Even though it’s not the standing seam design we had always dreamed of, it looks so much better than we could have imagined.  In case you’re wondering, our roof is the Everlast II in charcoal.  We hired a reputable metal roofing company that typically takes on commercial jobs but is looking to branch out to residential roofing since metal roofs are becoming more popular in residential settings.  We had to wait a long time {think 2-3 months} after signing a contract and being put on their waiting list, but it was worth it. Oftentimes, a company with a waiting list is worth waiting for {as long as you do your research, of course}.

The metal roof and skylight install cost us $3,000 out of pocket since we put money from our hail damage insurance claim towards the purchase.  The insurance adjuster based their estimate on what it would cost for a new asphalt roof, so that price difference should give you an idea of how much more to expect to pay for a metal roof on a small ranch home.  Of course, it all depends on your particular home.  And remember that our price difference {$3,000} included the skylight installation as well.  I still think the crazy hail storm that attacked the Underdog only a month after we closed on it was a blessing in disguise.

The only snafu we encountered during the whole roofing escapade was this…

I locked my purse – with keys and phone inside! – in the car while I took all these after shots. Luckily, our new neighbors let me borrow their phone to call HH to come rescue me.  I felt like such the idiot.  I’m blaming my forgetfulness on this…

Baby bump is going to my head.

FYI – I was not compensated in any way to use or mention Everlast metal roofing.  I just love sharing great products that we’ve used!

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

The highly anticipated skylights are in!  Maybe not highly anticipated by you, but Handy Hubby and I have been waiting and waiting and longing for these babies to be installed.  We’ve got a thing for skylights.  We love the way they let natural light flood in and give you a view to the skies when you’re inside.  So when we decided to vault the ceiling in the great room, adding skylights was a no-brainer.  The company that installed the new metal roof {pics to come!} also installed the skylights.  HH DIY’d the framing on the interior ceiling prior to the skylights being installed.

Since there’s a large picture window at the front of the house that lets tons of natural light in, we chose to have four skylights installed on the backside of the house {over the future kitchen} where natural light was lacking.  We also liked how putting skylights on the rear of the house would keep the front exterior of the house looking less busy and less cluttered.  {i.e. the roof on the backside of the house has a lot goin’ on now.}

At first, HH and I were set on adding a trio of skylights but once the ceiling was vaulted we realized things would look much more balanced if we added two pair of skylights – one pair lined up with the kitchen window and one pair lined up with the new french doors in the kitchen.

We were able to find long, skinny {14″ x 46″} Velux skylights available at our local Home Depot. The narrow width allowed the skylights to be installed without cutting into the existing rafters.

Of note - While the skylights were available in-store, we had to special order the flashing kit for our metal roof.  Our local Home Depot did have flashing kits available in-store for standard shingle roofs.

Other than providing the once dark kitchen area with much needed light, the skylights also provide us with a great view. Since they’re angled on the back of the house, the skylights allow us a 24/7 view of the tops of the mature trees that make up the tree line in the backyard.

I promise in real life the view looks 100x’s better than what I can capture with my camera.  It’s difficult to take head on pictures of windows/doors that glow with natural light but hopefully you get the idea.  Oh, and don’t mind the random electric cord.  It’s a temporary setup.  Anyhow, it’s fall here in the midwest and most of the trees aren’t as full as they are in the summer so I can’t wait to see how the view changes from season to season.  Everett refers to them as ‘light skies’ – hence the title of this post.

All of the images so far were taken on a very cloudy, rainy, dreary Ohio day.  The skylights’ effects are more pronounced when the sun is shining…like it was yesterday.  I snapped some more pics while the sun was out.

It was evening and the sun wasn’t so high in the sky.  I’ve yet to experience the skylights on a sunny afternoon when they’re sure to be at their best.

Now that the metal roof and skylights are in AND now that the Underdog has passed inspection {!!!}, we’re able to start insulating the walls and vaulted ceiling.  Last night, the boys, HH and I spent our evening clearing out the Underdog for insulation installation today – you know, moving stuff away from the walls, gathering all HH’s tools and putting them in the garage, and getting piles of trash out of the house.  We’re actually having spray foam insulation installed by the pros over the next few days.  That means we’ll be steering clear of the Underdog for several days to avoid any harmful fumes.  We’ll probably check in daily and just peek through the windows to see the progress.

With the Underdog under quarantine, the boys and I get to see HH more over the next few days than we have in months! I’m not exaggerating when I say HH has been spending every spare minute of his time at the Underdog plugging away.  We’re very much looking forward to seeing him this week and we’re grateful for all the hard work he’s put in over the past several months.  It will be nice to have him around.  Love you, HH.

FYI – I was not compensated to mention Velux skylights.  I’m just sharing a great product we’ve used!

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Do you like practical style?  You know, stuff that not only looks great but actually works for you?  I do.  So when Scout by Bungalow contacted me I was more than willing to pass on their freakishly fab and functional goods to you.

{Doesn’t their Atlanta, GA showroom look like a fun place?}

The Scout collection features stylish tote bags, collapsible storage bins, insulated coolers, picnic and party coolers, travel bags, travel accessories and wedding favors.  The best part?  They’re totally wipeable!  That’s right.  With a durable water-resistant surface, any item will have you on your way to Easy Cleaning Street.

Here are a few of my favorites…

1 –  The Stiff One is a modestly sized insulated cooler.  Think picnics for two or BYOB.

2 – Little Draw is a drawstring backpack that keeps your {possibly smelly and dirty} tennies or cleats separate from your clothes.  I’ll admit.  It might even persuade me to workout at times when I’m really not feeling like it.

3 – The Original Deano is a generously sized carry-all perfect for trips to the pool or beach.  For you moms of school-aged children, I could see this bag making its rounds to holiday school parties and toting around all those classroom treats.

4 – This Megah Lil’ Slim fits laptops with a screen size {measured diagonally} of up to 13″.  The water resistant shell keeps your PC safe from spills and rain drops.

5 – How tough would this Junque Trunk look in a boy’s room?  Store Legos, blocks, cars, books and train tracks out of sight and in high style.

6 – If I had to pick one item, the Hilary Duffle would be it for me.  Small enough to fit in the overhead on a flight but large enough for a weekend getaway, this multifunctional travel bag fits the ‘does everything’ bill.

7 – Don’t let the name fool you, this Doggie Bag isn’t brown and boring.  It’s insulated, wipeable, reusable and available in an assortment of colors and patterns.  Eating leftovers for lunch has never looked so good!

But don’t let my picks sway you.  Click over to Scout to find your favorite product in the perfect pattern and color to keep your days feeling cool, colorful and collected.  And maybe if you’re lucky you’ll be able to put a $50 credit towards your purchase!  Here are all the details you need to enter the giveaway:

• PRIZE:  $50 worth of goods from Scout by Bungalow
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a street mailing address {no P.O. boxes} within the U.S.  One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “SCOUT ME OUT!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, October 27th at 9:00 p.m. EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, October 28th.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Tell me your pet’s/pets’ name/names and how they got their moniker. ‘Scout’ is actually a real mascot in the flesh for Scout by Bungalow.  See his cuteness here.

images:  Scout by Bungalow

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the Children Inspire Design giveaway!  I really enjoyed reading all the great parenting advice you guys offered up.  As a mother, I tend to overthink little things when it comes to parenting and your comments reminded me that I should see those things for exactly what they are…little things…and focus more on living in the present. And that’s great advice for anyone – not just parents!

Congrats to Katie who advises parents to go with their instincts since they’re the ones who know their children best.

Now, switching gears completely…

THE UNDERDOG PASSED GAS AND FRAMING INSPECTIONS TODAY!  And Handy Hubby gets all the credit for that. He’s been over at the Underdog every evening after work and spending all weekends there too in preparation for inspection. In fact, last night he drove over directly from work and didn’t get back to the apartment until after 11pm finishing up a few small framing projects.

Not only is this passing grade a huge relief and accomplishment for HH, but it means we’re on schedule for insulation next week!  And insulation leads to drywall and drywall leads to real walls and real walls lead to a real house!  Okay, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself but each little nugget of progress feels like Christmas morning to us. We’re very much looking forward to putting the finishing touches {flooring, tile, kitchen cabinetry, paint, etc.} on our fixer-upper.  She should start looking more like a house and less like the inside of a jail cell soon.

image:  Children Inspire Design

Due to space constraints, we’ll be mounting our flatscreen TV over the mantel in the Underdog’s future family room.  In a perfect world {that we obviously don’t live in}, I’d prefer not to hang the TV above the mantel.  But after considering all our options, Handy Hubby and I both agreed that a TV above the mantel made the most sense for our downsized home.

{family room mantel before the ceiling was vaulted}

Still, I was  having a hard time, aesthetically speaking, with a black rectangular hole taking center stage above the fireplace.  {The TV is only on at our house maybe 10% of the time.} I thought and thought and thought of some way to tweak it so that it wouldn’t be so in-your-face.  Then one day while measuring the family room for my design school project and for possible furniture arrangements, I discovered that the mantel was deeper than I had realized.  Like 10″ deep.  I was all excited because in our previous home I had been limited in what decor I could display on the shallow builder mantel.  The builder mantel was more like 5″ deep.  Hot dog!  More mantel possibilities!

Then it hit me.  With that deep of a mantel, why couldn’t we {ahem, I mean, Handy Hubby} build out the wall above the center third of the mantel in which to recess the TV?!  And then with the TV flush-mounted in the bump-out {my technical term for it}, couldn’t we hang the original artwork that the Underdog’s previous owner had created over it?  I had always envisioned the canvas hanging above the fireplace – not a TV.

{the large green canvas is the artwork I’m talking about}

First up, I measured the canvas to see if it was even large enough to cover the TV.  It was!  That told me it was meant to be. When I mentioned the idea to HH, he got all hot and bothered too.  In a good way.  Immediately, his techy engineer brain started conjuring up plans for a way to raise the artwork above the TV with the click of a button.  Think steel cables, pulleys, small motors, etc.

Detailed plans are still in the works.  HH has all his engineering co-workers brainstorming along with him!  But we’re committed to the overall idea, so HH has set to work framing out the section of wall above the mantel to house the TV.

We decided to make the bump-out as wide as the fireplace hearth to keep things balanced and symmetrical.  And we chose to extend the bump-out all the way to the vaulted ceiling.  Looks lodge-y, doesn’t it?

The new framing doesn’t come all the way to the edge of the mantel.  We thought it would be nice to have some variation in depth along the mantel.  We still want the mantel to look like a mantel so keeping the bump-out deep enough for the TV but shallow enough that it doesn’t sit flush with the mantel is key.

We also had our electrician wire the bump-out for the TV and speakers.  One of the perks of having no finished wall above the mantel at the moment!

And remember the small secondhand media cabinet I recently acquired?  We plan to use it in the corner of the family room in between the picture window and the mantel to house all the TV-related components.  We had our electrician wire for it as well.

As a reader so smartly mentioned last week, we’ll have to cut through the back of the media cabinet to allow for proper ventilation of the electrical components and to allow for wires to pass through.

I also thought the bump-out would look better if it were subtly different from the drywall that will be hung on either side of it.  I landed on the idea of horizontal clapboard-esque painted wood.  HH also liked the idea and recommended we upcycle the wood boards that used to make up the 8′ ceilings in the family room, kitchen and dining room…which we tore out in order to vault the great room’s ceiling.

HH had saved the wood just in case it came in handy down the road but it looks like we’ve found a use for it after all!  I’m so glad he thought to save it.  The boards are all different sizes but I told HH I was okay with random lengths and widths.  I’m into the whole imperfect perfection…especially if it means we won’t have to purchase any lumber for this project.  The only thing HH may have to do is rip the boards to the same depth.

Are you following all this?  I know there are a lot of unconventional ideas merging together here.  To recap, the TV will be hung above the mantel and recessed into a bump-out clad in painted horizontal boards.

The TV will be recessed above the fireplace much like this one…

…of course, our mantel extends the entire width of the fireplace wall but you get the idea.  To be honest, I think the TV in the image above doesn’t look so ‘Hey!  Look at me!  I’m a TV above the fireplace!’ because of the way that it’s recessed.  Still, we’re going to consider hanging a large canvas in front of the TV that can be easily raised via some sort of motorized pulley system. More than likely, it will be a project we tackle after we move into the house since its basis is fully aesthetic in nature…definitely not required for daily living.

The bump-out that houses the TV will extend all the way to the vaulted ceiling and be finished in painted horizontal wood boards similar to this…

…obviously, our boards won’t go all the way around the room like shown above but will only run along the bump-out.  But, hopefully, the image above gives you a better idea of what we’re going for.  Can you picture it?

As for paint, most likely the clapboard bump-out will get a coat of white along with the brick fireplace surround.  {Yep, we’re painting that brick.}  The idea is to make the new bump-out blend in with original brick surround so that it looks like one big always-been-there focal point.  I haven’t even started to nail down a specific color for the walls but they’ll definitely be light with some contrast to the white so that the fireplace and bump-out pop.

So that’s how we’re addressing the TV elephant in the family room.  The hope is to make it more of a monkey-sized animal in the room. You know, since monkeys just scream ‘family room.’  Okay, that was weird.  Well, with two boys, sometimes it feels like there are two little monkeys screaming in the family room.

Anyhoo, I’m starting to like the idea of having the TV above the mantel after all.  By running the necessary wiring behind the walls and to a nearby modest media cabinet, we can forego a floor-hogging console.  That’s sure to make our not-so-greatly-sized great room feel a little bigger.

Has the lack of space ever forced you to get creative with your TV placement?  Never in a million years would we have come up with this plan if it weren’t for the constraints of our downsizing adventure!

images:  1-8 ) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  9) CWE Mansion via DecorPad  10) Munger Interiors via DecorPad

A teaser for you…

The roof is finally going on.  Which means…skylights are going in too!  No new gutters up just yet but she’s getting there.  So far, Handy Hubby and I are ecstatic with the results.  The metal roof is looking better than we had imagined.  We know it’s not everyone’s taste but we’re glad we went with our intuition on this one.

Even neighbors who were originally put off by our idea to have a metal roof installed are now intrigued.  The roofing company that’s doing the install has already had a request to give an estimate for a metal roof on another house in our neighborhood.  The Underdog may not be the only metal-roofed house in the ‘hood for long!

More Underdog updates on the way.  Stay tuned…

image:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

In celebration of last week’s baby news, here’s a family-friendly giveaway!

Children Inspire Design is an eco-conscious product line founded by mom, artist and entrepreneur, Rebecca Peragine. {Whew! I’m tired just thinking about all of that.} The company offers recycled note cards, journals, wall hangings, and art.  The pieces are simple, colorful, modern and whimsical – perfect for a child’s bedroom or play area.  With an emphasis on global responsibility and world cultures, Rebecca seeks to inspire children and change the world.

Just feast your eyes on these cutesy items.  Of note:  All products are created using New Leaf recycled paper and soy ink and are lovingly packaged using eco-friendly materials by a family-run print company in Verona, WI.

Wouldn’t these colorful butterfly cards look oh-so-sweet hanging in a lil’ girl’s nursery or bedroom? They could start out over the crib and then be easily relocated elsewhere in the room as the baby becomes more mobile.  I love the way they’re shown here strung along the wall with just cotton string and wooden clothespins.  For a more polished look, you could frame them up in simple white frames.

For the lil’ man in your life, how about this woodsy vintage alphabet poster?  All you’d need to complement this one is a little guy in a cowboy hat and leather boots.

Check out this inspiring and colorful ‘I am an artist’ print.  Frame it and hang it in a playroom or above a kids’ craft table.  It’s sure to get their creative juices flowing!

CID has also teamed up with mother cooperatives in Mexico and Haiti to support new opportunity and hope for moms globally. Handmade One Mother to Another products are sold on CID’s site as well.

Imagine that vibrant paper bird mobile floating above the changing table or crib in a nursery. Darling.

Check out the rest of the items available for purchase here.  I’m seriously considering this family owl print.

Since baby-on-the-way will make us a family of five, I think this print would be very fitting in our newest addition’s nursery.  Don’t you?

Lucky for you, Children Inspire Design is offering $50 worth of product to one lucky House*Tweaking reader this week.  Here’s how to get some inspiring art of your own:

• PRIZE:  $50 worth of goods from Children Inspire Design
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a street mailing address {no P.O. boxes} within the U.S.  One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “I’M INSPIRED!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, October 20th at 9:00 p.m. EST.  The winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced Friday, October 21st.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Share the best piece of parenting advice anyone has ever given you. I’ll go first… Our first son, Layne, was an extremely colicky baby.  My parents and Handy Hubby’s parents lived hours away and HH was working full-time, so I was going it alone.  After 3 months of up-all-nights and constant crying, I was completely exhausted and overwhelmed. In desperation, I turned to the internet for help.  I’m a reader, so I naturally started searching for a parenting self-help book.  Thank goodness for all the wonderful reviews and recommendations for The Happiest Baby on the Block.  I ordered it, read it cover-to-cover in one day {heck, I wasn’t sleeping anyway!} and started implementing the 5 S’s.  It worked like a charm!  Within just a few days, Layne was sleeping for 6-8 hour stretches at night and taking a few 2-3 hour naps during the day.  That meant I was sleeping again too!  I practiced the 5 S’s with our second baby right off the bat and he had 8 hour nighttime sleeping stretches from day one.  To this day, the book is my favorite baby shower gift to give.

FYI – I was not compensated in any way to mention Children Inspire Design or The Happiest Baby on the Block.  I just love sharing great stuff!

images:  Children Inspire Design

We’re having another baby.

I know that came from way out in left field on Monday.  Believe me.  I know.  I’m living it.  I apologize for the abrupt announcement.  We aren’t ones to go out yelling, “We’re prego!” from the mountaintops – even when our babies are planned. Not that we aren’t excited.  It’s quite the opposite actually.  We enjoy relishing in our little secret for a while before we spread the news to family, friends, co-workers and the world wide web.  Although this time our relishing included a bit of ‘let’s let this settle in a while before we spill the beans.’

So now that everyone knows, let’s get to all those questions you have.

1 - When is your due date and far along are you?  I’m due April 7th which is Everett’s birthday. {Layne will be seven by then and Everett will be turning/have just turned four.}  Hey, what can I say? At least we’re consistent!  And, no, contrary to popular belief there is no special holiday or celebration in early July {April 7 – 40 weeks = early July} that we christen annually.  I think we’re just extra fertile that time of year or something.  That puts me right at 14-15 weeks prego.  I look further along than that, don’t I?  {I’m blaming it on a big meal at my Dad’s last weekend when the pictures were taken.} So goes the third pregnancy.  Or so I’ve heard.  I guess everything has lost its elasticity and is giving way earlier than my first two pregnancies.  I swear I didn’t look this bumpy until about 5 months along with the boys!

If you’ll remember from this post, I purposefully faced my backside to the camera to hide my slight baby bump at ~9 weeks.

2 – Will you find out the baby’s gender before he/she is born?  We didn’t know our babies’ gender before birth with the boys. {Although I would have bet money they were both boys.}  So, in keeping with tradition, we won’t be finding out this baby’s sex until he/she is born.  I am a planner but a flexible one.  Handy Hubby and I enjoy the suspense and feel that there are only so many true surprises left in this advanced high tech world anymore.  You know, along with unplanned pregnancies, of course.  We have nothing against those who choose to find out their infant’s gender beforehand.  We just choose not to.

I know what you’re thinking.  ”OMG!  How in the world do you design a nursery without knowing if the baby is a boy or girl?!”  Easy.  The nursery will have a gender neutral base and I’ll add in gender specific decor after the baby arrives.

3 – Do you have names picked out?  As with our other pregnancies, HH and I will take an edited mental list of boy and girl names to the hospital.  Once the baby is born and we discover the gender, we’ll make a single selection from our list.  I’ll tell you right now that our list is pretty much nonexistent right now.  We try to talk about it but HH doesn’t like the names I suggest, and I’m not too fond of the ones he throws out either.  We’ll get there!  As you can probably tell from our sons’ names {Layne and Everett}, we typically choose names not found on the Top 100 Baby Names list.

4 – How are you feeling?  I’m feeling pretty good nowadays.  It was kind of touch and go there for the first three months.  I was nauseous on a daily basis from 4pm until bedtime although I never did toss my cookies.  Dinner time was the worst.  More than once, I slipped away from the dinner table because all the food and smells were making me cringe.  I was exhausted too.  But I don’t know whether to contribute that to the pregnancy or the fact that I had two other kiddos running circles around me OR the recent move. Probably a combination of all three.

5 – Do you have any weird cravings?  I don’t know that these are ‘weird’ but I crave salads, tomatoes and water with lemons/lemon juice in it.  The tomato craving prompted this recipe post a few weeks back.  Maybe the tomato part is strange since I’m not a tomato fan when I’m unprego. Oh, and I can’t eat them by themselves but put a tomato on anything {salad, baked potato, pasta, grilled cheese, etc.} and I’m game.  I also seem to have an aversion to red meat unless it’s a McDonald’s cheeseburger.

6 – How did you tell Handy Hubby and what was his reaction?  I found out I was prego {by peeing on three, yes, three pee sticks because one or two couldn’t be right} the week before we were to close on our previous house.  I was sooooo nervous to tell HH.  I knew he wasn’t going to be angry or anything like that but, again, this was completely unexpected. Not in our downsizing plan at all.  Not even on the radar.

In fact, a week prior I had purged and donated nearly every single thing {clothing, toys, books, toddler dishware, etc.} that our youngest had outgrown or didn’t use anymore.  The only ‘baby stuff’ that had escaped my binge was an umbrella stroller {forgotten in the garage} and the crib {which I had promised to give my Dad when we moved so that he and my stepmom, Karen, could set up a nursery in their house for the impending arrival of my stepbrother’s first baby in January. Dad and Karen wanted to have a place for the baby to sleep when they babysat.} and that’s it.  Not a bib or burp cloth in sight.

I told HH the very day I got positive readings on all three pee sticks.  I had to wait hours for him to get home from work since I’d taken the pregnancy tests in the morning.  Then I had to wait until the boys were in bed because I wasn’t prepared to tell them yet.

I was at a loss for a good way to tell HH.  I realized then and there that men are never in the precarious position to have to tell the person they love that they are surprisingly expecting an unexpected baby.  That’s a lot of pressure on us women!  I did what I do best and wrote it out. Well, technically, I typed it out.  I don’t think my handwriting would have been legible at that point.

As you can see, I’ve altered the original announcement.  My due date prediction was off.  Obviously, I hadn’t seen my OB at that point.

I found out pretty early on because I was prompted to take a test by a somewhat clairvoyant experience with Layne.  A few days prior, I had been packing for the big move when Layne walked by me, paused for a moment, put a hand on either side of my belly and kissed it.  I said, “What’s that for?”  He simply replied, “For the baby in your belly.”  The earth stopped turning for a minute. So, a few days later when I hadn’t started my you-know-what as expected, I immediately bought a triple pack of pregnancy tests.  Turns out, Layne was right.

So back to HH’s reaction.  I laid the pregnancy announcement on the kitchen island next to his lunchbox that evening so he would see it when he packed his lunch for work.  {HH packs his lunch 99% of the time.}  Then I hid on the couch under a blanket.  Literally.  I was sweating under that blanket.  Seconds seemed like hours.  The next thing I heard was, “Is this for real?” as HH walked over to the couch where I was cowering.  I peeked up out of the blanket and managed to nod.  HH had a look of total disbelief on his face.  There was lots of silence after that.  Shock, fear, WTH?!…we were both feeling all those things.

Then HH started laughing.  It was one-third real laughing, one-third nervous laughing and one-third crazy person laughing.  I started laughing too.  My giggling quickly turned to crying though.  I couldn’t stop it.  That’s when HH said the most beautiful thing he could have said at that moment, “There’s no one else I’d rather have an accidental baby with.”  Then I did that really ugly laughing-slash-crying thing, snotty and red-faced and all.  Things were going to be okay.

A few weeks later, I did ask Layne about his premonition.  ”Layne, do you remember when you kissed my belly that one day and said it was for the baby?”

“Yeah,” he answered.

“What made you say that?”  I was curious.

“I don’t know.  Your belly looked different,” was all he could come up with.  I think he’s special.  I may be biased.

7 – Did you have an IUD?  Nope.  Without getting too personal and crossing that TMI thin line, let’s just say I’m one of the lucky ‘less than 1 out of 100 women who get pregnant each year while taking birth control each day as directed.’  I’ve been a pharmacist for 9+ years and I’ve heard story after story of women getting prego on the pill.  I’ve always subconsciously judged those women thinking they were irresponsible.  Look who’s talkin’ now.  Yep, this lady whose doctor says her unplanned conception while taking birth control correctly is rare but always possible.

Now that the initial shock has worn off, I realize how lucky we really are.  We have been gifted another lil’ life without even asking while so many others out there dream of a baby and ask for one daily.  Yep, we’re lucky alright.

8 – What did the boys say when you told them?  HH and I told the boys at the Underdog one evening when I took them to visit HH while he was working.  We dumbed it down and said something like, “There’s a baby in Mama’s belly.”  To which Layne looked at me and exclaimed, “YOU’RE PREGNANT?!”  We confirmed.  ”I’ll be right back,” he quickly announced and ran off to tell our new neighbors.  All Everett had to say about the baby was, “Who is it?”  Good question.

I’m trying not to make this new baby a huge deal with the boys because I don’t want to take away from them.  If they ask questions or want to see my belly then we talk.  A few times a week, Layne comes up and kisses my belly just like he did the time before I knew I was pregnant.  It’s sweet. Everett likes to pretend he’s my doctor {he accompanies me to my monthly visits while Layne’s in school} and studies my belly with a magnifying glass.  He takes his job very seriously.

9 – Does this mean the boys will be sharing a bedroom in the Underdog?  Yes!  The room assignments now are Layne and Everett in the larger non-master bedroom and the baby in the smaller non-master bedroom.  I guess this whole sharing-a-bedroom-in-the-apartment thing is paying off.  They should be used to sharing a room by the time we move into the house.

I’ve already thrown around the idea of making the larger of the two non-master bedrooms a bunk room for the kids if this one happens to be another boy.  The smaller bedroom would become a playroom/guest room.  That would be years down the road, of course.  If this baby’s a girl, then she’ll just stay in the smaller bedroom and have her own bedroom.

10 – How does this pregnancy news affect your involvement in the Underdog undertakings?  Not much.  My primary role is to supervise the kiddos and give them as normal a life as possible right now.  So far, many of the renovation projects have been accomplished by HH alone just because we don’t have anyone to watch the boys for me to get my hands dirty.  Not that I’d be that much help.  ;) When the time comes, pregnancy won’t keep me from helping to install new flooring, building kitchen cabinets or painting…things we can do a little more easily and safely with kids in tow…unlike demo’ing, running new electric, vaulting the ceiling, etc.

11 – How does this surprise baby change your design plans for the Underdog?  Other than switching up sleeping arrangements {see #9}, none.  We won’t be adding on to the house and we still have plans to live in it for 10+ years.  I’ll just have to get clever and creative with my storage!

Many people who know we’re expecting say, “And here you just sold a 4 bedroom house to downsize!”  But, honestly, downsizing is about the best thing we could have done to prepare for such a surprise.  Well, if you could prepare for a surprise.  Our house will be smaller but so will our mortgage which we still plan to pay off in 4-5 years.

I’m not worried about living in such tight quarters with three kids.  I lived in a similarly sized barn {that’s a whole ‘nother post in itself} with ONE bathroom, THREE bedrooms, THREE siblings plus my parents.  That’s six people under one little roof.  We all shared a bedroom with someone else and we somehow scheduled our bathroom usage around each other. Looking back, I never felt like our house/barn was too small.  We loved it!

12 – Will you be living in the Underdog before the baby arrives?  I hope so!  If not, we’ve got bigger problems.

13 – How will #3 affect your work plans?  Honestly, we’re still up in the air over this one.  We’d always planned on me working my 20 hours/week as a part-time pharmacist until the Underdog’s mortgage was paid off.  But with this newest addition, HH and I are both thinking our family would benefit more from me being home full-time.  Luckily, HH was offered a promotion this past summer which came with a raise that would offset some {definitely not all} of the income lost by me not working.  We talk about me taking this blogging and designing stuff more seriously and seeing where it takes me, too.  Maybe this turn of events is just the kick in the butt I need to motivate me to make a scary career change!

14 – How do you handle it all – work, kids, blog, renovation, etc?  I don’t handle it all.  Let me make that clear.  I work 2-3 days per week so I have more time at home than most working moms. I have an awesome HH who is a huge help with the boys when I need him. I don’t cook dinner every night.  And even when I do, we’re not above scrambled eggs and toast for dinner OR leftovers.  I don’t blog or post as much as I’d like to.  I say no a lot – mostly to things that I’m not truly passionate about or things that will cause our schedule to become jam packed.  Because nothing is worse than an overtired toddler.  Some days, I make to-do lists that don’t get completed. And, especially now with my current impregnated state, there are times when I simply have to let go and tell myself, “Okay, XXXX is not getting done today.  I don’t have the time or energy for it.”

There was a time when I couldn’t say no.  Back when I was much younger.  I was a people pleaser.  I did a lot of stuff and got a lot of recognition for that stuff.  But I wasn’t happy.  I wasn’t doing any of that stuff for me.

Nowadays, I try to remind my sometimes insecure, guilty-mom self of all the things I do do.  {Not doo-doo.}  I take my kids to the library and gymnastics.  I watch funny movies with my favorite man.  I help Layne with his homework.  I make up homework for Everett when he asks where his homework is.  I write a blog that I’m passionate about.  I put random notes in Layne’s school snack bag.  I make sure my family has clean clothes to wear.  I try to make our home an inspiring place to live.  I keep the fridge stocked.  I balance my checkbook to the penny.  I get Layne on and off the bus on time.  And, by george, I’m growing a baby!

Some days just keeping the kids fed/clothed/somewhat clean, washing dirty dishes, showering and brushing my teeth, making the bed, going grocery shopping, putting away a load of folded laundry, not burning a bag of popcorn, watching an old ‘Friends’ rerun, writing up a blog post, hugging my husband and remembering to take my prenatal vitamin is all I need to make me feel successful and happy.

All I have to do is figure out how to do all that with a baby on my hip.  A baby who is very much wanted and loved even if he/she was unexpected.

images: 1-5 & 7) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  6) Johnny Valiant and Mona Ross Berman for House Beautiful

Our new town has the best home consignment shops.  That makes me giddy.  I’ve been checking in weekly or so with my favorite one, Home2Home.  They have a great selection of modern and antique pieces and their inventory changes weekly. Nothing stays there for long!

That’s why when I spotted this older Eddie Bauer cabinet, I snapped Handy Hubby a pic and emailed him right away.

You see, we’re planning to install our flatscreen TV above the mantel in the family room.  I’ve mentioned this before…in an ideal world I wouldn’t choose to hang a TV above a fireplace but in the Underdog, it’s about the only place it can go.  Don’t worry though.  I think we’ve devised a plan to make it less in your face when it’s not in use.  More on that later…

Anyhoo, since we won’t be using the media console setup that we had in our previous home {we gave the console to my Dad when we sold by owner}, we’ll need somewhere to store our cable box, DVD player, Wii, and audio receiver.  I don’t have the family room’s entire layout set in stone yet, but HH and I did decide where the future media cabinet would go {in the corner between the picture window and mantel}, so I knew relatively how large {really, how small} the cabinet needed to be.  I’ve been on the hunt for one for weeks now.  The hardest part was finding a petite cabinet that was still deep enough to store all the techy components.

At 30″ x 18″ x 30″ this solid maple cabinet was the perfect size.  {I measured the depth of all our TV components to make sure.} Even though it was in excellent condition and priced right {$80}, I wasn’t thrilled with its aesthetic.  But when I opened the two doors, I was surprised to find that the 70′s screen-like material was actually just stapled to removable frames set into the back of the doors.  It’s much like what you would find on the back of a picture frame.  That ugly, heavy screen could easily be removed.  I was sold!

If there aren’t any problems with our remotes working through fabric, I could transform the media cabinet into something like this…

Isn’t that Amy Butler fabric too sweet?

The only money spent would be on the fabric and maybe two new door knobs.  If the fabric poses a problem {which I don’t see it doing…I’ve been experimenting by covering our receiver and cable box with lightweight t-shirts and they’re working perfectly, no problems!}, we can always open the doors when we need to or replace the screen material with glass.  The jury is still out on whether or not the wood cabinet will end up painted…but I’m leaning towards leaving the finish as-is.  I’d like to use a few more wood tone pieces in the Underdog than I did in our previous home.

The other secondhand piece of furniture that I recently acquired is this wing chair…

It’s a little bluer in real life and not as steely as my phone pic is portraying.  I found it at our local Salvation Army store for, get this, $25.

Yep, $25!!  It was clean with no tears in the velvety fabric and verrrrrry comfortable.  All it needs is a little sanding and stain on the scratched up feet – or some spray paint if I’m feeling lazy.  Everett even liked it.

I quickly emailed HH a pic while I sat on the chair, staking my claim until he gave me the okay to buy it.  {We try to only buy things that we both like.}  I was a little nervous that he wouldn’t like it because he tends to lean towards more modern furniture.  But he really liked it!  So, $25 later it was mine.

It’s very Emily Henderson-esque.  I love her.

I don’t have a particular place in mind for the blue wing chair.  It’s so versatile.  It could work just about anywhere:  family room, dining room, one of the bedrooms or even at the built-in desk that will be in the kitchen.  And that, my folks, is how you know you should go ahead and buy a certain piece of furniture – when it will work anywhere in your home.  You have the freedom to move it around on a whim as you please.  Who knows where it will end up?

I’m excited about incorporating secondhand furniture pieces into the Underdog’s design.  Typically, they add more character than store bought furniture and do so at a fraction of the cost.  These two pieces together put me out only $105.

What’s a favorite thrift find or secondhand piece of furniture you’ve brought into your home?

images:  1-3) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  4) Better Homes & Gardens  5-7) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  8 ) Emily Henderson