There it is. Baby’s corner. It’s not much but it’ll do for now. {We plan on moving into the Underdog very, very soon…not that everything will be done by then but it’ll be livable.} Due to lack of energy and not wanting to repaint the wall back to white when we move shortly, I decided to leave the flat white wall as is. If it were my permanent home, I think I would have gone for a warm gray wall color.

The 5′x7′ herringbone rug is a cotton flat weave and I love it! The backside of the rug does not have the herringbone pattern. I purchased it about a month ago to put in the boys’ shared bedroom at the Underdog…but until we move I’m using it to define baby’s corner in our bedroom at the apartment. Nothing like stealing stuff from the Underdog to use in the apartment!

The cradle is an antique family heirloom and I slept in it as a newborn. I decided to leave it au naturel and not paint it. I actually quite like the wood tone. A few readers have commented on the crib’s spindles, worried that they might be too far apart. I assure you they are exactly 2 & 3/8″ apart. I measured. Three times. With two different tape measures. FYI – The mandatory safety standard recommends that cradle and crib slats be no more than 2 & 3/8″ apart.

I also caught some flack due to the sheepskin in the cradle. To be honest, it’s just for looks. A mama-in-waiting is allowed to try her hand at some photo styling, isn’t she? The sheepskin and throw pillow will get removed when baby is in the cradle. {Although a supervised newborn photo shoot on the sheepskin could be really cute!} Under the sheepskin is a white sheet and waterproof pad. Please, don’t take my words and images out of context and twist them into some kind of ‘yeah, everybody put sheepskins in your cribs!’ propaganda. THE SHEEPSKIN AND PILLOW ARE JUST FOR LOOKS.

On the floor next to the cradle is a woven basket holding the minimal, gender-neutral baby wardrobe I picked up at Once Upon a Child. I’m waiting to see what baby’s sex is before I buy anything beyond those few gowns, sleepers and onesies. The bag is Amy Butler’s Abina Oversized Tote in her Treasure Box Cinder fabric. I used all of my birthday money several months ago to purchase the bag. It was a total splurge for me. I’m going to use it as a diaper bag. I really wanted a diaper bag that didn’t look like a diaper bag. A bag that I could use beyond the baby years as an overnight or carry-on bag.

Above baby’s cradle I put together a loose arrangement of art and wall decor. I borrowed the canvas art from our living room. It was a purchase from the Underdog’s estate sale last year. I used a 3M Command hook to hang it.

To the left of the canvas art I finally hung Buck Jr. Buck Jr. is a cardboard trophy deer. Handy Hubby got him for me two Christmases ago. Up until this week, he was a set of one dimensional cardboard sheets. The boys and I had a good time punching out his pieces and putting him together. It was really quick and easy. I think he’ll find a permanent home in the boys’ shared bedroom at the Underdog. Until then, this deer will look over our newest dear.

And baby makes 5…

The floating ’5′ is a metal address number that I picked up at a local home improvement store for $6. It represents how many people our growing family is about to include. Upon seeing the newly decorated baby corner, all HH had to say was “What’s the five all about?” {Obviously, he doesn’t get the whole nesting thing.} When I told him that’s the soon-to-be number of people in our family, he had a moment. A ‘holy crap, you’re right!’ moment. According to our apartment complex’s guidelines, we’re allowed to use small finish nails in the walls without having to repair the holes when we move out. I hung Buck Jr. and the ’5′ with finish nails so nothing is required of me when they come down.

My favorite part of the lil’ baby corner is the red and coral mobile. It’s just the pop of fun, color and whimsy that I was looking for. I crafted it out of paint stir sticks, an embroidery hoop and paper for $10. A complete how-to coming next week! It’s light enough that I was able to securely suspend it from a 3M Command hook on the ceiling.

So baby’s corner is ready. I think. I have a few won’t-need-’em-right-away baby items {breast pump, cloth diapers, spare cradle sheets, extra changing pads, etc.} stowed away in a wooden trunk elsewhere in our bedroom.

As I mentioned, I spent less than $20 total on items specifically for the temporary nursery setup:

• metal address number ’5′ – $6 {The Home Depot}
• DIY mobile – $10 {details coming soon!}

TOTAL: $16

All other items we already had on hand or I borrowed them from elsewhere:

• cradle – family heirloom
• sheepskin – IKEA {borrowed from living room}
• gray geometric throw pillow – Etsy {already had on hand}
• woven floor basket – ?? {already had on hand}
• rug – Urban Outfitters {borrowed from the Underdog since we’re not living there yet!}
• Amy Butler tote – Amazon {already had on hand thanks to some birthday money}
• canvas art – estate sale {borrowed from living room}
• Buck Jr. – Cardboard Safari {gift from HH years ago}

Oh, and as you may have noticed, we don’t have a cute baby-in-belly name for our unborn child…we just call him/her ‘baby.’ I don’t know why. We called Layne ‘pumpkin’ and Everett ‘bugaboo’ when they were in my belly. What did/do you guys call your unborn babies?

Congrats to Courtney! She’s this week’s winner of the Miracle Blanket giveaway. Here’s the miracle moment she shared:

Mmmmm. Banana peppers & garlic sauce, need I say more? I absolutely love Papa John’s. Even more so now that I know they’re in the business of making miracles.

I had such a great time reading through all your big and little miracles. They made me laugh, tear up, think twice, feel grateful and smile. I think it’s true that we live in a world filled with miracles – we just have to be open and present to see them for what they are!

Here’s hoping you have a miraculous weekend!

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Congrats to Sara – this week’s random winner of the gift certificate to Modest Pillows! And since more than one ‘Sara’ entered the giveaway, I’m talking about the one whose toddler son pulled down her shirt and bra at an airport security checkpoint. I’ll bet it made her security check quick and easy! ;)

To everyone else, you aren’t losers. For being good sports and sharing your embarrassing immodest moments on the internet for all to read {I had a lot of baby belly laughs reading through them all!}, you are entitled to something, right? How does a Modest Pillows discount sound? Just enter the code “HOUSE” at checkout to receive 15% off any purchase made through 3/31/12. See, you’re all winners.

WARNING: Recently, I’ve experienced the ‘nesting’ itch big time. Maybe it has something to do with last night’s full moon. Maybe it has more to do with the fact that I’m now 36 weeks prego. And hormonal. And easily annoyed. I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s taking over House*Tweaking next week.

Beware.

images: 1) Modest Pillows  2) Cartoonstock

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.*

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If you’re like Handy Hubby and me, there’s really not much involved. No date night, no Hallmark card, no chocolates, no flowers…maybe a cheapie homemade gift, that’s it. It’s not that we don’t love each other. We do. LOTS. We just shy away from the V-Day hype and try to appreciate each other every day. Plus, we’d rather save the money for something else – like a new throw pillow or home improvement tool. You know, the stuff that matters most. ;)

This year an unexpected gift turned up. A gift to us from a total stranger.

It’s the Two Initials Sign from Signs by Andrea. We’re smitten with it.

Contrary to popular belief, HH’s name isn’t really ‘Handy Hubby.’ I just call him that on H*T – never in real life. His real name is Steve. Yes, his name is Steve Miller. Like the band. {Insert obligatory Steve Miller Band joke here.} And, yes, at our wedding reception we walked in to The Joker.

For now, the handmade wooden sign is leaning on a shelf in our apartment living room. I can’t wait to hang it at the Underdog. The included sawtooth hanger on the back should make that easy to do. {Don’t mind the green marker…Everett saw that Andrea signed the back of the sign and thought he should too. He then proceeded to mark up his cheeks with a black – thankfully washable – marker to look like a football player. Oh my! The term ‘bed rest’ is NOT in three-year-olds’ vocabulary!}

I especially like the rustic charm. The reclaimed wood is weathered and has signs of a prior life. Love the nail holes. Thank you, Andrea!

Andrea’s sign repertoire doesn’t only include hand-crafted wooden signs but poster and canvas prints as well. Her signs, prints and canvases are the perfect personal addition to any room. Lucky for you, Andrea is being doubly kind and offering a giveaway to House*Tweaking readers this love-filled week!

One winner will receive the Monogram with Name Overlay Sign {$40 value} and another {yup, two winners this week!!} will receive the You Are My Sunshine 8″x10″ Wrapped Canvas Print {$75 value}.

Are you feeling the love yet? Here are all the details on how to enter to win:

• PRIZES:  Monogram with Name Overlay Sign {$40 value} and Yellow You Are My Sunshine 8″x10″ Wrapped Canvas Print {$75 value} from Signs by Andrea
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. shipping address {no P.O. boxes please} to enter. One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “SIGN ME UP!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, February 16th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Two winners will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, February 17th.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Go ahead and finish out the “I love you more than _____” sign above. What something do you love so much but not quite as much as your sweetie? I’ll go first. HH, I love you more than chocolate-covered raisins. That’s saying a lot seeing as how I ate an entire bulk container of them from Sam’s Club over the past week!

If you’re interested in purchasing your own hand-crafted wood sign from Signs by Andrea, use the discount code “TWEAK10″ to receive 10% off your order. Offer ends 2/27/12.

Don’t forget to ‘like’ Signs by Andrea on Facebook and follow her on Twitter!

images:  1) Signs by Andrea  2-5) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  6 & 7) Signs by Andrea

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up. Is it obvious that we spent the holiday visiting family and friends out of internet service range? Well, we did. And it was wonderful for my heart and my kids…not so great for the blog though!

After a whirlwind weekend of filling our bellies, napping, driving over state lines and high school reunioning {yep, Handy Hubby even took a much needed break to attend his 15-year high school reunion}, we’re glad to be back. All my guys are catching up on their sleep this afternoon as I write. I felt H*T had been neglected for far too long, so I’m skipping out on the sleepfest.

The lucky winner of the $100 American Express gift card sponsored by Apartment Guide is “D” who loves using felt to create all kinds of festive decor for the holidays. Congrats!

Don’t worry if you didn’t win. I’ve got another fun giveaway scheduled for this week! Plus, I’ll be showing you the holiday decor and organization ideas I come up with for our teeny apartment. Things are about to get all ho-ho-ho up in here.

FYI – Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Holiday Home Organization” Blogger Challenge.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the “Holiday Home Organization” Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

images: Apartment Guide

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

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

Sorry this is going up so late!  I worked second shift tonight and just got home.  My entire morning was spent running around packing bags and coolers for my lil’ and big guys’ weekend camping trip. So that means I have the entire apartment to myself for one night.  It’s eerily quiet!  I barely know what to do with myself.  This is a rare occasion for me.  I’m trying to enjoy it.  I think I may change into my comfy pajamas and read one of the design books I checked out from the library last week. {Our new library has a much better interior design selection than our previous library and I’m taking full advantage of it!}  It’s Darryl Carter’s The New Traditional, if you’re interested and I’m loving it.

But enough about me.  I enjoyed reading through this week’s giveaway comments and seeing what everyone had to say about their own handwriting.  Many of you lamented the sad fact that typing has cursed your handwriting skills.  I guess that’s why it’s never a bad idea to write out a card or letter {versus an email, tweet or text} every once in a while – just to keep our handwriting in check.

Lucky for Sharon {the one who commented that she hates her handwriting, only signs her name and uses a fine tip marker to print everything else} – she’ll get the chance to improve her writing skills with the help of some Jack & Ella stationery! Congrats, Sharon!

Happy, happy weekend to the rest of you!  And happy first day of my favorite season…fall!

images:  book cover image via Gordon Beall

House*Tweaking was a hot mess after all the steam mop and celebrity talk last week.  Over 750 entries were received in the Black & Decker Steam Mop giveaway!  And, yes, I read each and every single one of them.  I loved hearing about your personal steam mop experiences and the famous people who make you want to have steamy personal experiences.  Hehe. Why, here’s my celebrity crush now…

He’s tall, dark and handsome in that natural, old school, weathered kind of way.  My way.  I’ll take him with or without the facial scruff. As long as he talks to me in that deep, gravely voice I won’t be picky.  Of course, I love me some Handy Hubby too.  He’s free to have his Jessica Biel moment. Just for you,HH…

What’s that?  All of a sudden all the hubby’s out there are interested in House*Tweaking and home decor?  Go figure.  She does have a nice figure.

Anyhoo, this has nothing to do with what this is supposed to be about.  FREE STUFF! Congratulations to Dawn who is the winner of the Black & Decker Steam Mop and gets hot and bothered looking at Dylan McDermott.  Here’s to you, Dawn.

images:  1) here  2) here  3) slightly altered version from here

I’m giving myself permission (i.e., I’m forcing myself) to step away from the computer a little this week.  I’m in need of more real life inspiration.  I’ll still be doing some blog work…it just won’t be visible from your end.  At least, not immediately.  Don’t worry.  I’ll drop a few blog posts this week, but it probably won’t be as many as usual.  I promise to be back in full force next week.  Freshly reinvigorated!  I just wanted to give you a lil’ heads up, so you don’t think I’m dropping off the face of the web earth.  I’m not!

{That’s not my blogging spot, by the way.  Although, I wouldn’t mind at all if it was.}

As such, I encourage you to take a little breather yourself.  Use the 5 minutes that you normally spend reading House*Tweaking to do something inspirational:  read a few pages in a book or magazine, write a friendly note or email to a friend you haven’t seen in ages, hug your babies {big, small, or furry}, enjoy the budding scenery, take some deep breaths, treat yourself to a favorite goody {mine is chocolate-covered raisins}, make a brief but sincere ”Thankful For…” list, or maybe just go to bed 5 minutes early.  Whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm and just revel in the moment.  Isn’t life a series of little moments anyway?

Next on today’s agenda…the Scentsy Free-For-All winner.  Thanks to everyone who participated!  You all made this H*T’s most popular giveaway to date.  I know giveaways aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I really do like to pass on great products to my readers in the form of a prize just to let you know how much I appreciate the time you take to check in on H*T.  It’s my very small way of saying “Thank you!”  Congratulations to SARAH DUTY.  I hope you enjoy your Scentsy warmer and bars as much as I do mine.

And since you all were so great to share your fire escapades with me, let me share mine.  Unfortunately, I have a few!  Ahh! 

First, there was the time I was about 10 years old and my younger, curious Boy Scout brother decided to see if he could start a fire with a battery, wire, and pile of dry leaves.  He discovered he could, in fact, ignite a fire.  After the initial excitement, he realized the fire was spreading rapidly up the hillside towards our home {this was during a drought in August in Ohio}.  I looked out the window just in time to see my brother running up the hill toward the house screaming, with flames chasing him from behind.  My mom called 9-1-1, the fire trucks came, the whole shebang.  Need I say that my brother got into deep trouble?  Thankfully, no one was hurt.  And honestly, I think my Dad was a little proud of his resourceful son.  Although I think he had visions of my brother attaining this feat on a deserted island somewhere in pure survival mode…not a few hundred yards away from our house unattended.

Another fire incident came during my high school years in chemisty lab.  It involved a bunsen burner, my 90′s perm + hairspray ‘do, and a strange smell that I couldn’t place.  Until my lab partner exclaimed, “Your hair’s on fire!”  Oddly enough, I went on to endure many, many, many years of chem lab throughout my high school and college years with my hair unharmed.  I learned my lesson.

My {hopefully!} final fire trouble came shortly after my first son, Layne, was born.  In a state of pure exhaustion, I was giving Layne a newborn sponge bath with the hope of calming him down.  {He was an extremely colicky baby.}  Being the caring, tired, naive first-time mom that I was, I thought it would be a good idea to throw his infant terrycloth robe into the microwave to ‘warm it up.’  Well, that turned out to be an awful idea.  The baby robe caught on fire, the smoke alarm went off, Handy Hubby was in a laughing fit, Layne was even more inconsolable than he’d been before his bath, and I was feeling unfit to raise a child.  I eventually got past all that…and Layne started sleeping a few months later.  I’ve haven’t put anymore baby clothes in the microwave.  Layne evolved into a wonderful sleeper and I turned out to be an okay mom.  I think.  But Handy Hubby still likes to remind me of the mini charred duck robe that he pulled out of the microwave that sleepless night.  Gotta love first-time mom stories.  Do you have any?  Pet moms count too!

FYI – The Free-For-All Scentsy winner was chosen randomly via Random.org

images:  1) Nina Holst for Stylizimo  2) our pantry ‘thankful for…’ door 

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

When one of the gals over at Scentsy heard we were trying to sell our home by owner, she offered to let us try one of the company’s warmers along with a few scented wax bars to make our home feel {and smell!} more inviting to potential buyers.  To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Scentsy before. After reading up on their simple system, I was all ears…and nostrils.  The company sells ceramic warmers that use a low-watt bulb to melt specially formulated scented wax slowly, maximizing fragrance time.  The warmer-wax system is flameless, soot-free, smoke-free, and lead-free, providing a safer alternative to candles.  I agreed to review their product free of charge as long as they would be willing to offer a giveaway if I deemed the warmer’s quality and purpose suitable to H*T readers.  I chose the Greenwich mid-size warmer from the Wrap Collection along with the Hazelnut Latte, Sweet Pea & Vanilla, and Sugar Scentsy bars.  I received my trial home fragrance system over a week ago and put it to use right away.  And, I must say, I’m very impressed.

In the past, I tried those ceramic oil fragrance systems that warm using a tea light candle and never did like them.  They were always too strong for my liking and I witnessed smoke rising from them a couple of times.  But after using the Scentsy system daily for over a week now, I haven’t had any of those issues.  The way it diffuses the scent is lovely…there isn’t a concentrated fragrance overload in the immediate area and the system itself is easy to use.  Plug the warmer into an outlet, flip the toggle switch on, add 1 or more pre-divided sections of Scentsy wax, and start sniffing!  Handy Hubby has even expressed his like of our new warmer and its scent.  In the 13 years I’ve known the man, he’s never before voiced an opinion on home fragrance.

I found the perfect spot for the warmer atop a floor cabinet in our family room.  It’s close to an electrical outlet and out of kids’ reach.  {Plus, the cabinet is mounted to the wall to prevent tipping.} It looks great whether just on display or all lit up.

A small 20 watt lightbulb provides subtle heat and light.  The top warming dish is a separate piece that can be removed to pour out melted wax to be discarded or saved for later.

I even found an inconspicuous hiding place for the wax bars…

…inside a wooden box within the cabinet.  {I didn’t label it yet for fear it might get repurposed in our next house, although I guess that’d be easy to fix.}

Our favorite ‘flavor’ so far is the Hazelnut Latte.  Yummy.  Here, you can see how the wax comes pre-packaged and all divvy’ed up.

Just plop one of those little sections into the warmer, and you’ll have a good smellin’ house for hours.  And while the new warmer hasn’t brought us the sweet smell of an offer just yet, we’re pretty sure it’s not hurting the situation.  Wondering how a Scentsy warmer might fare in your own home?  Well, lucky you.  Because Scentsy is offering up one warming system for FREE!  Here are the giveaway details:

• PRIZE: one mid-size or full-size Scentsy warmer of your choice {appropriately sized light bulb included} and three Scentsy Bars of your choice from the Spring/Summer catalog
• RULES: must be at least 18 years old and have a street mailing address {no P.O. boxes} within the U.S. or Canada.  One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “IT MAKES SCENTS!”
• DEADLINE: enter before Friday, April 8th at 9:00 p.m. EST.  The winner will be picked at random and announced on Monday, April 11th.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT: Share the details of any fire-related escapades you may have experienced.  This includes but is not limited to:  birthday candles, marshmallow roasting, firework displays, bunsen burners, rubbing sticks together, and swallowing torched objects a.k.a. fire eating.

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

Good luck!  And remember, ‘only you can prevent wildfires.’

images:  1-7) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  8) Scentsy