I miss Leo

My friend sent me this of Leo at church with the kids one week when I was home sick last month in September.  I loved it!!  And I just wanted to say that I miss Leo so much!!!

Bathroom dilemma

I know there's a lot that should be keeping me up at night--my to-do list fills two white boards in our hallway, but what's bothering me the most is how I should redecorate our pink bathroom. Maybe it's because of how much other stuff I have to do that I'm retreating into this unnecessary train of thought. Either way, here you go.  Lest you think me totally ridiculous, I am scanning negatives while typing this.  However, I could be sewing on buttons to finish Elena's dress, or working on other projects that have a due date in the next two weeks, but I'm hoping by posting this I can also get this out of my head and move on.

 So the blue bathroom is planned and I already bought the pink and tan and blue shower curtain.  (I love you Target!) I even know the wall color now.  Assuming when I test sample it, it all looks good.

But the pink bathroom, well that is a headache.  

I had an awesome shower curtain from Target that inspired me,  this one in fact: 

I totally could have worked with it, because it would have tied in the pink but been mostly a nice soothing (not overwhelmingly bright) shade of green and cream.  And this is what I built the bathroom in my head around.  I took out the shower curtain from this mock up, but it was there.  

And now I don't know what to do.  I keep going brighter and boho (which I think will be too overwhelming in that bathroom) or shabby chic, which isn't really what I want either.  I just can't find the right balance in my head between the two.  And I wish the bathroom had a window.  That would make things easier.  

So here's the two competing ideas.  

This is the somewhat Shabby Chic version.  I still kind of want to hang up a shower curtain just because I think that will be an easy way to pull in a lot of other color.  (There's no shower in this bathroom.)  But then I think, what a pain, I already flip ours out of the way when bathing the kids, why have one when you don't need it?  But then I guess it could provide a little privacy since a lot of kids will be sharing this bathroom. I don't know, that's something I'm still debating. But anyway, shower curtain for color--possibly I could do wallpaper, but that opens a whole other can of worms (finding the perfect one) and I already looked at stencils and discarded that idea (I only like really elaborate ones).  Anyway, so main idea here is silver and a blue and pink and old mirrors and hand mirrors to decorate the wall behind the tub.  A shelf with pretty bottles above the toilet that will be completely useless except I like pretty bottles (true story, I had a bottle collection when I was a kid.) And you get the gist right?  

Okay, so a lot similar, I still love the mirror idea. And it's not as bright anymore as I pictured it before. But more earthy/ethnic with the baskets and fabrics and accessories.  I love this fabric that I found--BUT I don't know what the heck to do with it!?!??!  It's home decor fabric (medium weight) and I don't think it would be a good choice to make a shower curtain out of, that's for sure.  And I love the idea of crocheted shower curtain (which would absolutely serve NO purpose then, because it wouldn't even provide privacy) but where would I use the fabric to actually ground the room in normal colors?????? I could just cover canvases with it, 2 or maybe 3 long ones.  Or one huge one. And put those above the tub.  It's just not looking right in my head though. And then where would I put my beloved mirrors?  And fabric canvases with bohemian curtain just is too cluttered.  It's killing me I tell you.  I think because really I like this version more, but it just doesn't work yet. I cannot pull it together!!!  ARGGGHHHH!  

Version 2 works.  I could totally make that work, but while I like it, I'm a little worried it's too effeminate and I don't think Leo will like it because of that, and it's just a lot different than the rest of my house (in my head).  

Now do you understand why I can't sleep at night?!??  Ideas are greatly appreciated here.  Oh, and walls will most likely be off-white, or in the case of v2--I'd paint them white.  

The end of crazy rant #8902.

Catch up

Other things happening at our house:

1. We bought a piano, sideboard, train table, and an armoire.  I think it's easier to find things here at a better price, just because of the population density.

2. I also have been buying coats, boots, and snow pants thanks to Once Upon a Child.  I almost have everyone outfitted now.

3. Leo and I went out to eat last month at Cafe Pita and had Bosnian/Turkish food. We got the

Mix Platter Combination of cevapi, stuffed pljeskavice, and beef and chicken kebab. Served with basmati rice, ajvar, fresh onions, kajmak, and lepinja bread.

It was good!  Some parts were really, really good! I have no idea what any of it is anymore, so don't ask.  Then I wanted to go out for Moroccan food this month because my sister Kayli always raves about it.  Unfortunately, Houston let us down!  There's not one purely Moroccan restaurant.  What the heck??! So we went to Sayad Mediterranean Grill instead, which is Syrian food.  It was good, but Arpi's Phoenicia Deli next door is better I think, probably more Americanized Greek/Middle Eastern food as well, (we were heading there and decided on a whim to try the new restaurant.) Anyway, I got lamb which was overcooked and Leo had a seafood grilled platter, and that was so-so too. The bread and appetizer we got were to die for though.  Yum.  Basically we're trying to hit a bunch of places before we move and our only options are steak, Thai, or Mexican.

4. We also went to the movie The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  We were laughing out loud at parts--but FYI, it's mocking James Bond films and there is a Bond girl type scene.  

5. I love our new piano.  Love it!

6. I went to parent teacher conferences for Isabel and Sebastian. Isabel's teacher said she was quiet (and I was like ????) and really great and she's reading over her level and very neat, etc.  Sebastian's teachers said he was quiet and then they both raved about how artistic he is.  That wasn't a surprise.

7.  Jubal is a walking tornado and you can follow in the wake of his path wherever you go in my house because everything is pulled out, turned over and strewn about.  So crazy!

8. I finished scanning my mom's negatives and am working on my own now. 

9. I've been busy recovering chairs still and teaching lots of sewing lessons, and I made a tutorial for my friend on how to make a $30 running belt for your phone, keys etc, for about $6.  Should I post it on my blog?  My finished product looks awful, because, honestly, I never intend on running, although it could be useful around the house if I was listening to a book off my cell phone.

10.  Elena, Isabel and Sebastian finished their month of tumbling (we used up the rest of Leo's wellness benefit).  Sebastian learned to do a headstand.  Isabel learned to do a cartwheel.  And Elena, well, Elena complains every day about some mysterious illness or another.  

11.  Elena is LOVING and excelling in her singing class though.  A lady in my ward who has a ph.D. in music put together a little singing group of girls 3rd grade to 5th grade, and Elena loves, loves, loves it!  She is really good too.  

12. Ana's taking a bit to get her feet back under her after the start of school, but I think she's getting there now, and she is so excited to move, which is good.

13. My friend took our family photos for us as a going away present and they turned out really well!   Couldn't be happier.

And that's all I've got.  Goodnight.

 The hide before I cut it.  I never really liked hide rugs, but this one actually looked nice and was soft.

 Nicolas fell asleep here one night.  And he LOVES that spiderman costume, I think he wore it for three days straight.