Line Entertainment Center Shelves with Wrapping Paper: Why didn't I think of this sooner?

There are a few adjectives I want to be used to describe my ideal holiday/seasonal decorating ideas:
- quick
- easy
- inexpensive
- awesome

I am very happy to report that this quick makeover of my Ikea Hemnes Entertainment system met all of my decorating requirements. All I did was add festive Christmas wrapping paper to the backs of the entertainment center to provide a backdrop for my holiday decorating.

Last Sunday I decided that I wanted to make over my old entertainment center for the holidays.  Now, our house has a very large woodstove and mantle, which would be the perfect area to decorate for the holidays except that they're located in the mancave. I haven't fought the battle too hard to decorate the mancave because I like to win and I don't think that's a battle I can win.

That leaves me with the front living room to decorate.  It has plain beige walls, beige carpet, and absolutely nothing hung on the walls.  Which means it was primed for some color! 

Like so many other Pinterest users I had repinned the many incarnations of the built-ins adorned with fabric or paint. I especially loved Courtney's, of A Thoughtful Place, simple black and white fabric for her white built-ins.  I thought for the holiday season I was looking for something even easier to do. 

This is what I started with.  Yes, the white balance was a bit off.  I actually took this right as the sun was going down and the warm haze was bouncing off my windows like crazy.  

For materials I used old moving boxes that had been piled up in my basement for far too long, a box cutter, large square, measuring tape, scissors, clear tape, and wrapping paper.  I quickly measured the insides of my entertainment center's shelves and wrote down how many I needed of each size. Since my shelves had minor differences in the sizes I wrote down numbers on each piece of cardboard so I knew where it went after it was wrapped. 

Cutting the cardboard boxes down to size actually took the most time for this project.  Thankfully my hubs was cleaning up our basement and since I said I was going to use up leftover boxes he was more than happy to flatten them and quarter them for me.  That's love! 

I was pretty lucky that two of my cardboard pieces fit vertically on my wrapping paper. I'm not going to lie, but I didn't measure the cardboard out before I bought the wrapping paper so I definitely lucked out going with the taller 2yd wrapping paper roll. In the future I'll only buy the taller 2yd rolls to ensure I maximize the cardboard size I need for this project to the wrapping paper roll. 

Wrap the fronts of each piece of cardboard.  Peace of cake.  I cut the wrapping paper and wrapped the cardboard pieces on the hubs's poker table during an afternoon of Sunday football.  There was definitely beer present, which confirms how easy this project was to do! 

    

After the cardboard pieces were wrapped I just slid them into place on my shelves.  Each shelf on the Hemnes bookshelves is supported by a little metal peg.  I was able to remove each shelf and slide the cardboard pieces behind that peg.  That ensured that the cardboard pieces didn't fall forward. 

I'm kind of a crazy person, but all the right tower's pieces came from the top half of my wrapping paper roll and the left tower's pieces came from the bottom half of my wrapping paper roll.  I did that to ensure that the lines of dots matched up and were square to the best extent possible. 

Yes, I'm married to an engineer and I knew it would have bugged him (and then me) if things weren't squared! I fully admit that the next time I do this I'm going with a more abstract paper that way I don't have to worry about things being square. 

I actually bought my wrapping paper on Black Friday for less than $2 a roll.  That was the only cost for this project because the rest of the materials were already on hand. 

Now that I have the cardboard pieces already cut up I think I'm going to constantly change up the wrapping paper on the back of my entertainment center's shelves for quick and easy seasonal decorating.  I know I'm going to turn into that person who buys pretty wrapping paper all the time.  I'm already eyeing up a matte pattern for late winter. 

I can't wait to break out the rest of my Christmas decorations and decorate this weekend.  We're putting our tree up and I'm so excited to listen to Christmas music while decorating!

What do you do to decorate for the holidays? Anyone else use wrapping paper to decorate? 

This Happened: Canon Mark 5DII

Those of you who follow me on Instagram were inundated with camera gear related pictures last week.  I apologize for that, but I'm not sorry about posting about my new Canon.  I'm completely smitten and people do crazy things when they're in love... especially with a piece of equipment. 

To sum up, "say hello to my little friend!" No, not the other Old Navy polka dot sweater, but the camera! I know it's a bit crazy to buy a camera that launched in 2008, but the Canon 5DII is that good of a camera.  Honestly, I didn't think I would make the jump up to a full-frame camera so quickly.  I thought my next camera body would be the Canon 7D or maybe even the new Canon 6D, but certainly not the 5DII.  Then, the new Canon Mark 5DIII came out over the summer and the price of the 5DII naturally dropped quite a bit.

Then, on Cyber Monday all of the 5DIIs were on sale for $1699. 

That price significantly changed things.  That meant that the 5DII was only $100 more than the 7D I had been eyeing up for quite some time.  Adorama had a package deal on Cyber Monday on a 5DII that included an extra battery, 8GB CF memory card, camera bag, and a battery grip for $1699*.  Throw in zero sales tax and cash back through Ebates and I was good to go.   

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Best thing I love about this bad boy - it doesn't come with a pop-up flash!  That means no flash photography for me because I do not have the funds to buy one! 

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If anyone was curious - the hubs told me to buy it! Seriously.  Best.Christmas.NewYear's.Valentine'sDay.President'sDay.Easter.MemorialDay.FirstBornChild.Gift.Ever.

Excuse me while I go practice focusing on a sprinting dog. I know some people would say that the 7D would have been a better camera for that activity, but I had the chance to go for a full frame camera and I took it. 

Anyone else getting a new camera for the holidays?  What are you getting?  Are you like me and already opened that bad boy up? In my defense I had to make sure it worked properly! 

*For some reason the price shows up as $1799 for this package on Adorama, but the price sometimes drops to  $1699 in your cart. I had to add it and remove it a few times to get the $1699 price.  

Through Sickness and In Health

The hubs and I have been blessed, for the most part, with solid health.  We eat fairly healthy, exercise like crazy, and wear sunscreen like it's our day jobs.  In the eleven years that we've known each other I think the biggest health scare for him was an emergency root canal and for me it was a nasty bout of mono.  Both of those incidents happened in college and since then we've been very lucky with our health.  We're eternally grateful for our health because we know not everyone is as lucky and we know that something could happen at any moment to change things.

The hubs was plagued with a sore shoulder for most of the summer.  Granted, it was because he was still pitching on his baseball team even though we both decided that he shouldn't pitch because his arm just couldn't handle the wear and tear anymore.  Seriously dude, the time of your life when you were named among Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects is in the past.  Getting older sucks, but it's a part of life.

He did what 99% of guys do - he kept pitching through the pain.  I wish I could say I didn't understand the mentality of guys when they do things like that, but I'd be completely lying because I'm the same way.  We both figured that his arm would hurt less after the season ended and whatever was ailing him would heal itself.

Well, it didn't.  The hubs is normally the star player on our recreational dodgeball team, but he had to take himself off the team after one game.  The pain was unbearable and finally the hubs went to a orthopedic surgeon to get checked out.

Initially he was diagnosed with severe tendonitis and put on a motrin diet for three weeks.  The tendons in his shoulder were so swollen that his Xray results were inconclusive and worse his should was being pushed slightly out of the socket due to the intense swelling.  No wonder his arm hurt!

Three weeks later he went in for his checkup and was told that the swelling had come down slightly, but it still wasn't down enough to see if anything was torn.  Next up was a cortisone injection and three more weeks of stretching and playing the waiting game.

Finally, the swelling had subsided to a point where an MRI could be done.

On Thursday the hubs had his follow-up appoint with his doctor to go over the MRI.  In the word's of a health care professional the hubs is, "an idiot."  He should have never continued to throw this summer.

He tore his rotator cuff.  No wait, he put a 2.5 cm tear in his rotator cuff and tore through 60% of it.

He tore his labium, which is a tendon in his shoulder.

He has a benign cyst on his shoulder bone that means his doctor will have to use more anchor screws to secure his tendons.

Not only did the hubs do serious damage to his arm, his doctor told him that it was the easiest diagnosis of the day, "In order to regain full function of your arm you need to have surgery."

When I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis I thought to myself, "okay, this sucks, but if it only hurts when I'm running I can give up running and live a happy life."  The hubs isn't just having surgery so he can continue to throw a baseball, he's having surgery so he can regain function of his arm.

That phrase scared the living daylights out of me.

"In order to regain full function of your arm you need to have surgery."

As in without surgery the hubs will continue to experience pain anytime he lifts his arm over his head or rotates his arm.  That means he won't be able to climb a ladder, swing an axe, use a sledgehammer, put a kid on his shoulders, play fetch with our dogs, etc.

That is not happy life for him.  At some point I think the hubs would understand and eventually be okay with not being able to play baseball again, but he'd never be okay with giving up everything else.

I'm totally willing to give up my dreams of recreating the lift scene from Dirty Dancing, but I am not giving up the daily joy that is having the hubs toss things around.  We like to play catch outside when we BBQ or even if the weather is just nice.

Thankfully the surgery that will repair his arm has a 90% success rate.

The downside is it is going to be 6-7 months before the hubs is even allowed to touch a ball (baseball, football, tennis ball, basketball, etc.).  We're also looking at 1-2 weeks where his arm has to be completely immobilized immediately following his surgery.

At this moment in time all marathon training and major home renovations are put on hold.  I can't train for a long distance race because when I'm in training mode the hubs does everything around the house. He walks the dogs, he cooks dinner, and generally keeps our house from looking like it was tossed by a police unit. Those are things he does with his right arm.  He can't walk both dogs without using his right arm.  He won't be able to vacuum the upper trim in our house or the tops of the ceiling fans because he has to have his arm over his head to do so.

We had really hoped to begin our kitchen renovation in the early spring, but we're not doing that until the hubs can take the ceremonial first swing at the cabinets and walls with a sledgehammer.

So we're in a little weird place where things are put on hold.  It's okay, we've got nothing but time and his health and well-being are the most important things in the world.  We've got this.

Anyone have any tips they want to share for recovering from surgery? We're already been told that the hubs should drink lots of water in the days leading up to his surgery to make it easier to put in an IV.

Back to Basics

Dress: DVF  (better representation of its true colors here)  // Blazer: Ann Taylor // Shoes: Cole Haan // Laptop Bag: Target // Bracelet: Derng // Watch: Citizens Eco-Drive

Sometimes it's refreshing to skip the statement necklaces, the neon accents, the arm parties, and all of the other accessories and just put on a simple dress and walk out the door. I'm so happy I stumbled upon this dress over the summer at Newbury and Smith consignment store in Baltimore.  Let's be honest, I would have never paid over $300 for a dress, but I got it for $100 and it still had the tags on it! 

I realize that indoor pictures suck and hope to avoid them at all costs.  However, available daylight is slim to none in my home life these days.  Any tips for indoor photos? 

Yup, tried to take a picture with the pups and Jax ended up sprinting out of the shot and sliding across the dining room floor.  That's the reason I have a big ol' grin on my face and Jewels has a, "what the heck is wrong with him" stare on her face. I've also got to give a big round of thanks to my awesome hubs for putting up with my, "hey, I brushed my hair today and look somewhat decent. Can you take a picture of my outfit?" while making dinner.  Gotta love a man who can multi-task! 

Weekend Casual:

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

If there is a formal petition going around advocating for routine four-day weekends, then please let me know so I can add my name to the list.

My local J. Crew Factory store opened up at midnight for Black Friday and the entire store was 50% off.  I hinted to the hubs that I would like to go and having a male bodyguard might be a good idea. I was joking on the male bodyguard piece because I thought to myself, "who the heck would go shopping at midnight?!?!"

Apparently everyone and their mother goes shopping at midnight on Black Friday.  The hubs and I got to the mall at 11:50pm and I think we were able to score one of the last parking spots at the very far corner of the mall lot.  Our next option was to park across the street at the Olive Garden.

I was able to snag 4 things at J. Crew, including another wool pencil skirt, but this one was only $25!  After waiting to checkout for over 30 minutes I was done with Black Friday shopping.  The hubs and I came home, put on our pjs and passed out!  We did venture out later in the day, during daylight hours, to pick up a few holiday decorations, and a sparkly new tool chest for the hubs.  Yes, you're officially an adult when your big Black Friday score is a tool chest.

Trench: Old Navy // Top: Gap // Jeans:// Gap // Bag: Kelly Moore // Boots: Cole Haan

Woohoo for fitting into skinny jeans the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I'm not going to lie, but I didn't even attempt to try on anything form fitting during my crazed midnight shopping at J. Crew.  My turkey belly didn't need that type of pressure.

This is pretty much my standard weekend uniform. Sweater + jeans + boots = DONE

Anyone score any amazing deals this weekend?  Eat too much turkey? I'm normally a turkey sandwich kind of gal for lunch, but I'm skipping all turkey products for at least a week!

Brew and Bourbon Classic at Laurel Park

A little over a month ago I saw on Groupon a sale on tickets for the first Brew and Bourbon Classic at Laurel Park.  The conversation I had with the hubs went something like this:

Me: Hey! I saw on Groupon tickets for some beer and bourbon festival at Laurel Park are $20 each. 

Hubs: I'm listening....

Me: Yeah, you get all the tastings of beer and bourbon you want for $20.

Hubs: Why are we still talking? Did you buy the tickets yet?

Mmmmm, beer. 

Unlike his winnings at Preakness, the hubs was a big ol' bust on the horse betting this time around. 

Just when you'd get done with tasty another beverage the horses would be ready to run again. 

Horses, beer, bourbon, and food trucks? Count me in! 

Okay, I wanted to take that outrider horse home. Such a cutie!

I had every intention of buying the hubs a to-do kit to make his own bourbon, but then once I saw what was on this barrel I just couldn't do it.  I like my liver and I hope we have a long and healthy partnership. 

Wood Chuck might be the most dangerous beverage of all time.  Oh, just drinking on some yummy apple juice.  Oh crap! There's alcohol in this apple juice!

Seriously, everywhere you looked there was beer, beer, bourbon, and then more beer. It was awesome. 

Oh wait, the horses are running again. 

The day wouldn't have been complete without a stop by the Jack Daniels table. 

Overall - definitely worth the trip to Laurel Park.  The track and grounds underwent a massive renovation in the last year and everything looks great.  The Brew and Bourbon Classic was set up both inside and outside and that was a fantastic idea.  I know the organizers probably took a chance on the November weather and made the event so you could stay inside if you wanted to, but the weather was a nice 60 degrees.  There had to be over 50 different types of beer to sample and probably close to 20 different types of bourbons.  There was even a Barefoot wine setup if you weren't into beer or bourbon. 

I will say, going in the hubs and I thought, "Yay! We're going to try out some new bourbons!"

Reality set in after we sampled our first bourbon. We both looked at each other and thought, "there is no way we're going to be functional human beings if we stay here and sample bourbon for four hours straight." 

So we sampled the beers we had never had before, in addition to one or two local favorites and stayed away from the bourbons.  The hubs could have sampled more brews, but it was his turn to act as the designated driver and that meant he could only have a few small samples and act responsible.  

This is definitely an event I hope to attend again!  

Any other fall festivals coming up I should know about? 

Confession: Baby Feet

I have a minor, but healthy (I assume) obsession with baby feet. Admitting it is the first step in overcoming the problem... right?

(Sorry for the insanely big watermark, but it's the internet and a kid - a combination I'm not fond of and avoid 99.9% of the time.)

October is a very important month for my cousin. It's the month she married her husband. It's the month her daughter was born and more recently it was the month her son was born.  Naturally when I asked her if I could take a few photos of her little guy she asked if I wouldn't mind a totally posed picture where we placed her and her husband's wedding rings on her little guy's feet.

Please, you want me to take more than one picture of your adorable kid's feet?

Try and stop me!!!

I swear I don't have a weird foot obsession.  I'm only obsessed with cute baby feet.  They're just so tiny and adorable.  Plus baby moccasins might be the cutest footwear option in the world.

Anyone else find baby feet to be too adorable for words?