2010

I think that 2010 was the best year of my life.

First of all, I think that 2010 was the happiest of my married life. Not that other years weren't good ones, but it seems that John and I have truly found our stride. In February, we had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Not because of anything great, but the mood and the gifts were perfect. We sat on the couch after the kids were in bed and ate chocolates. We usually don't celebrate Valentine's Day so maybe that is why it was special. We also celebrated our 10th anniversary in October.

In April, we finally got the crazy, long ordeal with our Evansville house behind us. It felt like a ton of bricks had lifted off of us. And with closure on that, we were able to start renovating this house. We said from day one that we would fix this house up, and it gives me so much pleasure to finally make this house our home.

In May, my baby graduated preschool! Mary also learned to ski this year. We finally ended our long, long, long nursing relationship of 4 years, 3 months, and 30 days. I never thought we'd last that long. I truly feel like I did what was best for her in letting her nurse for so long. And then, after a great summer, Mary started school. She's grown up so much after only one semester. She can read and write. I am so proud of her, even if we do butt heads most of the time.

In August, I had probably the happiest birthday I've had in many, many years. I was able to see my entire family in one weekend. The girls and I stayed out at Grandma Mary's farm one night, and then spend Saturday night at my Mom's. I got to see my entire family that weekend - Grandma Mary, Dad, Mom, Papaw Clyde and my brother Matthew. Papaw Clyde had received that Hoosier Homestead award and hosted about 150 people at his farm. His/our family has owned the farm for 100 years. It was a busy weekend, tiring, hot, but wonderful. I had my family and my girls. I fell asleep that Saturday night thinking about how blessed I was to have so many people who love me.

This fall Ellie finally found her voice.....and hasn't stopped talking since. She lives up to her nickname of Firecracker day in and day out. She's trouble. She has a light in her eyes that I hope is always there. She now has her own room with her big girl bed. She isn't a baby anymore. She's two going on seven. She begs every day to go to school with Mary. She loves Mary, but tries to beat Mary up at least 319 times a day. She is absolutely exhausting, but she's such a joy.

This fall I was also able to heal some very old, very deep wounds in the relationship with my Dad. I am grateful for a second chance with him. The girls absolutely love him too. I am glad they will be able to have a good relationship with him in the years going forward.

This year has opened my eyes to how truly blessed I am. I'm able to stay home with my kids. I have a wonderful husband who loves me. I have a family and friends that support me. I have everything I need. A home in the country to raise our girls. Good health. Peace in my heart. Life is so very good.

And I truly believe the best is yet to come.

Round two

Remember my original batch of yarn for my log cabin blanket?


I've dedicated my knitting time in January to working on my blanket again. I started on it over the weekend and ran out of yarn last night.



See my needle down there in the bottom right corner? I was trying to bind off that strip so I could turn and start another dark red strip. I came so close! But there was no way I could finish the row or go on since I was out of white. I still have a little bit left of the other seven colors.

So today I bought eight more skeins of yarn. I'm thinking that one way or the other, I will be done with the blanket when I run out again.

And just like that.....

Ellie can say "Mary."

Ellie loves Mary. The first word she consistently said was "me" which meant Mary. It was clear she was not talking about herself. Once she could call herself something, she called herself "my." I loved it. I think that a lot of toddlers call themselves me. Mary did. But Ellie already needed the word "me" for Mary.

I've noticed lately she's started saying "I" instead of "my" when talking about herself. It made me sort of sad. The end of her baby talk in some ways. Now she says it almost all of the time. Good-bye "my." You made for some great sentences.

Then late last week, Ellie and I were playing. She found a pair of dolls. One is the mom and the other is a toddler. She asked me what their names were.

"Who this name?"
"Mommy."
"Oh, who this?"
"Mary."
"Why this Mary?'
"You little stinker, you can say Mary!"
"Why this Mary?"
"Ellie, what's your sister's name?"
"Me Wizabeth"
"And what's this doll's name?"
"Mary"
"And aren't those the same name?"

blank stare from Ellie.

I asked her later, and she told me that her sister was indeed Mary.

Today, she said Mary probably 9 times out of 10. It freaked Mary out. She kept thinking I was talking to her. It freaked me out too!

Overall, Ellie's still pretty hard to understand. But two of my favorite words of hers are gone.

My baby is growing up.

Tomorrow her mattress and box springs will arrive, and she will sleep in her own room for the first time in her life.

Deep breaths. She's still my baby.

Ellie's room is almost ready!

This poor bookshelf. It just can't find a home. First it was in the entry way, then the spare room. But Ellie doesn't need it. So we moved it to the master bedroom. The girls think that moving it is a great game! I let them take all the books out, and then they carry them to the new spot for me.

I got the curtains up. Now I need to take them down, iron them and attach the hemming tape that came with them.



I couldn't paint the window itself. It will have to wait for spring when I can leave it open for more than 30 seconds. I got the dresser upstairs. I got the changing table moved back in. I'm hoping we can get a mattress this weekend. We are planning on getting it home in John's truck, and it is currently full of snow.

Still left to do: get all the junk of the the closet (including that big dresser which has Ellie's clothes in it) and hang the closet doors. Paint the back of the door to the room and hang it. Then I'll give both sides of it a final coat of paint. After that, Ellie can move in. I still need to get some art or something, and a bigger rug. Oh, and make a bed skirt as I cannot find one locally.

working, working, working

Who remodels in December? My friend Sarah is remodeling her kitchen DIY style this month. I am sure there are others too. Ellie just needs her own room NOW. Mainly so I have somewhere to send her for time out!

working with my girls

This picture shows how I get stuff done. I was trying to paint around a million toys and two kids. They were playing baby dolls/animals, crafting, reading, and eating. I bought a box of 10 (small) Christmas cookies, and let them have as many as they wanted. I'm still finding crumbs on the floor. I managed to get all the trim and the walls cut in with primer and then rolled the walls all in one afternoon. I think that was last Thursday. That night I was able to cut in the yellow paint. Over the weekend I got the walls done. Today I got the first coat of white paint on the trim and got it all caulked. I still need to give it another coat. I have the closet doors painted. I have the door to the room primed with one coat of primer. I need to give it another coat of primer and then two coats of paint. I'm doing it down in the basement on saw horses so I can only do one side at a time. I'm hoping to put the furniture in on Saturday!

I've been knitting too!

I have another scarf type thing done too. I need to find a button for it, and block it. Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture.

I have all my shopping done! I am making the girls main gifts. I need to get started on them as soon as I finish Ellie's room.

What on earth will I do in January? Oh, wait! Mary's new twenty dollar desk needs painted as does her five dollar headboard. Not to mention that I secretly wish we could get her room redone by her b-day. I think John would kill me if I suggested it to him though.

I've got to get my knitting done!

I am just not in the mood to knit. Ugh. I am going to regret this when I'm up all night on Christmas Eve.

I've been too busy looking at my dining room. I love it. When I imagined it with the dark paneling down, I imagined it with the tree up.

View from my desk this morning.

I loaded the tree up this year! I didn't put a lot on it last year as I didn't know if Ellie would bother it. This year I don't care. If it fall, it falls. I'm going to enjoy it and hope it's still standing on New Year's Day when I take it down.


I sewed this circle garland the other night instead of knitting. It's doubled up across the curtain rod, then goes down both sides of the curtains. I love it. Mary did some writing and reading while I cut it out. Ellie colored pictures and played with her babies. It was so much fun to sit at the table and all of us have something to do. We played, we chatted, and we snacked. Ellie picked up all the scraps of fabric and put them in the trash can. I think she thought it was a game. Every time I see that garland, I'll have an awesome memory of a wonderful afternoon with my girls.

If no one is sick this weekend, we are working on Ellie's room. Last weekend Mary, Ellie, and John were sick (again? still?). I'm hoping to finish up Ellie's dresser and bookshelf AGAIN this weekend, and I'm hoping that John can get most of the trim installed. We have the old stuff ripped out. Then it will be my turn to paint the trim, walls, and doors. We hope to have it done by Christmas. Huh. Maybe I really should get to that knitting.


But wait! I just have to remember the before picture of the dining room one more time. I wish I had one with the tree up, but I don't think I do.


It doesn't even look like the same room. I am so proud of the hard work we put into it.

Completed table runner and my centerpiece

I gave Mom her table runner on Saturday. She loved it! I did too. I was sorry to see it go, even though it was too short for my dining room table, and too long for the kitchen table.

I think I am addicted to quilting. I wanted to make myself a new runner, but I am out of time. Oh well, there's always next year. I should make it right after Christmas just so I am not time crunched next year.

Plus, I've been busy making my awesome centerpiece.

Here's how I did it:
Find 2 matching candle sticks from the thrift store. Take them out to the garage on a night that's maybe just a bit too cold to spray paint. Get a coat or two of paint on. Flip the first one over carefully and paint under side. Flip the second, paint it and.............BREAK IT!!!!!! Son of a ^#%! (I was trying to flip it over quickly as the paint was tacky and I didn't want to touch it too much.) Next glue the pieces back together. Laugh. Remember Grandmother who broke everything and glued it back together. Laugh some more.


The break is under the pine cones. It was just two medium pieces that came off. I think it's pretty, break and all.

At 1a.m....when I can't sleep.....

So last night I fell asleep while putting Ellie to bed. I woke up from my nap at 9:45ish. And I was wide awake. I knitted. I cleaned. I knitted more. I surfed. I hated myself a bit. Then at 12:45am, I thought I heard Ellie waking to nurse. So I went to bed. Turns out she wasn't awake. But I still was. Grrr. I started thinking about Christmas decorations. I've done the same centerpiece in the dining room for years now. I need a change and for cheap as usual.

Did I mention a while back that I found a second candle holder that matched one I'd purchased months ago at Salvation Army? And there's no way the second one was there for months. I would have seen it. I'd painted the first one black when I got it. I've been using it in the living room. I am going to paint them both red and use them in my centerpiece. These things are what make me happy at 1a.m. when I can't sleep. This morning I bought two hurricanes at Dollar Tree. Here's what I have so far:


I actually like the idea of them white, but the white one is all scratched up and the white itself is sort of a peachy white. Not my style. So, fingers crossed, it will be warm enough in the garage tomorrow to paint them red. Left candle holder: 50 cents, right one 25 cents. Hurricanes were a dollar each. The candles are from my fall centerpiece. I had the tray. I'll add some ornaments in with the pine cones. And maybe add something to the hurricanes.

After I saw this in my head, all red and cheery, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

(almost) finished tree skirt

Just before the sun started going down (you know--at 4:30pm. errrr) I snapped a couple pictures of my tree skirt. 

The binding has little white dots on it which are a bit hard to see in the pictures. I am so glad I didn't go with solid red as planned. None of the plain reds in the store looked good, so I went with this. The back is a slightly marbled blue. I love it. The pattern called for fabric ties, but I found them too fussy to make. I am going to get some wide red ribbon and sew it on instead.

It certainly isn't perfect, but for my second ever free motion quilting project, I am happy with it.

The tree goes up Thursday night!

I'm in full on Christmas mode

Mom's runner is done! I'm pretty proud of it. Picture to come after she gets it next Saturday. I'm making a couple other little gifts for her too.

John's Mom's gift is almost half way done. I need to get back to it soon. Mary told me today she wants a scarf for Christmas. So I guess I need to squeeze that in too. And the girls main gifts too. I am feeling the crunch for sure.

Of course, then I go and start a project for me!

This is my tree skirt. The red panel goes towards the front. It will be free motion quilted and trimmed out in red bias tape. I've been dreaming of making this skirt since I saw it in late June/early July! It is going to look awesome in the blue dining room. I am so ready to put the tree up.

I thought I was done with Ellie's furniture, but the "lint free" cloth I used for the poly coat wasn't lint free at all. The dresser and the bookshelf look awful. I'll be sanding them down, repainting, and then getting a better cloth to apply the darn poly. They are going to have to wait a couple weeks. John did get all the supplies to work on her room. So we just need to find time to work on it.

I have a feeling I am going to fall asleep with Ellie tonight in her toddler bed at 8:30pm.

Elllie's bed and dresser

I took this picture tonight after dark with the drop light turned on down in the basement. The dresser was free from Grandma. I didn't even take a before picture. It was wood with some sad veneer. I tried to fix (glued down and then filled in with wood putty) the veneer the best I could before I painted. What can I say? It was free. It will work. Don't kids destroy furniture anyway? (I loved to sit on my dresser when I was a kid. It had a huge sag in it where I sat. I am sure my parents were mad about it.) I need to touch up the bed and dresser just a bit. Those spindles are impossible to paint. I thought I had it all, but then saw a place I missed so I am sure there are more. Then I will give both pieces a coat of poly to protect them a bit.

I transformed two free (to me) lamps from Grandma Mary. They came out very nice for yard sale lamps. I like them. They have a vintage feel. Pics to come!

I'm working on revamping a GW bookshelf for Ellie's room too. It was white when I bought it. I painted it black back then (maybe 2004? 03?). It had glass doors on it, but I took them off and painted it to match the dresser. I lined the shelves with scrapbook paper. I can't decide if I like it or not. The paper is a bit lumpy. I might take it out and just paint the inside yellow. Or white. I need to sleep on it.

I have the quilt top done for Mom's Christmas table runner. I probably won't work on that again until next week.

I am sure there are other things. And more to come. John's building me a little storage unit for some of the girls' toys. Mom called me tonight from SA to say she'd found a cute headboard for Mary. I was unsure about buying it without seeing it first, but it was FIVE dollars. I told her to buy it. If I hate it, I'll donate it back to the SA here and call it a five dollar donation.

Sick

I think the subject pretty much says it all. All four of us have colds. We are miserable. Actually I feel a little better today. I'm hoping we are on the upswing. I'm hoping we might be able to get some things done this weekend.

I did manage to start my Christmas knitting last Saturday. I'm about a quarter done with the first gift. I ordered, received, and cut the fabric for a table runner that I am making for Mom. I'm hoping to have it done by Thanksgiving so I can give it to her early. That way she'll be able to use it this season. It's going to be red and white which are her Christmas colors this year.

I've primed Ellie's bed and dresser. The bed was in worse shape than I thought, but still a great deal for ten dollars. The paint was chipped in many places, and I spent a long time sanding it down before I primed. I'm hoping to paint the dresser tonight. It will be gray. The walls will be yellow with white trim. I'm heavily leaning towards yellow for the bed. I want to get the dresser painted first and then think about it some more. All I know is that I want her room done SOON. At least enough for her to move in. She's getting too big for her toddler bed. Well maybe not too big, but she's a floppy sleeper. She needs more room than she has in her toddler bed.

That makes it sound like I've done a lot this week. But I feel like I am moving in slow motion.

Holy thrifty find!

It was one of those finds where you look around the store to see if you are on candid camera or something. I took the tag right off and RAN to the check out.

Headboard, footboard and rails.

$10!!!!!

Ten dollars. Ten! This bed is pretty much why I check Salvation Army twice a week. It will go in Ellie's new room. She's still in her crib converted to a toddler bed so she needs a regular bed soon. I plan on just putting a piece of thick plywood over the rails then the mattress (which I did not and would not buy second hand) over that so she's not too far off the ground.

Ten buck, people!

I was going to go white. But her walls will be soft yellow. Now I'm thinking bright yellow. If she hates it, I can always paint it again, right?

Fall table runner

One more thing off the to do list!

Why I save things/junk.

Our dining room, after the previous owner moved out.

I had a hard time even finding this picture. I first looked in my 2007 pictures. Then I realized we'd taken these in December 2006. John's parents bought this house from the lady who had lived here for 30 years. We bought it from them in June 2007. John's Step-Mom had the carpet pulled out the day THEY closed on the house. It was that bad. Ugh. John tore out the baseboard heater and the corner "cabinet" before we moved in so that the carpet could be replaced. Notice the "cabinet" doesn't have a back to it.

"Can you scoot over, Ellie?"
"This okay, Mommy?"
"Sure."

We saved all the parts to the cabinet to use a scrap wood. This door has been sitting in the shed for 3.5 years! I am so glad we saved it. (Currently kicking myself for trashing the chandelier even though a couple of globes were broken. I so could have replaced them and spray painted the darn thing!)

I decided to use the door finally. How funny that it is the first thing our guests will see. I also got a new lamp (need to hide the cord!), centered the table, and got the doorknob installed. Still need to put up the new light fixture.

The lamp was $12 at Big Lots of all places. It is mercury glass and super cool looking. The wreath is a Dollar Tree novel that the girls and I tore apart and stained with coffee to make the paper look old. Apparently there was a similar wreath (not for sale I don't think) in a Pottery Barn catalog a while back.

I think this room is my favorite in the house now.

Next up: Ellie's room. I have paint chips for the walls and her dresser. I have curtains and a little cork board that I fancied up with fabric and ribbon. Kicking her out of our room is bittersweet, but the poor thing doesn't even have a room of her own. It's currently the junk room.

My friend Karen says I need to get to Christmas crafting, but I'm ignoring her and doing more house stuff!

Slow, slow going.

My log cabin blanket is roughly 29 inches by 31 inches. Each strip now takes about 2 hours to pick up the stitches, knit 18 rows and bind off. I am a slow knitter. I'm hoping to get 2 more strips of each color done before I run out of yarn.

Ellie's hat is done and already being worn:). Some people tell me she doesn't look like a baby anymore. Hmmm. She's still MY baby. A very, very independent one.


Mary loves her hat. I think that I'll make them new ones every year until they don't want them from me anymore. I need to find Mary's from last year and save it for her. (Poor Ellie didn't get one last year. Sorry, Ellie!)

I started....2?.....3? more projects and now realize I need to start my Christmas knitting/sewing too. I wish I could shut my brain off sometimes.

I sewed!

John's gone on business this week. Instead of working on any of my 500 projects that I have going, I just started a new one.

I made the cording myself. It was my first time making any, and I was surprised that it was so easy.

I feel that the entry needs several pops of color since the walls are white.  

I bought supplies for yet another new project. Maybe I'll work on it tonight. And maybe my log cabin blanket will knit itself. I can always dream.

Entry way: before and close enough to after

Close enough for pictures that is.

Old view from the front door.

From the kitchen.

Looking into the kitchen.

I love this little corner.

Here's my oh dear, what have I done moment.

So John was out of town for a week, and this is what I got to look at for several days. I was doubting my vision to put up new wood trim over the paneling. I told myself that even if I hated the paneling after it was painted, I wouldn't tell John. That I would live with it for at least 20 years before I made him rip out all the trim he had bought, cut, routed, and installed. Well, thank goodness I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

View from the front door now.

(I need a new lamp, so I just borrowed the dinning room centerpiece. And I really wish I'd centered the painting and table.)

Still need to install my new light fixture.

Loving my green front door with a new doorknob.

This is my view down the hallway as I blog.

So that's.....new ceiling trim installed, new baseboards and quarter round, new door trim. New plywood floor (gave up on saving the old one) painted with floor and porch paint then polyurethane applied over the paint, doors sanded down, trim added, painted, hinges painted and new knobs installed. Walls and trim all painted in a white semi-gloss. Front door painted in a green semi-gloss. New rug from Ikea. I had the table and the painting in another room. I wonder if I forgot anything? I think that's all we've done so far. I still need to paint the backs of the closet doors. The knob isn't installed on the chalkboard door as the trim around the chalkboard doesn't leave enough space for the new knob. John will have to fix that. The "new" light needs to be installed. It's an awesome $5 yard sale find.

Now, I sleep.....well, tonight.

Knits

Who needs sleep?

Mary's 2010 hat, in progress. Started Tuesday night and will finish it tonight.

Longies for Ellie! She'll probably potty train next week as there is no way they will fit without a diaper under them. That would be my luck. Look at those LONG legs! She's in a 3T in pants now just so they are long enough. (Current stats 27 pounds, 36.5 inches tall!!!! Two years, one month old)


Another pair I made in late September. Just now got them lanolized and blocked.

Next, Ellie's hat. Then, back to the blanket. Then?? More longies? Maybe. I hate to make them if she really is going to potty train soon. Mary woke up and was basically potty trained in a day when she was 27.5 months old. I assume I won't get off that easy this time around.

Entry way floor is drying. The dry time on the poly was 24 hours at 77 degrees. It's been between 67 and 70 degrees in here all week, so it is drying slowly. I'm hoping it will be dry Friday. John's almost done working on the doors for me. Then I need to paint them.

Back to work!

October to do

Working on the entry way is so slow going. But we are getting there. I hope to be done by....hmmm. Maybe another week? I really hope so. Then I plan on doing several small projects so I can feel like I've actually done something this fall. We've been working on the entry way for a month already. I hate long projects. I like instant results.

1. Finish knitting Ellie's cabled longies.
2. Knit hat for Mary.
3. Knit hat for Ellie.
4. Sew fall table runner for dining room.
5. work on shelf area over my desk. New shelves? Paint?? Hide intercom??


See?? I took the cabinet doors down the day we moved in. But those little round side shelves are all hanging by a thread I'm thinking of of taking them off and running 2 or 3 shelves across there. But the intercom is in the way. I don't want to take it out and patch the wall. Too much work. I'm thinking of making shelves out of a 1x12 that I already have. Then painting them and just those two cabinets. To the right of this is the refrigerator, and two cabinets over it. I'd leave those brown. There's no way I'm painting all the kitchen cabinets, but I think if I just paint over the desk it will look okay. Plus if I don't remove/patch the intercom, I can do this for free. And have more space for my books.

Alright. Where was I?

6. Paint Ellie's dresser. (Ellie's moving to her own room soon!)
7. Plant the 300-ish daffodil bulbs I bought/saved this year. Most are going into my planter boxes by the garage. The girls and I got 150 or so planted this morning.

Stay tuned!

The two dollar mirror

A few weeks ago, I was on my way to Lowes for supplies for the entry way. John had asked his Mom to watch the girls for us so that he could work on his part of the entry way while I was out shopping. I had two hours. On the drive in to town, I called my Mom to see if she still needed more mirrors. I had been looking here and there, but hadn't had any luck. I also had a price point. For a dollar fifty, it would have to be a pretty cool mirror. I'd given her previous ones that cost--free, fifty cents, and I think a dollar. Two dollars was really more than I had planned to spend. So after Lowes, I had maybe 20 minutes to spare. I quickly went over to the little independent store I love. I'll be honest. It is sort of creepy inside, and it is in a bad neighborhood. I saw a mirror on the wall and it was two dollars. I almost didn't give it a second look. But I am so glad I did.

Look! It's our garage ceiling! The paint was still wet on it tonight, and I am giving it to Mom tomorrow. It was plain wood before. I had to do a little repair work on it, and we had to replace the back. Tonight while the mirror was out, I weighed it. Just the mirror (without the frame) weighs just over 8 pounds. The back is stamped "Lenior Mirror Company February 1928." I am slightly sad that I am giving it away. I know Mom will love it though, and I also know that she will give it back to me if/when she's done with it.

I left the price tag on it for her:)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I'm not dead.

I am not dead. I am busy. And tired. I sort of forgot about my blog.

I've been knitting pants for Ellie. And I have hat yarn. And scarf yarn. And I worked on my log cabin blanket some more.

I've been decorating for fall too. I've never decorated for fall before, so I'm mainly using what I have.

My sad little mantel, if you can even call it that. I think that's a tiny camel on the fireplace there. Oh well. No time to pick up when you are busy hot gluing fake leaves onto a wreath form. I switched out my Fiesta to some fall-ish colors and bought some cute little gourds from a local pumpkin farm.

I put some stuff out in the dining room too.

See the top book? I think it's from the 1940s. It says pregnant women shouldn't gain over 14 pounds. It also had tons of....interesting....info about nursing a newborn. About how they should only have sugar water for the first day or so in order for the mother to rest up and until her milk started to come in. And the pumpkin art? I did that.

Then I made this wreath. I'd seen something similar online. We have tons of sticks in our yard. But somehow it seemed much smaller when I made it out in the garage. Oh well, I do like it despite its size and it was free. I can always compost it later. 

I haven't given up on the entry way. It's just slow going. I'm holding out on pics until it is completely done. But let's just say that it is to the point in the project where last night I had a beer in one hand and a paint brush in the other...............

New bed!

I love it! John said it was nice, but didn't really match the room. Silly John. He did say it looked good with the quilt (which was the idea). I love that quilt and the walls will eventually be almost the color of the little brown pillow in the front. The trim will all get replace with more substantial trim and will be white. It's on the to do list for sure. Maybe.....next summer? I want to do Mary's room first, then Ellie's (so I can kick her out of our room. Her bed is still in our room), then ours. John said last night that we could have the girls' rooms done in the next 6 months. He regretted saying it as soon as it came out of his mouth. I'm holding him to it though.

The bed came out just as I had imagined it. John even custom fit it to the size of the wall for me. Yippie! I am so glad that I have a husband that puts up with me:)

(And, for the record, the bed NEVER looks like this. It is usually unmade. There's a thing that goes on my side to keep Ellie from falling off the bed....it's sort of like a pool noodle that goes under the sheets. I never have the sham pillows on the bed. And the other two pillows go on the rocking chair that's in our room. I just wanted to see it fancy one time though.)