So after a nice relaxing Easter weekend (update later) I decided to make some design and layout changes to the site.  I got a new layout from a vast selection, changed some colours, pictures, and drastically changed the pages.  

I am merging all the blogs together, but since Weebly has yet to figure out how to do this for me, what that really means is that the old blogs will stick around for a while, and I'll reference them from time to time, but now everything will happen here.  The home and decor blog is now just the one blog (who really needs three anyway?) for married, home, and teaching.  Most of the pictures are still there, but inspiration pictures have been taken down (they will eventually go back up again).  The blog is now the home page, with the "about me" section as a separate tab, along with the old blogs.

Hopefully it's easier to navigate, a bit cleaner, and user-friendly!  Feel free to let me know what you think and make any (helpful) suggestions!

PS - I'm looking for a new title, too, I think - any suggestions there?

Is this really progress?  
Matt is priming and painting the fuse box cabinet door and 
putting on the hardware to match the built-ins.

This basement keeps going and going.  Today we went out with 2 stores in mind - home depot, to get trim, and Ikea, to get "decor" things.  Well, we went to Home Depot and got baseboard trim, and also trim for the chalkboard.  Let me explain that a bit - there is this plumbing panel that, because of some point, you can't really see.  I decided it would be a fun place for a chalkboard, and so instead of hiding it, we are not accenting it, but at least now its for something fun instead of a stupid place to get at the plumbing.  Anyway, we did indeed get all of those things, so it was a successful trip!

We then drove all the way to Ikea, which really isn't that far, but when you're going to Ikea, you have to have a divide & conquer attitude, or else it can swallow you alive.  Unfortunately, if you aren't looking for something specific, this process can be really hard.  We wandered around aimlessly, following the blue arrows, somehow made it through the children's section, which was INSANELY busy (but I did get chalk for the board), and to the lighting section.  I wanted to get a light to hang over the reading area in the basement, but I didn't love any of them, and I wasn't going to buy something I didn't really want.  Then to decor, plants, and random stuff area on the main floor. The website has way more decor stuff than they do in that small area...I only ended up getting some white baskets for decor.  Yes, more baskets.  So we drove ALL THE WAY TO IKEA to get 6 baskets and coloured chalk.  I apologized to my husband for that one - I wanted to get some colourful vases or something better, 

In other randomness, at Home Depot, we got a light for the dining room!  Remember that Capiz shell light I wanted from West Elm?  Well it was far too long, but this one seemed pretty good as an alternative for when we do the dining room!

Finally, I forgot to take a picture of desk light and the curtains I got - I really liked the curtains at first because they go with the pale cream and blue colours and brown of the couch in the basement, but now it is turning out so colourful with the shelving...we'll have to see if I still like them when they go up!

Two weeks ago we bought an Ikea desk, 3 Billy bookshelves, and a white storage unit for my binders.  We have (finally) assembled and at least started to organize our stuff.  I organized my desk this week and put things on the shelves.  Still far from done but it's a start!  

We are doing a trip to Ikea tomorrow to get some colourful decor stuff to replace some items on the bookshelves, going to Home Depot to get chalkboard paint for the utility panel beside the desk and baseboard trim, plus a shorter curtain rod to hang curtains I bought a few weeks ago, and Costco to hopefully get that pretty white chair I still need for my desk (currently sitting on an automan.

So it is far from done, but we're making progress.  Walls, ceilings, doors, and a bit of the carpet (oops) are painted!  We used Benjamin Moore's Moonshine - it is nice and soft and makes the basement feel much brighter yet cozy.  Tomorrow we are getting a desk and some bookshelves.  Aiming to have it done by May - the next few weeks are filled with the play (COME SEE ALADDIN!!!) and finishing the last module of my course.

Progress - need to move bistro table outside, and get rid of Mitre saw
Going to add shelving under the stairs too