House Projects

Periodically I will get the bug to do multiple projects around my house. A few weeks ago I was able to finally cross one of the things off my long list. Last summer my Mom and Dad found this old desk chair on the side of the road. It is quite comfortable but not at all stylish.




I have been wanting to perform a make-over for this chair since we brought it home. I finally picked a fabric for the cushion portion and decided to spray paint the legs a leather brown color. I made the top as if I was making a slip cover and stapled the fabric to the bottom seat cushion. Here is a picture of the slip cover making process.



And finally the completed chair! I love it! It looks great in our office/playroom! Jared couldn't believe the finished product! Now on the tackle the other projects.

Baking Project with Amelie yesterday!

Who would have thought that you could make delicious fudge in the microwave??? I didn't, but you can. Here is how!

Microwave 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips and a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk for five minutes.
Stir Vigorously, then add 1 and 1/2 cups of chopped nuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Spread in a 8 inch square pan lined with buttered parchment paper or wax paper.
Refrigerate
Cut into squares
and ENJOY!!!
I added walnuts, but I think I will try either mint chips, peanut butter chips or marshmallow the next time I make it!
This was so easy and so worth making it!

Hello again in blogging land. I haven't blogged in awhile, but I promise that I am going to start again. I need to update you on what I have been up to since my last blog entry. I had another baby girl! Sophie Laine Matteson entered the world and our lives on Tuesday November 9, 2010 at 12:21 am. She has been such an amazing addition to our family! I could not have asked God for a more wonderful daughter. Her smile just melts my heart! Amelie is such a great big sister! I have to update my picture at the top of this blogging page. For now here is a new picture I took last week! I love first how she looks in purple, and am planning on having the girls wear matching outfits for another photo session next week. Second, I love the lighting in this shot. I took this in a basket in front of our window! I am thinking about taking shots with both girls sitting on Amelie's Anywhere Chair from pottery barn kids. Her Anywhere Chair has an adorable purple with white polka dots slip cover!

Canobie Lake Park

On Monday morning I woke up with a brilliant idea. We should totally take Amelie to Canobie Lake Park today. Jared had the day off so it was a great spur of the moment idea. I have fond memories of going to Canobie Lake Park with my family as a child. We would go once a year. My Mom and Dad would pack us into our car and was would drive what seemed to be forever (only about 90 minutes) to the park. Canobie Lake Park opened in August of 1902 in Salem New Hampshire. My favorite rides as a child was the Rowdy Rooster, Caterpillar, and The Yankee Cannon Ball roller coaster. Now that I am almost seven months pregnant there were not many rides I could go on but I was so excited to see Amelie go on rides for the first time. She was amazing. So fearless and brave. I hope she never outgrows that. Our first stop was the antique carousel! She loved it! My Dad and Jared went on the bumper cars (which if you know my Dad is a big deal since he never goes on any rides). Amelie then went on all the rides in Kiddie Land as well as some of the bigger rides. My favorite moment was when she went on the Tea Cups with my Dad and Jared. To watch her on the rides was pure enjoyment. I could not have been happier. It is so weird what parenthood will do to you. I never thought that I could be this happy just watching someone else being happy. I could have burst with joy. Pure bliss!

Amelie enjoying some of the rides....

Driving and ringing the bell on the boats.

Loving the miniature carousel.

Blowing kisses to us as she goes around.

My Dad, Jared and Amelie on the Tea Cups

So this will be my first official post on The Polka-Dotted Tulip.

I started this blog back in January and have not had the courage to start writing in it until now. I wanted to write this as kind of a "day in the life of a stay at home mom.." But then I was thinking I want this as way to record all the wonderful (at times crazy) moments of mommy-hood. 

Today is my sister's 32nd birthday. It is weird just saying that age because it means in no time I will be 29. (Since my birthday is a little over a week away). Where did all the years go. Amélie I spent the day at the zoo with my sister, which was a complete blast. After a nice and filling lunch at Chipotle we drove home. Within 5 minutes of being in the car I look in my rearview mirror to find my beautiful daughter sleeping. She was utterly exhausted after spending time with her Auntie and the animals in the sun, but we then had lunch with her Uncle Seth. She was needless to say the entertainment for us all. After singing "I'm a little tea pot" and "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider", eating extra spicy salsa and repeating every word we ask her (even Jesus, God and Bible) who wouldn't be drained.  My favorite part of the day was carrying her up to her crib. There is just something to be said about how her little head fits so perfectly on my shoulder and my head so effortlessly rests on hers. Hearing her breath in and out. This is something I will never forget about having children. At first they fit so perfectly in your arms and for now her head feels amazing sleeping on my shoulder, but as I hold her and feel her toes hit the middle of my thighs I know that she is getting bigger and sadly this too will end quicker than I want it to.