Home Stretch.

We are rapidly approaching the one-week countdown until #miniJengster’s due date! Chris and I have read the books, taken the classes, washed all those tiny little outfits, and packed our bags. Now all there is left to do is wait. 

It’s hard to imagine how drastically our lives are about to transform. Even the simplest details of our daily routine may never be the same. We recently invited the gorgeously talented Kate Thompson over to capture a quiet Saturday afternoon in our home. These photos are a sweet reminder for us to not forget about the little things or take them for granted as our family continues to grow.

A crazy whirlwind of thoughts and emotions has been swirling through my heart and mind. There are so many things I want to say to the people in my life. I guess there is no better time than the present to express these sentiments as we savor these last few peaceful moments at home.

Chris: As we are prepare to celebrate 7 years of marriage next month, I can't imagine finding ourselves in a better place. We've collected an abundance of memories to look back on and treasure, and there is so much to look forward to, right around the corner.

I didn't know what to expect out of pregnancy. Although we hit a few scary and painful patches, this journey has been unexpectedly romantic and it has brought us even closer together. Thank you for being by my side every step of the way. You have championed me through times when I felt weak and discouraged, and have gone above and beyond to keep me pampered and happy.

What a tremendous privilege to be able to experience parenthood together with you. There are going to be days (and nights) when we will be at our wit's end, trying to keep it together and figure things out. Let's continue reminding each other to trust and rejoice in whatever God has in store for us, every single day. Chaos, exhaustion, and stress will be our reality, but so will all the delight, wonder, and bliss we discover along the way.

I cannot wait to see our baby in your arms. What's he going to be like?? Will he have your smile, and my eyes? Your sincerity and humor, my curiosity and imagination? I hope he has your selfless heart. Thinking about all your qualities reminds me just why I married you in the first place. I love you so much. You're going to be an incredible father.

Friends & Family: Many of you have pushed, challenged, and encouraged our personal growth over the years. You have inspired us to strive for our best, and have loved us through our lowest and worst.

The overwhelming love, generosity, and support that you have shown to us has now overflowed to our child, and we are simply blown away. Chris and I are working on connecting with and thanking each of you individually, but for now, please know you have our deepest gratitude for all your prayers, thoughtful gestures, and kind, uplifting words. It means the world to us. Thank you for being our village.

Wonka: Mommy has been feeling pretty sad and worried that you will not take to your new sibling. You seem a bit confused and troubled by the many changes going on around you, yet you have remained a constant comfort and faithful companion through it all.

My hope is that our home will continue to be filled with love, music, and laughter, and you are a great big part of that happy picture. I promise I will make time to snuggle and give you belly rubs, even after a long day. I have a feeling that your little brother is going to adore you. We are going to be just fine, little bear.

MiniJ: As much as you have already rocked our world, I am pretty sure Daddy and I have only the slightest idea of what is actually about to happen. As your arrival draws closer, I am finding myself unable to sleep. I've spent countless waking hours thinking about you and praying for us.

My heart has been changing and growing rapidly along with yours, and it still astonishes me to feel us move through each day together. Despite the pain and discomfort, I have loved being your first home. This experience has rendered me amazed and grateful. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you.

I will miss having you all to myself, but there are so many people who are waiting to meet you! We are truly blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful community that will help us along and cheer us on. It absolutely floors me to think about how much love you will have in your world.

I have never been happier or more excited in my entire life. I cannot wait to kiss you, hold you, and to become your Mama. See you soon, sweetheart :)

We are ready for you, little guy.

Tuft Love

The fact that we are halfway through October is majorly blowing my mind. Between juggling long workdays, joining a new church community (hooray!), training to become a certified yoga instructor, working freelance projects, and planning a baby shower (for TWINS!!)... I've hardly slept this past month. Thank goodness for coffee, vitamins, and juicing. And wine.

One thing I've learned is that no matter how insanely packed your life becomes, you must always make time for the people and things you love. That's what gets me out of bed and keeps me going every day.

Chris and I frequently host gatherings around this time of year, which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy our place. While we have plenty of room to accommodate guests in our living space, I recently found myself searching for additional seating solutions in our dining area. Rather than expanding the existing set of chairs, I thought it would be fun to shake things up by adding a dining bench into the mix. And while we're at it, why not try making it myself? After all, there is always time for a little DIY in my life :) 

I kicked this project off by hitting up a few fantastic resources for all the necessary materials. The clerk at Mood asked what I had in mind for the 2.5 yards of delicious navy velvet he was cutting for me. When I showed him my dining bench plans, he pointed me to a wonderful upholstery supply store located nearby. I quickly made my way down to the West Village. 

Economy Foam & Futons turned out to be a one-stop destination for all my upholstery needs! Everyone was super helpful - I waltzed out with a custom-cut foam pad and a roll of dracon batting tucked under my arm in less than 10 minutes.

Next stop, Home Depot! The HD right down the street from us is like my second home. I'm down there all the time, hanging out and causing trouble. The friendly staff is always happy to cut lumber down to the specific measurements I need for various projects. How handy is that? 

Once I had all my materials wrangled together, it was time to dive right in and build out a bench frame. *TIP* No need for exact precision here, but it is important to make sure all the beams are securely fastened together. Don't forget to wear goggles while drilling. Safety first, people!

I then attached a 60"x15" board on top to complete the frame.

Once the top was secured, I measured out placements for the tufting buttons. Since I stink horrendously at math, this took a few extra tries to get everything just right :P

After marking out 14 buttonhole placements, I drilled through the board at each designated cross hair.

Next, I sprayed the board with an even layer of adhesive, and laid the foam cushion down, pressing gently to create a smooth bond with the base.

Time to begin upholstering! I started by covering the foam and frame with a layer of bonded dracon. *TIP* It's important to keep pulling the batting nice and tight as you staple it down. This establishes a smooth foundation for your top fabric. In order to achieve clean, tailored corners, pull the dracon up to form a 45-degree angle with the edge of the frame.

Staple down to the frame...

Pull the end straight up, and staple down over the side fold. Trim off all excess material.

Once the dracon was in place, I repeated the same steps with my velvet fabric, leaving a little more give in this layer for tufting. Here's a nice little trick I learned years ago while making beds in nursing school: Run a straight edge along the crease to create a crisp, clean hospital corner!

Now the fun tufting part begins! I used a button pressing kit to create matching velvet-covered buttons. These were a cinch to make, and I had a pile of beautiful buttons in under half an hour! #productivelunchbreak

To create a tuft: Thread your needle with about three arms' length of extra-durable nylon upholstery thread, folded into thirds. Starting from the underside of the bench, push the needle straight up and through until it comes out on top of the cushion. Loop the needle/thread through a button, then push the needle back into the foam to the underside of the bench.

Once your needle makes it back to the underside (sometimes it takes a little poking around), grab both ends of the thread and pull until you get a nice tuft in your cushion. When you achieve the desired tuft depth, tie a secure knot around a wad of fabric. This bolts the thread into place while providing a little buffer for the thread tension. Professional upholsterers utilize muslin, I used some extra cotton scraps I had laying around.
*TIP* Grab a helper to push the button down and hold the tuft in place while you pull and tie the strings on the underside. This ensures smooth, efficient, and even tufting. Shout out to my favorite assistant, Chris, for lending a hand with this step. He's a seasoned pro at pushing my buttons. <3

And there's the first tuft!

Wonka was convinced that this was a new play box for him, and refused to climb out all afternoon.

Turned rubberwood legs were stained to match our dark walnut dining table and chairs. This provides a touch of consistency and helps pull the mismatched pieces together for a cohesive look. 

I would be so upset mortified if anyone were to ever bust their ass on a piece of furniture I made. Multiple galvanized steel joints were employed to attach and reinforce every single leg. Those suckers aren't going anywhere.

For a little extra oomph, I applied a border of nailhead trim along the base of the bench. I am a huuuggee sucker for nailhead detailing. It's simple and timeless, yet adds a ton of glam and personality to a piece of furniture.

Trim application is easy - simply tap a nail in along every 5th stud. Much easier than hammering in 23475 individual nails, right? *TIP* Be sure to keep your line straight and parallel to the edge of the base, tapping gently with a nylon-tipped hammer so that you do not damage the metal finish on the tacks.

And voilà. All done! :) I am loving the way this happy mix jives with the kilim rug and prevents our dining space from feeling too formal.

The tufted velvet exudes an elegant vibe while its dashing navy hue injects a handsome dose of color.

Looking forward to sharing good times with some of you very soon! More later :)

Wonka's Birthday Biscuits

We're back from vacation, and our trip was incredible! I definitely promise to give you guys a lovely recap as soon as I get a chance to sort through all my thoughts and photos.

One of my favorite parts of our cruise experience was making wonderful friends from all over the world. A very popular topic of discussion was how much we all missed our puppies back at home. Everyone was obsessed and going insane over their little ones, and we could not get enough of swapping photos, videos, and anecdotes with each other.

Despite all the fun we were having, you can probably imagine how happy I was to get home to Wonka. A very special THANK YOU goes to our friends and family, who teamed up and took such great care of him while we were away! We arrived home just in time for Wonka's 5th birthday, so I decided to bake him some biscuit treats to celebrate!

I've researched many recipes for dog biscuits and have found that many call for ingredients and additives that may not be the healthiest for our pups. Since we keep Wonka on a pretty strict diet, I adapted a few of the healthier formulas and came up with this simple recipe.

Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Biscuits

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup smooth reduced salt peanut butter
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 banana, diced

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, and flaxseed meal.

Next, add in your banana, peanut butter, chicken broth, honey, and brown sugar (feel free to omit the sugar if you'd like, but a tiny amount won't do any harm to your pup).

Stir this mixture together until it is evenly combined, and fold into a ball of dough.

On a lightly floured surface, start kneading out the dough until it is soft, then roll or pat out until the dough is spread 1/3" thick all around. With a floured cutter, cut out your biscuits and transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for approximately 10-15 min until golden brown, then let cool to room temp before sharing with your furball. This recipe produces approximately 70 small biscuits. These treats will stay fresh for about a week in an airtight container.

Wonka gobbled his birthday biscuits right up! Honestly, he'd eat anything you give him, but I'd like to think that they were a big hit :)