Madness

I know some people really get into March Madness, my husband included.  I am not one of them.  Perhaps if Iowa basketball had been better while I was in college, it'd feel differently.  But that was not the case.  And so I really just don't care.

The only reason I'm even remotely interested (well, other than hoping Kansas goes far so I have a happy hubby) is because each year we participate in a draft with friends.  Eight participants each "draft" eight teams at $20 buy in.  Each win by one of your teams earns you a point.  Half the pot ($80) goes to the person with the most points at the end of the tournament; the other half goes to the person with the winning (national championship) team.  Last year, I came really close to winning $80...but believe I fell short.  Pretty good for someone who has no knowledge (or interest) in college basketball!  This year, after doing amazingly well during the first two rounds, my teams are out.  Bummer.  I was hoping for eighty extra dollars to go spend on maternity clothes.  Looks like I'll just have to spend $80 from our checking account instead. :)

Anyway, while the hubby's eyes have been glued to the t.v. screen, I have been busy with a few DIY projects for Baby's room.

First, these cute little totes made from--what else--diaper boxes!  Lord knows we'll need lots of diapers, so I figured what's the harm in buying a few 500 diapers to get started?!  (The hubs nearly had a heart attack when learning the cost...little does he know these will last us, what, 2 months, max?)  Anyway, take away the price of the diapers (rather, diaper boxes), and the only remaining cost comes from a $5 drop cloth canvas from Home Depot (enough for two totes), fabric liner, and hot glue.  Makes for a pretty cheap tote.  Beats spending $10 each on totes from the store.  And these are cuter, in my opinion, and homemade!

Of course, the inspiration came from Pinterest, but idea came from this Positively Splendid blog.  I don't sew, however, so I found a no-sew tutorial (hot glue instead) on this Shanty Chic blog.  For the liner, I used instructions from the first, but modified with hot glue instead of a sewing machine.  Not gonna lie, the liner on the first tote sucked!!  I was ready to give up and call the mother-in-law.  But, I persevered and made it work.  The second and third totes were way easier.  By the sixth and seventh, I was done mentally and ready for a new project!  They don't look perfect, but I love how they match our bedding and were relatively cheap to make!  I love organization and can't wait to start filling the totes with baby supplies!

Note: Different size diapers come in different size boxes.  Size 2 boxes fit nicely in our closet, while size 3 diapers fit perfectly on the bottom shelf of our changing table.  If you plan to make some of these, I suggest buying a few sizes and seeing which box works the best!

Before

After

The second DIY project I recently completed was restoration of my old piggy bank.  Remember when my parents cleaned their basement last fall and my mom sent me back to Kansas with boxes of old stuff?  The piggy bank was one of my favorite finds!  It was my first piggy bank, given to me shortly after I was born, by my Grandma and Grandpa Rominger.  I immediately thought that someday I'd redo it for my baby's room...now the time is here!
 
I may be crafty, but I'm not artsy by any means, so I consulted in my art teacher friends for advice on what to do with the pig.  One suggested I decoupage it--use mod podge to adhere small squares of paper to it.  Paper that, obviously, matches the baby's room.  With a little help from my friends, that's exactly what I did.  It took forever (the piggy bank is rather large)!  The curves and crevices of the pig were not at all fun!  But, it's done, and I love it!  Yesterday I sprayed it with a clear protective coat and now it sits in Baby's room.  I even put felt on the bottom so Mr. Pig wouldn't scratch the baby's dresser.  I hope he likes it and gets as much use out of it as I did as a little girl!

The last project that has been keeping me busy are these closet dividers like I made for my friend Sarah last fall.  Of course, they needed to match the baby room, as well, so I choose green paper with black stickers.  (Well, that was what I choose for round two.  I used black and white pattered paper the first time, but the green size stickers were too hard to see...so I started over.)  I can only imagine they will be very useful and I can't wait to start separating baby clothes with these things!  (Yes, my closet is one that is organized by season, but also by the colors of the rainbow.  Of course Baby's closet will be organized, as well!)

Next up, bookshelves!  I found some cute ones on Pinterest and construction is currently underway (with the help of the hubs).  I hope to finish them sometime this week and get them hung on the wall by next weekend!  Photos to come...