Daddy's and Daughter's

I posted a photo of my daughter playing in the pots & pans the other day but there's another photo from that afternoon I just have to share...Daddy had just come home from work say her playing in the pots and pans --- so I hid around the corner and captured this sweet little moment - I used my Canon 24-70 lens and had it zoomed in :) heart melting. There's just something about Daddy's and their daughter's.

xoxo - Janelle

Monday is for Realness! Photos of Real Life Stuff

This is what real life looks like. Pajama pants with a turtle-neck that clearly don't match with dancing shoes...stepping in bowls and pots and pans. That's my kinda real life and I love it.

Silly faces with my neice

Decorating a super nasty but super fun hello kitty cookie...we used our own icing but the cookie and candies we inedible...ick

Happy Monday! Keep it real :)

Valentine's Day Love

Happy February from my little sweetie pie! xoxo

The New DIY Inspired Baby Girl Nursery Progress

So I recently let you all know I'm pregnant - well I'm 22 weeks right now and we just found out we are having a baby girl! Here's the proof:

Well I knew I wanted the nursery to be very gender neutral even though we were going to find out the gender in the end anyway. My goal was to spend as little as possible - re-imagining things I already had. Here are a few pics of the space so far. I do have four and half months left to go so I'll be doing more customizing as things come along but I've made some serious progress.

The book shelf hanging on the wall under the shelf was actually a plate rack I got for a few bucks at an antique store and re-purposed as a  book rack- one of the BEST things I've ever done and all I did was add hangers on the back - super easy. - See the curtains - those are really table cloths I got on clearance at target! I added rings I already had in the house and instant curtains for cheap! The antique push cart was free from a co-worker friend. Thanks Nancy :)

The corbels underneath the shelf were $5 at a store going out of business. I adore them.

I already had the chair, lamp, pillow, and frames. I did by the ottoman storage cube just for this room for $29 at TJ maxx - one of the ONLY things I've bought for the room - not bad!

 I painted a crib that I was given by my husband's cousin. The bookshelf on the right was left in the house by the previous owners. The frame over the bed was free on the side of the road (Super Score right???)

 The pink dress in the back is $7 at TJ Maxx - it's adorable. The Scottie Dog Dress was $5 at TJ Maxx. I nearly died it was so cute - how can you say no to a scottie dog dress?

 I had bigger plans for my chalking - but I was tired...I am pregnant ya know!

I made the art above myself in Photoshop. I love it - so simple. 

 The print is of the  "Tale of Peter Rabbit". I had this custom framed for my mother when I was 8 years old. I picked out a triple mat (Pink, Green & Blue (hideous). My mom recently found it and gave it back to me to use :) I painted the oak frame white and replaced the triple mat with a single clean white one. Much better and more modern.

The shelf itself was a random piece of wood I found in the garage! Boom. The tiny piano was a gift from my grandpa - the perfume bottles are antiques from my mommy. The tool box on the right was $1 at a junk store - but I already had it. - and there are little booties that were a gift from a friend. I pretty much just looked around the house and pulled things I kinda liked...easy - peasy.

My almost 2 year old - making herself at home...in the nursery. Maybe she's trying to mark her former territory?? Anyway look at that sly smile :) She's adorable -  I can't wait to have another girl! I'm beyond excited and humbled. I'm so underserving of so much love and so many blessing.

-Janelle

New Year Resolutions

We are nearly halfway through January already - so I'm late to the resolution party...but I like to think I'm fashionably late. I'm not really a resolution person...I like the idea but I have a hard time deciding something to do or change and then sticking with it. Has anyone else struggled with that? Well this year I'm getting serious about it for a good reason. I have once child and another on the way and things are about to get really real all over again. My life is going to change in ways I can't anticipate but there is one thing that I can anticipate: I"m going to take a million photos of the precious child. I have a photography business and I am super organized about client photos but when it comes to my own photos I'm not that great at it. This year - 2014 - I am committing to changing my ways. To making the preservation of my family photos a priority. These are some of the ways I plan to do that:

1.) Download and backup every week
2.) Start creating a "year book" that I can add to throughout the year and print at the start of 2015
3.) Making special smaller photos books throughout the year
4.) Print more of the candid photos I take - & share with family and friends (not just online!!!)
5.) Create a space where I can display photos just from this year

I'll take you along my journey - hopefully you can learn from me and you can help keep me accountable.

My sweet niece (left) & my daughter (right) - they are almost 2 and only 3 weeks apart! How awesome & adorable

Also - a friend of mine has her own way of doing more with all those photos we take on our phones. It's called 52 pages...basically you take photos of regular things happening in your life with your phone - like you normally do, then you create a collage for that week and post. At the end of the year you'll have 52 weeks worth of photos that you can print into a little book. Brilliant right! Go here to get all the details.

Each of my 5 methods to better photo preservation will become their own blog post so be sure to stay tuned.

Peace and Love & Hooray for 2014!

Top 7 Blogs I LOVE!

There are gazillions of blogs out there - I was inspired to start mine by reading other peoples and thinking...hey I want in on all that sharing business. Here are 7 blogs that I am over the moon for.

1.) Under the Sycamore 
This blog shares so many beautiful photographs capturing the day-to-day life of the author's family. Take a peak into their lives - you'll be inspired by the love and joy that fills their home.


2.) Momasaurus
Have it all without spending all you have. That's the moto of the one and only Momasaurus. Erin's blog is full of frugal fines, helpful discount codes, DIY projects and much more. She's also featured on local Southern Illinois Television Show - P.S. she's my sissy so obviously I adore her too and I can say she's an amazing and inspiration lady - I hope you love her blog.  

3.) Oh Joy! 
I can't say enough about how much I love this blog. Joy is a working momma who seems to have unlimited energy, talent and a real zest for life. I aspire to be more like her. If you follow her blog - you'll see what I'm talking about.

4.) 6th Street Design School
Well I love design of all kinds, from products to packaging to interior design. Kirsten is an insanely talented designer that shares all kinds of inspiration and helpful information. You can thank me later for letting you know about her blog :)

5.) Emily A. Clark
Emily is a mother of 5! Do I need to say more? Ok I will: somehow she manages to stay fabulous and update her home even with a house full of kiddos!

6.) The Nato's
Jamie is such a breath of fresh air...she is sassy as all get out and her blog is such fun. I think you'll love it (because I sure do - and I'm not alone :))!

7.) The Lettered Cottage
This couple does all kinds of fabulous DIY's on the cheap! Their style is much different than mine but I love their work and they are fun to follow :)

Be inspired - I sure am!

Concrete Countertop DIY COMING SOON!

Ok So I was SOOO excited to get working on updating my mis-matched counter tops over the weekend but unfortunately I couldn't do it. Well I read the instructions and there was a warning suggesting pregnant people not work with the product :( (Did I mention I'm pregnant? I am - about half-way there 5 months today actually)!!! Sadness. Luckily I have a husband who is able and willing to do it for me so all is not lost but I so wanted to do this one myself. Here's the before. I'll post about the after really soon. Here are the before pictures...faux butcher block.

I'm planning on using a product called ARDEX. I found out about them from these blogs:

 Kara Paslay Designs

Little Green Notebook  (another one of my fav blogs)

They (ARDEX)  are not paying me to do this project or supplying the product - I saw it, loved it and decided to do it for myself. I'll let you know how it goes. You can buy it on amazon - that's where I got it. 

Let Them Eat Ice Cream!I

I try not to give my toddler junk food or sweets too often but sometimes a little girl needs a treat. We have the cutest little ice cream fountain in our tiny town and we decided to pay it a visit. We ordered real vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping. She ate a few good bites and then wanted to dance! Guess the sugar kicked in! Now and again ya gotta let them be little and enjoy the sweet things in life!

Be Bold - Be Brave: Wallpaper Instillation

I have a lot of neutrals in my home. I live on a beautiful lake so I wanted the main focus to be on the view rather than on bold wall colors. However, I love pattern and bold color and sometime I get the itch to switch things up. I recently installed wallpaper on feature wall in our dining area. It's a yellowy lime green - definitely bold and a little crazy but you only live once right? YOLO! I asked the hubs what he thought and he told me to go for it so I did. What do you think? Crazy or Just Crazy Enough To Be AWESOME!

P.S. I'm not actually done decorating - I have a lot to do to finish that area but I wanted to show you what I've been up to!

Wet Paint

Kids love painting...whatever it is about it - they love it. I'm a creative so I love that my child loves to paint. Here are a few snaps of my daughter creating a masterpiece a mother can truly love and adore. She's the sweetest (She had a SERIOUS case of bed head after her nap so enjoy her crazy hair as well). Oh an see that laminate counter-top in the background (faux butcher block!) well that's one of my next projects so stay tuned to see the reveal of my super inexpensive mini-makeover.

Welcome!!! New Year - New Blog

Hello World! It's Me the Girlie Gurnsey.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Janelle, a Girlie Gurnsey. I am a wife, a mother, a communication professional, a photographer and a DIY diva. I have more ideas than I have time or money for and I love making the world a prettier place, one project at a time. Part of my inspiration for starting this blog came from Facebook, Instagram and all the blogs I follow. There are so many amazing people out there that are doing an awesome job of documenting their lives. Honestly I feel like I have been failing and I want to do better starting NOW! My daughter is almost 2 years old and I'm so behind with writing down and saving the day-to-day happenings that make our simple life meaningful. So this blog will capture what's happening in the life of this Girlie Gurnsey! 2014 you better watch out because here I come. Thanks for visiting - I hope you enjoy.