Desires of the Heart

Most of you know that we had to change our home office into the nursery. We have a three bedroom house with no finished basement at this time and it was more inportant to us that the children have their own rooms, than it was for us to have a full on office space. So in making the room, we have taken down our main computer in the house. A few months back, we got rid of Time Warner Cable's cable service. We couldn't justify spending $70+ a month on cable that we hardly watched. All of the main broadcasted channels are free over the airways (and are in HD with an HD antenna). Plus, with television access to Netflix and so many channels airing their shows online (and lets not forget HuLu)... what's the point of having cable?

We have mounted our 32 in flat screen above the fireplace and hidden the cords within the wall. Paul then set us up with Windows Media Center, an interactive database of all the broadcasted AND online shows nicely put together in one program system. The cost to set this program up (a video card for your computer) was about $200. When saving $70 a month on a cable bill - it was paid off in a matter of three months! We can watch the normal main channels (ABC< CBS< FOX etc.) in HD, along with the online shows of HBO and HuLu, listen to the radio, play DVDs and access our Netflix from this program.

Now, since our computer was taken down from the office, Paul went a step further to hook up our PCs out in the living room as well... and we use the 32 inch flat screen tv as our monitor for the computers. We are able to easily switch from his PC to mine with a click of a button. We can also watch the BluRays from the player and allow Jax to use his V-Tech video system from the tv as well. I do prefer to use the laptop (and wirelessly remote to my PC through our network system) to do my blogging/surfing because sitting back on the couch with a wireless keyboard and mouse puts me too far away from the screen to see as clearly as I would like.

Anyways.....

Here are the latest projects I have been working on:

Unfinished wooden stool from JoAnns - 40% off $14.99

Two coats of white spray paint

medium pink acrylic paint

scrapbook paper for the flower

Mod Podge to adhere

Polyurathane/Varnish to finish, protect and add gloss

Three frames that were chipped and on clearance for $1.50 each! Great find from my mother in law. I spray painted them all white then decided to only use 2 of them (will show them finished later).

I had this basket (sans fabric) in the bathroom holding guest towel. I took a large scrap of the left over fabric I used for Jaelyn's window treatments/ bedding to make an elastic lining for the basket. This will go in her room as well. Wait until I show you what I put in the bathroom - it place of the basket!!

Here's my monkey man! Please excuse the complete misuse of White Balance and the horrendous flash effect. Sometimes you just don't have the time to change the settings on the camera when you're literally RUNNING after a toddler to get a photo of his silliness!