Monday, February 20, 2012

DIY: Inexpensive Large Dog Bed

Every time I walk into the living room I can't help but shudder at the decrepit, black, bacheloresque couch looming by the wall. It should have been released from its misery at creation, but somehow made it through for eleven years. I guess it's currently in couch purgatory as it has become our "dog sofa"- slowly wearing away with holes torn in the arms and back, lots of loving licks and scratches, and probably too many puppy farts to count. So today we decided to help it (and hopefully our decor) by trying our hand at sewing a dog bed. And my oh my how happy we are! I lucked out by finding a slightly stained two-yard piece of upholstery fabric for just $2.00. I figured that even if I did screw up my second solo sewing attempt, two buckaroonies wasn't a bad loss. But luckily the project did not disappoint, so if you are looking for an inexpensive option for a big dog bed, simply try the following:


1. Find an old comforter to use as stuffing. Check out Goodwill if you don't have one handy. Fold into size you would like the bed to be.
2. Lay fabric down wrong-side up and place comforter on top.
3. Fold ends over so that they overlap. This will not be sewn but rather stay open so that the comforter can be inserted. The flap on the bottom of the overlap will be showing, so if you would like to hem it to make a nice edge now would be the time.
4. Pull everything taut and pin open ends.
5. Sew edges together and flip to right-side.
6. OPTIONAL: Add velcro, ribbons to tie, or simply safety pins to hold the top edge over the bottom. We still haven't decided which we will do. Not a necessary step, but might help to keep dog hair and dirt off of the comforter.
7. Stuff with comforter and just add dog!


The whole Murray clan is happy with this method and super excited that it was just $2.00. Don't get me wrong, I have done my fair share of longing gazes at L.L.Bean beds, but with empty pockets and not-so-friendly-to-dog-bed dogs, they were a bit out of my range. This option is inexpensive, allows you to use fabric of your choosing, and is completely washable! Oh sweet goodness, I sense a couch's funeral a-brewin'...

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Years Resolutions... Come a Bit Late

Happy Valentine's Day and New Year everyone! Time has just been flying by. Since my last post I wrapped up my undergraduate career, found out that our May addition is much more on the Pey- side of Peytina, driven halfway across the country twice (complete with two break-downs and three tows), celebrated Christmas, New Years, my big two-five, and the day of love, and adjusted to a life sans school. I have jumped into yoga in hopeful preparation for the (fingers crossed!) greatest and most painful day of my life, started decorating a room for a person I have yet to meet, sewed my first solo project, and tried to incorporate daily walks with the Mister into our schedules. There have been yummy meals, fun projects, and let's face it, a few naps and good shows in between.

So maybe it hasn't been all that busy since I parked my car here on January 10th, but it has been a change. And hitting twenty-five while feeling a little nugget kicking away inside me made me realize that I am halfway through my twenties, becoming a mother, and in turn, a full-fledged adult. Changes are a-comin', so I better learn to flow! To feel in control of this changing year I wrote some New Year's resolutions... A month late... And then waited to post them for another two weeks. But I've decided that putting them down here will help them stick, or at least give me a laugh a few years from now when I look back. So here we go:

Resolutions for My 25th Year

1. Organize the house. I have the time and the reason (hello ten-year-old boxes in closets that must house baby gear) and the hit-or-miss motivation. I am going to soldier through and use this nesting instinct for good instead of bank account destruction.

2. Keep house clean. Umm, so is that a gross one to even have to put on here?? Let's not answer that and just realize that it is a good and positive thing that I even care! Just like a recovery program- step one is admitting the problem. I figure that I had better start good habits now before the little guy is crawling all around. So next up in my procrastination on this is finding a good schedule and method to try and then blogging about how I will start it. That should cover me for at least another two weeks...

3. Walk with Peyton at least four times a week. We both need and love this quality bonding time. I try to forget that it's 50/50 that twenty minutes in we touch on some combative issue where I want to hit him with the bag of poop. Instead I keep the walks where endorphins are flowing and birds are chirping and Tegan isn't pulling hard in mind. And remember that it's good for the heart.

4. Take more pictures. Thanks to my wonderful graduation gift from my parents (THANK YOU!) this will be sure to happen. More on that soon.

5. Blog these pictures. Not only will this document the moments that I'm hoping to keep, it also will make me actually take the pictures off of my memory card and go through them, an exercise that currently occurs with the changing of the seasons. And Austin is known for its lack of seasons...

6. Be better about friend's birthdays. Because I want each and every one to know that they are special and loved.

7. Join a CSA or plant a garden. It's like a thorn in my side that I still haven't done either. Buying local produce is so much better for the environment and our health, and the CSA gives local, fresh goods that make you think outside the box on what's for dinner. I feel up to that challenge.

8. Don't just pin... DO! I am committing to doing two projects and two recipes per month from Pinterest to start to balance out (very marginally, I realize) the amount of time I spend looking at these wonderful ideas versus actual physical labor. (Oooh boy, I need to avoid that word from now on. Out of site, out of mind!)

9. Stick to a budget. Period.

10. Improve landscape. How? I do not know. But simply put, it needs to be done like Cundiff needed to make that field goal. That miss was too much on my heart, and looking at this landscape much longer might just put me over the edge.

So there we have it. The ten goals I have to work on while growing, popping out, and sustaining a baby. Goals that will hopefully make me feel relaxed, in control, and able to enjoy each day fully. Or at least make the house a bit more presentable to put on the show that I feel that way... But let's hope it's the former. ;) Anyone else make any resolutions this year??

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE