Back in March, we started the process of redecorating Matthew’s bedroom. He was a bit jealous of Ian’s big boy room and bed so it seemed like a good time to leave the baby room behind.
Here is where we started. These pictures were taken while I was pregnant with Matthew.
(The crib had been converted to a toddler bed but it was pretty much just like this.)
We decided to keep the white furniture but go more masculine with his room theme and colors.
The bed frame, mattress, and box spring are identical to Ian’s. We really debated having them share a room but decided against it for now. I figured if we got the exact same beds now, it would look nice if we decide to have them share a room down the road.
We had originally picked a grey pant for his walls (and loved it) but after the first coat, you could barely see a difference between the wall color and the white baseboards. You had to kind of squint, turn off the room light, and look at it sideways to see any difference. LOL
I went to the store to see about getting another color but couldn’t find a shade I liked as much. The tone of grey in the gallon that we already had was perfect. It just wasn’t dark enough. I asked the person at the paint counter for advice and they recommended I bring the gallon back to the store to get it tinted darker. They had to put 3x the amount of grey/black paint in there but eventually we got the shade I wanted. I really love the color. His room gets so much light that it never feels dark in there.
The carpet is a remnant we found at a local carpeting store. We must have checked 5-6 stores when we happened upon this remnant. I was so excited to find it. His room is pretty large so it was a miracle that it was big enough and the exact color and style I wanted!
I bought this hubcap clock from Etsy.com
I also ordered these 3 prints from a seller on Etsy.com
Hooks behind his bedroom door:
I’m really happy with the way his room turned out and he loves it too!
The boys with their pumpkins. Ian designed his own and I helped Matthew sketch his pumpkin’s face before carving.
Our family of pumpkins. Mine is the cute one. 😉
Mario and Luigi – their costumes were a hit!
A few weeks after I got back from Ireland, we had a rare day of pretty nice weather and nothing planned. We went to Forest Lawn Cemetery and I asked my mom to use my camera to take some pictures. Here are some of the pictures she and I took that day.
Official photography assistant and holder of props, my dad:
Ian was COMPLETELY freaked out about sitting on the wall. LOL
On a barely related note, we took these pictures on October 14 and I came down with a wicked cold later that day. I have since been sick off-and-on (mostly on) since then. Good times. NOT.
(Yes, that is A Christmas Story reference. LOL)
Ian took part in a summer reading challenge sponsored by NYS Assemblyman Ray Walters. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what the requirements were. 15 minutes a day? A book a day? Maybe Ian set a goal and we just had to meet it daily? I don’t know – I can’t remember. Regardless, we kept a log of whatever it was and then turned it in once school started. A few weeks later we were invited to a ceremony where they gave the kids certificates of accomplishment for completing the challenge. It was held the day after I got back from Ireland at a local library.
My bookworm
His donut-loving brother
(Seriously, I think Matthew ate enough donuts for 10 people that morning.)
The festivities started and ended with a little music by Miss Lucy. Too bad Ian didn’t feel at home, huh? LOL
Matthew was really into the music. LOL
http://youtu.be/M6MlslzOEUA
http://youtu.be/nqVy77yxILE
Ian was one of the first kids called up and we weren’t really ready. I don’t think either camera was on yet. LOL
http://youtu.be/-D2bks7FdYM
Somebody cried when he didn’t get an award.
He got over it pretty quickly once the music started up again. LOL
http://youtu.be/calo7WoUIvQ
I have no idea how many posts this will be, how much I will share, or how long it will take me to share. I took roughly 1,000 pictures and recorded ~90 videos during my two week trip to Ireland. I haven’t watched most of the videos and managed to narrow the pictures down to more than 400. Still, too much to share. I’ll figure it out along the way. 🙂
After my weekend full of adventures, I needed a few days of no extracuricular activities to recover. A couple of nights later, my coworker took me to a local pub called the Locke Bar.
We listened to live music….
http://youtu.be/TFR3e1h7RW8
http://youtu.be/NRi8wsQRmW4
….I had my first (and only) Guinness….
…and I was amused by the teeny chicken wings (which tasted very good).
Not pictured: We also tried not to stare at some super obnoxious American tourists that were dancing at the bar. LOL
The next evening, I came back to my room to find a bottle of wine and a note from the hotel manager. I popped that bad boy open and wished I had gotten it earlier in my trip. LOL
Sunset
Room tour:
http://youtu.be/UChaSJ6MjHU
Film of some tv shows, including a news broadcast in Irish:
http://youtu.be/xZQ2e69C81A
http://youtu.be/zAoWXvURFNo
http://youtu.be/mEYD2_Idoc0
Irish cartoon:
http://youtu.be/o9XRXJYd89E
http://youtu.be/zi1NFPcFZNc
On my last full day in town, my coworker and I took my car back to the airport then went to explore Bunratty Castle and Folk Park (where I had gone to Traditional Irish Night). The Castle and Folk Park were super cool – all the buildings were replicas of real buildings and the people working inside work period costumes, etc. It was a wonderful way to show off Irish history. I just wish we had gotten there earlier so that we would have more time to explore before closing time.
One of the many ruins I saw during my two weeks in Ireland. This was McNamara Castle – it was also right beside the highway between Limerick and the Shannon Airport. Just to give you an idea of size, I’m on the highway and between me and the castle are a large field of grass and the highway lanes for the other direction.
Bunratty Castle and Durty Nelly’s.
Yes, I took pictures while driving. There were no other cars on the road and I took these blindly (clicking to snap the pic without looking at my phone).
When we got to Bunratty, the Castle was closing for their medieval banquet so we hurried right to the Castle.
Banquet preparations….
Chainmail hanging on the wall of a bedroom:
Durty Nelly’s from the top of the castle:
The highway I drove to/from the airport
Another tower – do you see the staircases?
A lane in the Folk Park – I felt like I had stepped back in time.
When we walked past on our way to the castle, there was a man on the roof thatching this cottage.
A stow-away bed that was in a dining room:
There were a lot of religious symbols (statues, paintings, crucifixes, etc) in all of the buildings in the Folk Park.
A school building:
The village in the Folk Park:
The drawing room in a wealthy family’s house:
Their gardens:
There were a lot of animals grazing in the fields in the Folk Park (just like the rest of Ireland). I thought this guy was pretty cute. 🙂
Water mill:
One of the many tree-covered lanes we walked down as we visited the various buildings:
Ardcroney Church – an original Church of Ireland building that was moved from County Tipperary and rebuilt in the Folk Park.
A post office box – my coworker told me that when Ireland was under British rule, all of the post office boxes were painted red like they were in England. Once Ireland gained it’s independence, the Irish painted all their boxes green. When we walked out of the Folk Park, there was a green box right beside the parking lot. 🙂
After a quick stop for shopping, my coworker and I stopped for dinner at Durty Nelly’s. When we left, the castle was all lit up.
I went back to the hotel to pack and get settled to return home.
Getting checked through to my gate at the Shannon Airport was pretty uneventful. I browsed the gift shop and took some pictures. I was worried about getting in trouble for taking pictures so many of these cell phone snaps aren’t in focus. Sorry!
There was so much Irish-made crystal in the various shops I went to during my trip. So, so, so gorgeous. I wish I could have afforded to buy some!
I loved this china pattern…
My plane was already at the gate once I got there….
The Shannon Airport had a very industrial, warehouse, unfinished building feel to it.
The perfect ending to my trip. As they were boarding my flight, we saw a rainbow out the window.
I had an aisle seat for the flight from Shannon to JFK. It was a super roomy row for some reason so I had a TON of space but unfortunately, it was the last row before the bathrooms so there were CONSTANTLY people standing next to me waiting for their turn. I had extra leg room but routinely had people standing or leaning into my personal space to make room in the aisle. Just can’t win! LOL
Finally in the States!!!
My flight out of JFK was delayed about an hour for various reasons. I was so, so, so tired and desperately just wanted to get home.
Thankfully, the flight was pretty smooth and I was reunited with the family. It was a great trip but I had missed everyone so much!
THE END! 🙂