17 weeks and another craft project

Dear Elliot,
This post is going to be a two-parter.

Part 1: brief 17-week update

We made it to 17 weeks on Friday! You were measuring further along at the last ultrasound, so I'm not sure if that also technically makes me further along as well, but whatever! I don't have much new to report on the pregnancy front. I'm eating all the time, still have that annoying cold, still peeing like crazy, still incredibly happy to be pregnant, still incredibly scared. And I swear I am getting bigger and bigger everyday! Here's the most recent belly shot, from a few days ago:

Part 2: cool craft project

Have I mentioned how much I adore Pinterest? I tried to avoid it for a long time, convinced the last thing I needed was another online time-suck to get hooked on. But hooked I am. It's awesome. I've found so many great ideas and I am just loving getting into crafting again!

So this weekend my friend Kristie and I had a little Pinterest-inspired craft night.

I started with this beautiful framed piece of swan art that I found at the thrift store for $5:

I got rid of the glass and the lovely pastel swans, and painted the frame with a really dark wood stain. Well, actually Dad did that part for me, since the fumes were quite strong:

After it dried, I decided that it wasn't dark enough. I really wanted it to match the black frames I already have up in the room where it was going, so I ended up just spray-painting it black:

Then I drilled holes through the sides and threaded thick hemp through, knotting at the ends. Using some mini craft-sized clothes pins, I hung pictures (that I printed using our photo printer at home, and cut out to look like polaroids) along the hemp lines:

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! I'm thinking these might make the perfect gift for quite a few people on my Christmas list this year :)

I've got about a million other craft ideas lined up to try next; I'll say it once more, I love Pinterest!

Alright, E, talk to you soon!

Love you,
Mom