Tiptoethrough

Handmade Shout Out

2012-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

This week's Handmade Shout Out goes to shop tarahogan aka INK+WIT. Her shop features a fun collection of rubber stamps, letterpress cards and invitations and posters (to name a few). Here are a few of my favorites, be sure to check out her shop to see what others gems she has to offer!

arctic stamp set

Recipe card stamp

Owl and Pear postcard

I Whaley Appreciate you, letterpress card

animal A-Z poster

Aesop's Fable the tortoise and the hare print

giftwrap, blissful bears

What I've learned this week, and it's only Tuesday...

2012-01-31T09:30:00.000-05:00

* I love how she asks to "read" our books when she climbs on our bed "boooo-k booooo-k, muh, muh (more)" and how she leafs through the pages like a master black jack dealer shuffles the cards.

* my elephant noise does not hold a candle to my husband's elephant sounds

* I also need to work on my dolphin sound effect (suggestions?)

* living with a toddler is like living with a raven, they are attracted to random shiny objects, especially trash, and they collect said objects and build a little nest wherever they go... or more accurately they leave a bread crumb trail of trash around your room.

* THUS as a result being a mom to a toddler means you are also a detective, you can look at all the clues- i.e.: the hodgepodge collection of crap on your floor and decipher when and where the child was at such and such a time and therefore her other shoe must be.....? HERE, beneath my pillow!

* the baby's kissing phase is really cute, I just wish our dog understood it as affection and not as a threat to her small delicate boston terrier physic.

* That no matter how confident I feel about the cloth diapers, to never skip the final extra rinse they NEED in the wash. no sense bringing on mean nicknames like "cauliflower butt" for the baby.

* This new sleeping phase she is in- where she no longer needs to be rocked until fully asleep, then put down, but rather put her down while awake to fall asleep on her own- is a BIG milestone! go toddler, go toddler GO! (although I do miss the falling asleep on me thing, sniffle sniffle)

Good Night Moon And Wes Anderson need to get together

2012-01-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

As a new-ish parent we read a lot of goodnight moon in our little family and since I didn't grow up reading this classic, the book has a funny adult affect on me, hear me out. In some way I consider myself lucky for not having any childhood associations with the book- mainly now I won't grow tired of it as easily as some parents have bemoaned is their personal plight. Rather at the beginning of our daughter's infancy I read the book with some serious melancholy ... thinking about past generations, about how fast she is going to grow up, mortality- yah know up beat $hit like that! PLUS one of my adult associations about this book comes from the sappy movie, "Playing by Heart" where a mother reads this to her son who is dying of aids. YAY, so that's what I brought to this book. (eye roll)

However, I am now in love with this classic and was struck by how awesome "the great green room" is and how it reminded me of a Wes Anderson set, specifically the Royal Tenenbaum's. I mean what kid (let alone a bad arse rabbit) has a tiger skin on their floor, striped curtains and their own fireplace!? Sign me up! So I propose that Anderson work in cahoots with illustrator Max Dalton to create some badass children's books, perhaps they could do a Goodnight Moon director's cut and elaborate on the story? What do you think?

Some interior shots of the Tenenbaum's house.

and a Royal Tenenbaum illustration my Max Dalton

A Love Letter to Winter

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

***

Hello all, and happy Monday! I trust you all had a great weekend!? Ours was low key. I got a little break on Saturday and Sunday from doing the full time mom stuff, which was really nice. And since the weather has been so un-winter-like we spent lots of time outdoors with the little one and it made me consider the reality of sunblock on her skin and how I should get on that. Anyway, here is this week's Love Letter to Winter, links posted when available. Have a great one!

***

What to Watch: Melissa McCarthy on SNL

2012-01-28T11:58:00.002-05:00

I've been a fan of SNL since I was very little, let's just say (like most quirky children) it was on my goal list in 3rd grade to one day be on SNL... thus come rain or shine I have watched the show on and off through out my young adult life. However, since the show's resurgence with its Digital Shorts and the hilarity of the 2008 election coverage, SNL has been lacking on the hosting front. And in general there is a rare show where I find the entire set entertaining (let alone even one skit, sorry!). BUT the episode this past fall on October 1st with host Melissa McCarthy was THEE funniest SNL I have seen in a LONG time! Each skit was hilarious and I was acutely aware of the chemistry she had with the cast, let alone what must have taken place in the writer's room for such a show to be conceived.

I know I'm a little late in talking about this episode, but you see I bought it on i-tunes and watch portions of it at least twice a month! (the husband and I actually quote it often = DORKS!) And after revisiting it this morning (during a little mommy-down-time) I thought I just had to tell you about it!!! Above is one of the rare clips from this episode to give you an idea of how funny it is! (it's flipped/backwards like mac photo booth) So I suggest going on iTunes and purchasing the entire episode for your viewing enjoyment! Perhaps the show would be consistently funny if there weren't so many other comic venues these days sucking away so many comedians into other roles...? Can you imagine your dream SNL cast? Oh man... well I'll stop there to keep from being a complete geek.

I'm planning on watching this episode with my mom who LOVED Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids, should be fun!

have a great Saturday!

ps: more "What to Watch" suggestions

15 months old and Galavanting in the Snow

2012-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

get some

the calm before the splits

This past month has been a big one for the Little Miss, so much to say so much to share (this goes for me too!). Yes, since her walking has become more sure-footed she has picked up speed, and does little tricks now and again, like strutting and walking backwards, pivoting and stomping. And like her walking, her language has taken off and new words pour out of her mouth daily! And I know we are bias, but she is really smart! We send her on missions all the time- go get this, can you put this is the trash, can you go give this to so and so, can you go get your, drink, your bunny, etc and she always understands what you are asking, does it immediately and loves having a task. She's a really good helper and loves being involved and part of the group. She's so playful and happy go lucky and on the rare occasion she gets upset we can quickly turn it around for her, she very responsive, it's really great.

Here's a list of the more decipherable things she can say:

good girl

Millie

momma, dada (& mostly all of her family's names ( grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc))

banana

cracker

cheese (you can't even spell "cheese", she immediately starts saying it! dammit!)

apple

book

all gone

thank you

bye-bye

oh my

wow

poopa (for poop naturally)

up (and "up please" is a work in progress)

she can count to 5 (mimicking us after we count to five, this goes for counting to 3 too, obviously)

bunny

ouch (for when she knows something will hurt her, like my mom's pins, thus she taught her this)

sounds:

can crow like a rooster

roar like a lion (and any other animal who roars, tiger etc)

baaah like a sheep

hoot like an owl

bark like a dog

chirp like a bird

signs:

for "more"

"drink"

"all done"

"where is...(usually asking about millie)"

"Bird"

"hat"

"flowers"

"Hot"

"fire"

"candle"

"the eensy weesny spider"

"diaper"

She is SUPER chatty and constantly chirping away. The husband and I look at each other sometimes in disbelief and with the knowledge that $hitz is gonna get crazy once her words are more defined and understood. The victory she will feel once she realizes we can understand her (after understanding us for sooo long) will be HUGE and she will be talking about EVERYTHING! lol looking forward to it actually.

Here is a 4 minute video (i.e.: warning, it's long) of our little family playing in the snow this past weekend. It was our first real snowy outing since she was a few months old in Maine... I like how you can see what kind of Dad Cameron is and will continue to be, he strikes a fun balance with me... i.e.: I would never run and slide on the ice while holding her, but I trust his ice walking skills to make it fun and safe. It's wild to look at him with her sometimes and realize we've cross the threshold- when way back when I could only imagine how great of a dad he would be... and now I have it right in front of me on a daily basis. Pretty great, pretty wild, and pretty sappy.

So on that note, Have a great weekend!

xo,
abs

Links and Such

2012-01-26T09:51:00.001-05:00

Here is this week's "Links and Such", my Thursday blog post. Enjoy!

little art blog
this reminds me of our daughter
Homemade Goldfish
hilariousness about motherhood
could be interesting...
I would love to knit this
love this vintage whale chart
pretty tunic
cement pieces for your home or garden?
instant beach glass collection
DIY paper basket weaving
and even more DIY projects to bookmark

And in case you missed it

NEW: What I learned this week and it's only Tuesday
Our new Tea Station
more added to STUNNING
This week's Love Letter to Winter

/// Stunning ///

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Recent images added to my pinterest Board "Stunning". a nice little respite for the middle of the week.

What I've learned this week, and it's only Tuesday...

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

* If you wear fleece pants and a nice-ish wool sweater to bed, you can disguise these as clothes the next day, no one is the wiser.

* being a good mom, means I'm a bad friend (to my age appropriate friends)

* not a good idea to store baby boogers in your back pocket, besides the fact that it's gross, they dry into hard little daggers that stab the crap out of the sensitive skin beneath your fingernail

* when you put chapstick on her lips, it will come back more wet

* don't ever find yourself sitting behind her when she is "Playing", this phase of throwing crap behind her is lethal.

* she might find an impromptu fort with the two of you beneath a sheet on your bed fun- but not so much when the setting is her crib and you are on the outside of the sheet

* we put a toddler stool at the foot of our bed so she can climb on to a bench and then on to our bed, and back down again, over and over and over and over and over and over and over AGAIN! mildly supervised of course. ; ) It's the best thing since peanut butter.

* New go to food- Chopped & steamed cauliflower with half&half, cheddar cheese and crumbled blue cheese- in the microwave for 1.50 on level 5- will have her chowing down at lunch with a loud MMMMm after every bite, I have to agree, it's genius.

* every night, after she is in bed, is like Christmas Eve in a way... you occupy yourself with those secret things you can't do in front of her, like eat candy, knit, sew, lay perfectly still uninterrupted on your bed listening to audiobooks... and then before daybreak you have to hide all the evidence of your secret life... and baby proof your room once again.

Birthday Round up: DIY Tea Station, Flowers and Eggs Beni

2012-01-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

Before

Here it is the present I got for the husbo! We joke that Cameron is a "Tea Guy" (he drinks tea ALL the time!) and tea has been a big part of our time together. We had a favorite tea place in Maine, favorite mugs from both Maine and Alaska, we have fun finding new-to-us teas... etc, etc. So when I saw the Bodum sale on Gilt Home, the idea to make a Tea Station in our bedroom just clicked, and I got him the Bodum Electric Kettle in green! Here is the Before picture. The tv was left over from when this room was a guest bedroom, and we never used it, making this dresser a catch all for loose bits of crap. So this was the perfect tea station destination!

AFTER

Since this is a short dresser the toddler can reach up and pick items off of it. So I used one of my vintage suitcases to add some height to the dresser making it a more normal countertop height while creating a greater distance between the toddler and the hot stuff. On the Shelf to the right I put jars of our loose leaf tea (including new tea from Philly's Premium Steap) and the second shelf houses back up mugs. I also have a tiny bottle of dishwashing liquid in the bathroom so we don't have to go to the kitchen to clean the mugs each time.

Detail shot of the tea area.

I covered the case with a handwoven fabric to protect it, and I also have a wooden tray on there for added protection and as a visual element. Our little wedding present teapot from our friends, two mugs we bought while in Homer Ak, and a new tea strainer from Premium Steap. I gave the big reveal to the husbo on Saturday night and he was very surprised. And come Sunday we already used it twice! I also made him a photo book of all the cellphone pictures form our daughter's first year and I also gave him a massage gift certificate. He's earned that one for sure! It was a fun 30th birthday present, one that we can both enjoy (score!).

For my birthday: last Tuesday night the husband made me eggs benedict with smoked salmon and avocado for dinner. So delicious!

He gave me flowers from Trader Joe's (so beautiful and soooo affordable!)

The busy guy at work.

tastiness.

We had great birthdays and it's fun to have them four days apart. Since I'm a twin, sharing birthdays is old hat and something that is actually kinda fun! Cus look, now I get to have tea whenever I choose!

A Love Letter to Winter

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

***

Hi All, Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Ours was LOTS of fun. It was the husbo's big 30th birthday and I'm excited to share with you what I gave him (will post later today so check back in!). I love gift giving and this was especially exciting!!! We also had loads of merriment playing with the baby in the snow. Lots of snow and ice was consumed, the nice pure white kind, no worries! And she had tons of fun walking on the ice (a surprisingly natural ice-walker, must be the Alaskan in her). I'l post pictures and videos of our wintery excursions later this week. In the meantime Enjoy this week's Love Letter to Winter.

***

Happy BIG Birthday to the husbo

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

He's the big 3-0 today!!!

and I have big plans for this guy that I can't wait to share with you all (after sharing with him of course!). He says he doesn't celebrate birthdays, but I ignore this! I feel like this is crap you say after earning your senior discount at the movies. So not this year, dude, we're celebrating! I've had some fun ideas in the works for a while now and it's REEEEALLY hard for me to keep gifts such a secret for so long. But I've managed, of course not without the daily declaration of how "Excited I am for your birthday! It's going to be so great! Oh Man!!!". So needless to say I've really built it up. But he's been a good sport, appropriately rolling his eyes behind my back. ; )

Here he is with our daughter at my folk's house last weekend, showing her the skill of whipping up meringue for his birthday pie. Pretty cute stuff! Happy Birthday!!!

(I'll share the b-day stuff on Monday so check back in if interested!)

A Round Up: Playing with a toddler, here's how to do it...

2012-01-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

I mentioned last week how we recently moved her little table (seen here in the corner) into the center of her room which broke up the space and allowed for an increase in play and exploration... Which got me thinking and mostly checking out MORE toddler play ideas on pinterest. Naturally I have a Baby/toddler advice and activities board, and here are some of the best ideas I am going to put into action this weekend in prep for next week! I think I'll even print some of them out as a cheat sheet when the crap has hit the fan and my brain shuts down and no ideas are coming to mind.. I think this is the inspiration behind these "busy bags" moms want a fast go to thing to allow for everyone to hang out so the mom can get something done, anything done! ; )

Above: the little miss is playing with a smaller version of this magnetic board, perfect for when they can stand but not walk yet, they love it!

Homemade busy board, I'm working on ours this weekend!

LOVE this blog: PlayAtHomeMom, these activities are more out of the box

Free Range Parenting

Fine motor skills: Glue dots and buttons

toddler busy bag ideas

Toddler activities for long car trips

Advice for airplane and general travel with a baby/toddler

more busy bag activities

Activities for 12months - 4yrs

window painting and other activities

Creating treasure baskets

101 things to do with your kids before they leave home

And the best thing to have a toddler do (at least at this stage at 15 months) when you are working on something, have them help you. They learn so much by helping you, a sense of accomplishment, the importance of being part of the group... plus it's more natural and getting back to the early days of man, before crazy toys, pipe cleaners and glue... but when helping out runs cold and boring it is nice to have a back up plan, and that's what these are! Plus check out my Enchanting Kid's Room board for other fun ideas, like a chalkboard table and cardboard houses!

Have a great Weekend!

Links and Such

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Happy Thursday and Happy Links and Such... I like the above poster, pretty straight forward. Have a good one! ; )

cute knit hat
coolest napkin holder, EVER
my future blue room
I like this turquoise watch
pretzel rolls!? Okay!
cool wall stencil SHOP
DIY: Recycle a sweater into toddler pants
oh Tuscany
this has been making the rounds, and you can see why!
Awesome new-to-me Vintage shop!
outfitted in stripes
DIY gifts and crafts for toddlers and preschoolers
guilty

and
this week's handmade shout out
NEW- Vintage Valentines (use code TWEETSALE for 25% off my shop!)

Handmade Shout Out, Repurposed Slippers!

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Handmade Shout Out goes to WoollyBaby, a local etsy shop (from Kennett Square, PA) that offers adorable and cozy handmade eco-friendly slippers for the whole family! Josie made her first pair of these cozy gems for her toddling daughter after her search for such a necessary product turned up with zero results. Her slippers are made from recycled wool sweaters and leather jackets! These slippers look like the perfect accessory/tool/go-to item for winter (or every season except maybe summer!). I can think of quite a few people who would benefit from having these on their feet! Have fun exploring her shop! And let me know if you score a comfy pair for yourself.

SOPA/PIPA protest blackout

2012-01-18T08:11:00.004-05:00

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Taking a break from my blog today in support of today's Blackout. Watch the above video to learn more.

I'll be back on here tomorrow with a Handmade Shout, my Thursday Links and Such, and some Pictures from my birthday on Tuesday.

What I've learned this week, and it's only Tuesday...

2012-01-17T15:35:00.001-05:00

I wrote a little post like this last Tuesday, and I thought it might be a fun new series to share funny/awkward/perhaps helpful mothering tips. Or more accurately a look into my new life.

* your own scarf is now your personal bib, not to mention the first thing she's grabbing on to as she falls to the ground...

* If you choose to lay down in her play area- you will become a human hurdle, jungle gym, obstacle course, you will have a tiny butt sitting on your face, and little fingers poking you in the eyes, but it's still worth it for those few precious seconds (aka what Louis C K refers to as the mini vacation)

* The stank in our room is not diaper related (for once) yup it's time to wash our dog's bed, what an attention whore (get it, sarcasm because we've been neglecting her...)

* Toddler's are a lot like dogs they work hard on their mess and if you try to be sneaky and clean up said mess after they have moved on to another corner, they will come back and play/ mess it up all over again, so be stealth.

* Be sure to check all of your pockets for baby socks before leaving the house, to avoid any awkward stares at the post office.

*this cuddly phase is really fun and cute and helps balance out her hatred of you typing on the computer

It's our birthday today...

2012-01-17T09:14:00.001-05:00

The fetal rommie and I are the big 3-1 today. We had a fun birthday celebration this past weekend with a big feast at my folk's house (pictures to come). And if you are new to the blog here is the epic 80's childhood recap post I did for our 30th! Happy B-day brudder.

Wall Drawing, in Action by Clint Fulkerson

2012-01-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Clint (from Portland, Maine) recently completed "String Theory" a wall drawing in the UMF Art Gallery. Here's a video of the making of his drawing, you should watch it, it's pretty awesome! Go Clint!

"Woah!"

2012-01-13T15:06:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we took the little babe to Winterthur's Enchanted Garden. It's really fun now that she can officially motor around the place! Here are a few favorite moments, including a little video of her practicing her new word "Woah!". Her Dad has also taught her "Oh My!" I'll let you know once we document that one. Have a great long weekend, I hope it has a little bit of "Woah" in it!

Ps I should have kept video taping, because she did this little drop tuck and roll recovery from that fall, it was pretty stellar! next time, after all there will be more!

Links and Such

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Word up, a nice take on that dam- "Dance like no one is watching" saying.

Anyway, Happy Thursday and happy Links and Such! I hope your week is going well. Enjoy the links I've been hearting this week.

a story about a Brother looking out for his younger brother, so sweet
DIY chicken wire- as jewelry organizer
what a lovely simple, yet cozy bedroom, luv the windows
a lace shawl I can get behind!
cool i-phone app for exploring famous cities with a child
25 things to do with a wiggly toddler
love this new-to-me etsy vintage shop and this one and this one and this one
pretty rock painting
super cool ottoman/ coffee table
how a couple built their house in Maine

and in case you missed it:

another gift guide to self
this week's A Love Letter to Winter
our Very Etsy Christmas
stuff I learned this week

AND I added two vintage boy's hats to my Etsy shop

A Very Etsy Christmas, i.e.: what I gave peeps for Christmas from etsy!

2012-01-11T19:34:00.001-05:00

Wednesdays are usually my "Handmade Shout Out" post, but today was especially crazy... and if I don't get that stuff written the night before than sometimes it won't ever happen! So here it is! I wanted to give some shout outs to the cool etsy things I got for my gift list, as well as received, this year for Christmas! ALL of these folks I would highly recommend you checking out and shopping with!!!

Above: The husbo got this 4 pack Manly Soap in his stocking by Rocky Top Soap Shop in Maine. It's pretty awesome soap, he's already a big fan!

Speaking of Maine! Literally Everyone on my list got something from the awesome Long Winter Farm shop- we are talking lip balms and body creams people!!! luv, luv, luv this shop!

I got my sister in law this funky vintage painting from MouseTrapVintage! It's adorable and came gift wrapped (gotta love that!).

Also form MouseTrapVintage, this tie my husband wore on Christmas. So festive and plaid!

My husband gave me this fantastic Vintage sweater from DearGoldenVintage, I will admit that I might wear it a little too much... ; )

And we got this beautiful desk calendar by ModernPrintedMatter for my other sister in law!

And the pattern I used to knit our daughter this pig, by Mamma4Earth.

The decals for my Niece and Nephew came from Slaps, etsy shop.

And my mom snooped around on my etsy favorites and got me this awesome cinnamon Rucksack my infusion!

My mother also got our daughter these clever and adorable wooden stacking blocks by tinygiraffe, the perfect stocking stuffer and our little one LUVS playing with them!

And as I mentioned before, my mom also got lil ponce this pretty music box from everyeskimo. It plays Tiptoe Through the Tulips (you know like my blog!) So there you have it, our very ETSY Christmas!

What I've learned this week, and it's only Tuesday...

2012-01-10T14:39:00.002-05:00

* another way to make a sock dirty: take it off while eating and wipe your sweat potato covered high chair tray with it. Congratulations, it's now dirty.

* a cheerio found on the driveway is fair game.

* if you want to clean, or fold laundry while the toddler is awake- you have to accept the reality that you are sacrificing your space to other smaller messes created by toddler. These are now tripping hazards really... a visual still life collection of random crap that reads "baby was here"

* that re arranging her room, i.e.- moving her little table into the center, divides up the room into little nooks which allows for renewed exploration! (adapting a room now that she is more stable at walking was a little light bulb moment, I wouldn't have done this until now- too many hazards... plus for about a month just the act of walking was entertainment enough, now she needs more activity available to her...)

* that I can successfully put our 14.5 month old down for her nap without nursing (well as of today, knock on wood. Everyone else can, obviously, it's just a little hard when the milk maid attempts...)

* that corduroy is an unforgiving tattle tail when it comes to food spills, letting everyone know what you and the baby have been eating for the last three days. (mental note, time to change your pants)

* to piggy back on to that, if you are going to wear what you have lying around or hanging on a bathroom hook (classy lady, you) then at least look down and make sure it's not all olive green, or faded black, add in a pop of color... you know, because you don't want to offend the driveway during your outside playtime.

* that "outside play time" or "recess" or (my favorite) "institutionalized play outside time"- is great now that she is walking. So much fun to be had, acorn tops to attempt to eat, ice to smash, geese to flap our wings at, mailman to observe... it's fun to watch her learn and to see how excited she gets and how peaceful she is... She's going be very helpful when we plant tomatoes this year. My fondest childhood memories were playing outside, nice to start this with her early.

* and finally, it's sad but true the baby only naps for an hour and no longer. Ie: she's awake... see yah!

mmm, I want to Bake these UP yo

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

You did a double take and thought that these were brussels sprouts right? yeah me too. But they are roasted cabbage wedges via Martha Stewart and they look dam good and they will be cooked up in our house sometime this week, well that's the plain! Martha suggests pairing them along side a main dish of beef or pork, but I think they would make a tasty meal all on their own. Am I nuts to think that roasted pine nuts would be a fun topping, or blue cheese? Either way I'll be sure to make these and love every bite!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds, in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds. Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Gift Guide to Self: Birthday inspired...

2012-01-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know I spend quite a bit of time on pinterest... I use it as a bit of escapism, goal making, inspiration, but mostly as my visual memory (since it's pretty much $hit these days). I have a few gift guide boards on there and since my birthday is coming up I thought I would share my Gift Guide to Self board! My mom and Husband both really like it because it takes a lot of the guess work out of gift giving and it's still a surprise for me since it's not an official list... It's a fun wish list where I pin things I like and would get for myself if I had the cash flow. ANYWHO, here are some favorites from this board.

and from my New Wardrobe board, I pine for these fox needlepoint shoes.

and these are great too.

Let me know if you want to join pinterest, I can send you an invite, which can be faster than signing up sometimes! ; )

A Love Letter to Winter

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

***

Hi all, hope you had a great weekend! We sure did. Apart from the husbo having a bit of a stomach bug he was right as rain by Sunday and thus gave me the afternoon to work in my studio while he played with our daughter! It was awesome. I used to hear and read such statements about women being so stoked for having "time off" and I thought they were lame, as in they didn't have a back bone or a brain to have more time to themselves, little did I know ! ; ) Anyway, here is this week's Love Letter to Winter. Doing this series makes me really miss winter, remember the seasons, and snow? ah Global warming... enjoy!

***

DIY: Pinecone fire starters

***

Testing the Walking Skills in the great outdoors...

2012-01-06T17:36:00.001-05:00

I took some shotty videos with my cellphone this week of the little miss toddling about outside. She's been full on walking since Thanksgiving and her skills indoors are pretty impressive. She's getting really fast but still falls on occasion due to her balance, or slippery socks etc... But as you will see in this video, she handles her missteps like a little champ. My friend and I were talking about this yesterday- about how she doesn't cry or get upset when she falls... and I explained how it might be because the husbo and I decided a long time ago to just not react to her falling. After all babies take cues from their parents, so if we didn't rush in or make a big deal then she wouldn't either. Now that's not to say we don't respond. If she actually cries we do respond to her needs, but honestly this is soooo rare. For example we were playing in the driveway this afternoon, smashing up ice- as you do, and she took a face plant on the pavement. I just stood there watched and waited and she simply stood up and kept going, I was pretty amazed.

ANYWHO, the above video is 3 minutes long. I edited, but you know how those things go!?! So watch it at your will, I know it will only really interest friends and family (if even that!). But it's good entertainment to watch her fall and get back up. But no, this will not make the news, this video will not be the next Fenton! It's just a little look into her navigating the great outdoors.

Have a great weekend!

UPDATE: after watching this video the thought occurred to me that perhaps her shoes are too small, and that's why she's not as steady. And after further investigation and trying on a bigger pair- the answer is YES, they are too small. Now she is on her 3rd pair... dam their feet grow fast. I feel like a bad parent for not realizing this sooner, ah the learning curve of being a first time parent.

Links and Such

2012-01-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, just think it's almost the weekend! ; ) Today it really feels like winter, I went to bed last night wearing both wool socks and my wool sweater with my pjs and woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground... very wintery indeed.

Here are this week's Links and Such!

this is badass How wolves are saving trees in Yellowstone
Cloud cushions
DIY play car
this happens every 60 seconds on the internet
stain removal 101 website
living without walls
wow, what a beautiful dress
because every house needs a wooden rhino
creepy cool portraits
cute lunch bag
free online crochet school!! sign me up!

And if you missed it:

an etsy birthday wish list
I finally put up some Christmas pictures
a BIG shop update including vintage illustrations

some Christmas pictures...

2012-01-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

Better a little late than never! Here are some pictures from Christmas, it was a really fun day spent with family at my folk's house. There were 16 for dinner, which was a nice size compared to the slightly chaotic 26 at Thanksgiving! So in comparison the evening felt pretty chill, but we still fired up the player piano and sung out carols and show tunes until the babe said enough was enough!

Above: the little Miss rocking some hand knit leg warmers made by her father especially for Christmas, while she plays with her vintage music box my mom got her from EveryEskimo. It plays Tiptoe through the tulips, how appropriate! She loooooves it.

The stocking my mom knit for the little Miss, with the hand knit pig I made her.

My Cousin and her Beau arrived, as I attempt to get the baby to smile for just one more picture. Yeah, not happening. The husbo is wearing this awesome vintage tie I got him for Christmas from MouseTrapVintage.

Fetal roomates...

Christmas isn't complete without a crazy uncle on stilts...

My sister holding the wee babe

The wee Babe has a Christmas night meltdown

Everything is made better when rocking the pjs... and getting ready for some player piano... (plus on a superficial note this is one of the better pictures taken of me since before I was pregnant... a Christmas Miracle!)

But first a little mistletoe hat photo op, reeling in the big catch.

Player Piano time

I hope you all had a great Holiday! We are still working on our stocking candy and ate some last night with ice cream while watching Portlandia on the husband's study break... as yah do. So no New Years get thin quick schemes going on here, well not yet! Check back in for tomorrow's weekly Links and Such!

NEW in my Shop

2012-01-04T11:07:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know, I don't consistently update my vintage etsy shop GrayDay ... especially since I became a mom last fall, but I did a bit of an update yesterday of some super cool vintage finds! Check out my new section Vintage Illustrations for a collection of funky drawings, perfect for your home or for a children's room!

a Givenchy Scarf SOLD

a Silk Liberty of London Scarf

So my birthday is coming up... just sayin

2012-01-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be 31 on January 17th! ahhhh where did 30 go!? This means I'm going to be IN my 30's hot dam! Anyway, it's the perfect excuse to share some of my favorites from etsy... just in case you need some suggestions! wink wink (I'm kidding, kinda).

Bracelet

Fabric quilt bag

Strong Man, my love for him is a curious thing, (must be something I inherited from my mother and her love for the adorably odd) plus it's on sale!

id bracelet

gold dipped earrings

mystic earrings

a little gathering that is sort of heavy on the jewelry side, but what can I say!?

A family of pugs and a little dude on his dirt bike- Wall Decals

2012-01-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

For Christmas this year I asked my friends Les and Steve of Slaps, an esty shop that makes vinyl decals, if they could make some custom decals for my niece and nephew! They results are phenomenal and the kids are so excited about their new wall art, that I had to share the results.

Above: for my nephew's room they made us a custom decal of Liam riding his dirt bike!

And for my niece's room they made a family of pugs in a dark chocolate brown! This little trio is now available in their shop. Thanks Les and Steve for doing such a great job, there is already talk about what they want for next year!!! ; )

A Love Letter to Winter

2012-01-01T17:00:00.006-05:00

Hey friends! Hope you all had a great New Year's and that your first week of the New Year is off to a great start full of frantic resolution writing and all! Here is this week's Love Letter to Winter, my seasonal blog series whose intention is to bring a little magic and inspiration to your Monday morning. Later today I'll share with you a little post about the Christmas gift we got our niece and nephew this year, so check back in for that, and have a great day!

***

The first Day of the New Year spent in the driveway...

2012-01-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

I snapped these pictures (and many more!) while playing with our little 14month old in the driveway this morning. It's super warm here, which is gross and unnatural in my opinion, but makes for a great day to get outside with the baby. Here she is toddling about in her new hand knit leg warmers her Dad made for her for Christmas, pretty cute! Hope you all have a Happy New Year!

one of my more shallow resolutions...

2011-12-31T08:37:00.004-05:00

In the coming week I plan to write up a whole post with my complete list of New Year's Resolutions... but for now on this early Saturday morning, when I am alone (sans dog) and showered and in clean clothes for a change, I thought it would be fun to be a little frivolous and talk about one of my shallow resolutions- my Wardrobe. I had this idea this past January when I turned 30 and had just finished wearing maternity clothes- a goal to begin to curate my closet with only essential pieces. Ones that are fun yet timeless, well made and would last for many seasons, aging well (as I hope to do!). The sub thesis here is- if I were to live abroad for half a year (or more!) what would I take as my essential pieces, ones that can easily interchange with each other and always look great. I started a board on pinterest with these ideas in mind called NEW WARDROBE. You can find the links to these images and others from my board!

It's a slippery slope into hermit-hood

2011-12-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

Think of it as the biggest culture shock of your life... just when you are getting the hang of something and you are beginning to feel normal- the slightest new experience that was once effortless, dare I said mindless, is now a total cluster fuck. It's like you are an amputee trying to navigate a situation that was once so easy and familiar... but the stark difference between your old life and your new life is so startling yet subtle (like a nasty sneaky little bi-atch) that it makes you not want to ever leave the house...

I'll break it down for you. Ie: I'll give you an example without getting into too much trouble. I went "Shopping" with my mom and sister today at the mall. First off, the husbo thought he could watch the baby so i could go baby less meaning it might actually feel like a break dare I say a treat. But late last night he found out he would have to work today so the baby would be our companion. Now I don't want to sound ungrateful here, I'm merely using this scenario as an example for the new-ish mom topic I'm exploring. I do realize there are women who are in refugee camps and in much shittier situations, but this is what I'm drawing from, I'm American after all (eye roll).

First the day starts out with me inventing and scheming new ways to make breakfast fun so she will eat it (which if you know our baby, this is usually a non issue for which I am very grateful) but this morning was a bit more of a challenge... So I manage to feed her and kinda myself and then go get us both ready for our outing. I throw on the outfit I've been wearing for the last three days because it's actually an outfit of sorts and doesn't have snot or food on anything... I manage to brush my teeth- huge score in my book and even remembered to swipe on the underpit stuff and some mascara. poof I'm ready to go! this all happens pretty fast compared to what is about to take place next- getting the baby ready.

Over the past fews months with her increased mobility it's become more of a wrestling match. It's not violent but it has this impromptu choreography of which she is the lead. So I get her dressed and in the long ass time it's taken me to dress both of us and equip my purse with baby crap- food, diapers, toys, water. My sister was able to actually SHOWER blow dry and flat iron her hair and lord knows what else, solve a cross word puzzle, watch her favorite tv show!? I don't know but you get my point with the time suck I now live in... so we get to the mall, my mom goes to her computer Mac class, my sister goes to do her thing while I set up shop at some couches in Nordstrom for snack time- banana and cheerios... Yes my friends, nothing like going "Shopping" with your mom and sister plus the baby to get a slap in the face with how much your life has changed, i.e.: me alone with the baby and cheerios... it is what it is, and I know you don't believe me but I'm not really complaining so much as delivering the facts. And I'm not heart broken or anything since I go to the mall maybe once or twice a year... but it's because of this rarity that makes this change such a bigger surprise...

and leaving the mall, as nap time LOOMS, the baby is crying and you are that one dragging a crying baby out of a mall... Congratulations you are now that person!!! That's what you got at the mall today, not a new pair of shoes, or a new battery for your watch- you got the reality check that you are now one of THEM.

so what was suppose to be a fun day out turns into a bigger mess than any other typical day, because you now have to take care of an over stimulated and tired baby, who once home goes down pretty easy but only to wake up 45 freaking minutes later!!!! Hence the sentiment to never leave the house. Why go out and through all that bullshit to only create more crap for yourself when you get home!? Plus the whole time you are out at the mall you no longer feel like yourself, because even if you had the money to buy something nice where would you wear it to, the kitchen? Because after today that's where I'll be.

Links and Such

2011-12-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

Wise words, wise words. True about parenting and everything else!

Hey all! Happy Thursday and Happy Links and Such... In case you noticed I took a "few" days off from the blog this week for the holiday. We had a great Christmas and if you celebrate the holiday, I hope you had a great one as well! I didn't get a lot of fantastic pictures from the day, but the few I did snap really capture the baby's perspective and are pretty funny, I'll share them in the next day or so. In the meantime here is this week's Links and Such, short and sweet but here they are! Enjoy!

More added to STUNNING
I want to start knitting socks, and I think this book would be GREAT
amazing Russian dollhouse
can I live here?
beautiful earrings, yes please
pretty wallets and pouches
I want to make this paper bag ensemble dress (pattern)
top ten Sept house tours
have I told you I love this blog?
fun New Year's activities

and
my diy silhouette ornament tutorial

DIY Silhouette Ornament

2011-12-24T13:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve! Here's the DIY ornament I've been hinting at this week on my blog. It's super easy and very inexpensive. I bought a pack of 6 wooden circles at Michael's. I drilled a tiny hole in the top, and painted both sides with silver paint. Then I took a profile shot of the Little Miss, shrunk it down, printed it out, cut it and the traced it onto the wooden circle. Then I painted it in with black paint!

On the reverse side I painted her initials and the year. I strung the ornament with some red and white yarn, baker's twine would be cute too! And poof ready for the tree!

Here is the little miss on my folks' Christmas Tree! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Are those Ornaments on the Ceiling? How my Mother Decorates for Christmas

2011-12-23T10:07:00.002-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve - Eve Everybody!!! I thought it would be fun to share a few pictures of how my mom decorates their house for Christmas. It's a real mix of vintage toys with new handmade etsy objects and other decorations from her childhood and those that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. Click on the images to view them larger and in more detail. And stay tuned, later today I am going to share a little DIY ornament I made this year.

Above: the mantel display in the library aka family room, has steiff toys with tiny ornaments, glittery christmas trees a glittery pair of deer and matching santa, an ornament garland, quilted decorative stockings with more steiff toys inside!

The Library ceiling with glass ornaments hanging from tiny nails. In true Pinnie fashion, there is actually a chart she drew up to insure proper ornament placement every year! ; )

a slight ironic twist on some antlers- i.e. sort of Rudolph-esque

Her collection of Santas sit atop the player piano.

The front hall, when you enter the house, has a garland on the banister, little mistletoe ball from the light fixture. And the table with paper whites- has another vintage Santa with a little elf and sheep backlit by a illumined Christmas tree. And if you enlarge the picture you might be able to see the two mice atop the clock, one in a green skirt the other in red!

And to the left off of the front hall is the Living room with a little faux Christmas tree sitting atop her sideboard. The tree and below it are decked with vintage toys and new etsy finds!

a little grouping of an old teddy bear and doll.

a bagpiper (my twin brother plays the sheep!)

Very cool old paper and tinsel ornaments, steiff toys, toy gun, and an ornament of set of knit mittens I made her last year on the bottom right. And directly below the tree sits this darling mouse pin by MouseTrapVintage. When my mom isn't wearing it to amuse her grandchildren (and herself) it rests in its trap beneath the tree! ; )

Antique family baby booties, a funny plastic baby jesus, another teddy bear, and vintage Christmas tree.

And last year I blogged about this little Orphan Angel I found on etsy by PaperMoonGallery and my mom was smitten and bought it for her tree. She has since bought a few more of these felted little wonders...

like this little angel!

The mantel in the living room with our hand knit stockings on either side. Knit by my paternal grandmother, who knit 17 of these!!! This is the room where we spend Christmas Morning! I hope you've enjoyed this mini blog Christmas tour! Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Recently Added to My Knitting List

2011-12-22T13:39:00.002-05:00

Something happens to me every time this year... I pick up my knitting needles around the end of August and by December I am hooked once again! You see I do knit all year round, but this time of year is when I become mildly addicted to it! And I found two new to me seaters from Quince & Co that I am adding to my list immediately!

Above the Sophia sweater, a pattern in the Wool Book 2.

and the Danforth Pullover (as in Danforth st Portland Maine).

I also want to knit this Avery Cowl as well!

SO much knitting, so little time! ; )

Links and Such

2011-12-22T09:45:00.005-05:00

Happy Thursday and Happy Links and Such! Hard to believe that Christmas is this weekend, but I'm ready it should be really fun with the wee babe toddling around and no doubt more into the wrapping than the gifts! lol. I'm getting a lacquer manicure today, my first manicure in 4 years. As an artist my nails are always taking a hit so it never feels practical... but the lacquer kind should stand up to the Holiday challenge! I'll be sure to report back. And later today (or tomorrow morning) I'll share with you a little DIY ornament tutorial I did this week plus a visual treat of the beautiful vintage way my mom decorates their house for Christmas, we're talking ornaments hung from the ceiling here people! ABOVE: Martha's DIY snow globes.

mmmm Mushroom Soup Recipe
doodle table cloth you can wash- perfect for the kid's table this year!
bookmark this Hair blog
for your salty bird a lighthouse birdcage
adorable DIY gift wrap with a cute snowflake garland
digging this sweater, cool knitting inspiration
my guy gift guide
gift guide for Self
I think I can find a place for THIS in our daughter's room
sounds like my kinda book
a navy and pink room
cool for the little one- vintage fisher price

and in case you missed it from MY blog this week:

the tough question about parenting (i.e. the longest thing I've ever written on here)
a blaze with Christmas a local lit up house, including a little video
Handmade Shout Out: the zippered pouch
a DIY bird house night light for under $10

A Blaze with Christmas

2011-12-21T11:42:00.003-05:00

Last night my parents and my husband and I took my niece and nephew and our 1 yr old to the big Christmas house in Delaware located at 1900 Prior Rd, Wilmington (off of Silverside rd, if you are local and wanna check it out). It's quite a site to behold. One you can see from the 95 highway heading North and South! You can walk through the elaborate yard starting at 5pm and Santa makes an appearance at 6pm! Here are some pictures from our Christmas adventure.

and a little video of the babe walking around the yard of the house... this was her first real outing since walking, and she really took to it, wet ground and all. At one point we realized this was the first time she had been so far away from us before on her own two feet...

Handmade Shout Out: The zippered pouch

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've been noticing a trend amongst my Etsy Favorites lately- the zippered pouch! There are so many cute ones out there right now and my purse, which let's face it is really a glorified baby diaper, toy, snack carry all, could use a little sacred vessel that houses just things for me. Things like Lip balm, favorite drawing pen, tiny note pad, extra set of earrings for when I foolishly leave the house with naked lobes... etc. I love how some have the potential to offer a little element of fun to one's more serious and grown up purse. So here is a round up of some of these pouches to inspire your own organization and sacred vessel ownership!

Above: Custom Initial, letter pouch and her Pencil size pouch

Girl with glasses

made with love and felt

be glad for this moment

Herringbone and leather pouch

Silver Leather clutch

Answering a tough Question about parenthood....

2011-12-21T00:26:00.000-05:00

This Holiday season I've had the opportunity to reunite with family and friends who I haven't seen in over a year + i.e.: they haven't seen me since I entered the world of motherhood. (dun dun dun) And so with each encounter comes the question that most childless people ask, "So what's the biggest surprise you've learned or realized since becoming a parent?" um....? is usually my response. I guess I should say something super awesome and mind blowing that will inspire even the biggest pessimist to join in on the fun and procreate to their heart's content...?!

But truthfully I can't think straight most of the time... I'm lucky if I remember to drink enough water during the day, so answering a question like that feels like really hard math, under pressure hard math, like stop this bomb before it explodes pressure. So far I've copped out by responding with, "um, well it's been surprising how little time you have!?" SOOOoooo freaking cliche, and I always scramble and add something like- "but she's really great and makes everything worth it!". I sound like those parents I met when I was pregnant who would look at you and say, "Enjoy it NOW, because once the baby is born, say goodbye to your life!" Who the hell wants to hear that!? But more importantly that's not how I've viewed parenthood. The husbo and I decided that having children would granted be a sacrifice, but that it wouldn't limited us and we would fold this new family member into our lives, adapting and evolving our lives to accommodate this new little one. After all, as one friend mentioned to me, you are only a parent of small children for a very short amount of time. Thus- enjoy it as much as you can AND also know there is a light at the end of the tunnel (i.e.- teenagers! wha, wha!).

But the truth of the matter is, in some ways it is no longer "your life" it is your child's life because now they come first, they are the number one priority. This is now their childhood of which you are in charge of helping to shape their experiences and memories that they will hopefully happily quote and reflect upon when they are grown adults. I feel like modern technology, the ease of life- the constant connection and availability to our own personal shit has made us weak to take on the task of being a parent. Of understanding the sacrifice that needs to take place... The husbo and I have talked about the concept of "me time" many a time. Although it should never be completely forgotten, at the end of the day (literally when the baby is in bed and you have free time) that free time is still such a luxury to most of the world, so get over yourself, it is enough time. ; )

But let's get back to really answering this question. (pardon my stream of consciousness rantings)

You see it can't be summed up with one answer, which is why I am often left speechless. I wish I had the ability to let you download- in some movie montage of fast clips of light, sound, emotion, dare I add smell... the feeling the complex essence of this new endeavor. But instead just bear with me if you like...

I am now a member of this new sect, I wouldn't call it a group, since that signifies a sense of community. This is not to say that there isn't a mom or parent community, but it can be rather isolating and mostly because you are just so focused on your own journey, on staying afloat, that it's hard to even process let alone remember what just happened this morning or harder yet last week, or worse when she was 6 months old... so when a dear friend asks you to remember back to any 6 month mile stones you draw a blank. You promised yourself you wouldn't but there it is a foggy hot mess.

Because think of it this way- I am now a parent. I'm still wrapping my head around being pregnant, around the birth, around everything... but you don't really have time to sit back and process much. There is this new person in your life that you are completely in charge of, this person is not a peer, they are constantly changing and growing, no other time in your life until now have you had someone so new to you, so dependent... someone who will be so different this time next year. Your siblings, your spouse all slowly change over time but there is a comfort in that you are changing together at a similar pace... but not so with this little one. The baby that you know and love right now will be so different in 4 years, let alone 10 (shit). So there's that mind fuck. The way I love is being tested in a sense, more is being asked of it... I'm going to love this baby through it all.

THEN there is the constant analyzing that takes place every single second of the day, a routine that even the most chill of parents finds themselves in (I hope I'm not alone in this!). At times it can be very subtle while at other times it's a constant flow of questions that demand an answer. "What should she eat for lunch? Do I have a back up if for some strange reason she hates pasta today? why is she acting this way? Do I have a toy or better yet a piece of trash for her to play with so I can rinse out her cloth diaper with out her literally pulling down my elastic pj pants? Should I buy a pair of suspenders!?" and on and on. Your are constantly analyzing the choreography of parenting, navigating the smallest detail to foresee and avoid an iceberg. This is why when you see a parent be they a seasoned veteran, or a newbie don't ask too many questions of them because they are asking enough questions of themselves all dam day.

However the right questions are: May I help!? no, scratch that, our pride will say no. So instead just come up and do something for us... and this brings me to another point I've been musing about. Having a baby is a lot like loosing a family member (hear me out!) At the beginning everyone stops by brings flowers, food, helps out in some form, and then slowly as the weeks tick by people stop calling or emailing, the food has run out and your house is a war zone. And like with grief, it's the 6 month or year mark that also needs to be recognized... because unlike grief having a baby gets harder as they get older, more mobile, more demanding... and I'm not going to call. I'm not. I wish I could but I would call and have what to say!? Friend: "So what did you do today?" Me: "Not much, when I went to clean out a dirty diaper by dumping it in the toilet, I hadn't calculated the physics of the turd and it dropped from such a height that is splashed out dirty toilet bowl water all over my hand and pants."

See no one wants to hear that! That's not good "tweet" material... that and at night when she is asleep I've become possessive of my free time. This will change but for now this is the way it is... and some days I just sit there and do nothing, while other nights I run around like I'm trying out for the game show Super Market sweep! (remember that!?).

On top of all the nitty gritty there is the bigger picture stuff that your mind is now blown wide open to... since becoming a parent I have a greater perspective on generations, on history. Essentially I feel more connected to those that lived in the 17th century, for example. Because there is a universal-bonding element- thing about parenthood that connects you with life, with man...dare I say I feel more? I'm more in tune...? in a tripping out in your friend's basement sort of way... which perhaps is why the movies Tree of Life and Cave of Forgotten Dreams have resonated with me so...

And yet as magical and mind blowing as this journey is... I still feel that it's not for everyone, without judgment I sincerely think not everyone has to have this experience...

So in summary of my midnight ranting...

perhaps the best answer to the question - What's the biggest surprise since becoming a parent?

"I feel more connected to my fellow man, to those that came before and to those that will follow."

or

"That if not executed properly a poop when dropped from a certain height will splash toilet bowl water on your hand, so make sure there aint no "yellow mellow" happening before said turd is dumped in the toilet."

and please don't ask a new parent this question, I will try and do the same.

DIY Bird House Night Light

2011-12-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

I made this little bird house night light for our daughter's bedroom this fall! The total cost was less than $10 and the total time was under a few hours (counting paint drying!). The result is a fun and magical little night light that looks like a harvest moon late at night. Click below for the full tutorial and to see pictures of the night light illuminating her room at night!

First let me apologize for the cell phone shots that were taken during the process, it's all I had at my disposal at the time!

Background info: I had seen a few bird house night lights on flash sale websites starting at $90!!! I knew I could make something for much less and so I set to work. I found this simple bird house at Michael's for under $4. They had more intricate versions, some with two stories but I preferred this one. You could also use a vintage bird house, of course clean it first! ; ) I sanded this store bought one in prep for paint but also to eliminate rough edges.

My neighbor graciously cut the hole in the back of the house using a spade bit. Because lord knows where our bit is!?

He cut a hole big enough for the night light piece to fit snuggly in while allowing the clip to remain exposed for easy removal to replace bulbs etc. I already had this night light fixture leftover from some light boxes I made during grad school, so this was not an increase of cost, but I did factor it into the total of the $10 ball park budget for this project. NOTE: If you want to, you can also cut a slice out of the wood ledge where the cord hangs down to allow the bird house to lay flat on the wall, but ours laid flat and didn't need to be altered.

Then I painted the house with a dark blue paint leftover from a previous project. NOTE: when painting, don't repeat my mistake, cover both holes with paper or the like to ensure that no paint drips into the interior, if you want it to remain natural. I had a helluva time getting my little finger in there and sanding out a big drip! lol Once the paint was dry, in order to hang it on the wall, I drilled a small hole in the very top below the roof line big enough for a nail head to fit into.

And here it is in her room surrounded by a few bird decals with it's chord and the one to the above paper lantern kinda sorta masked by the faux flowers the husbo bought be at Terrain 4 years ago. It's a little woodland section of the room with antlers, Anthro bird plates, and framed vintage children's book illustrations.

How the night light looks at bedtime from the corner of her room where her crib sits. It's our very own harvest moon. And when we play the wave sound on our sleep sheep it's quite the little synthetic moonlit night by the ocean. It gives off great light, enough that I can rock her in the glider and not eat it when I transfer her to her crib. Since it gives off so much light, I do turn it off once she is asleep and I have left the room. Maybe when she gets older and the whole "afraid of the dark" thing potentially becomes more of an issue it will stay on throughout the night.

So there you have it, a magical night light for under $10! Let me know if you make one!?

Knit Pig Review and Final Pictures, plus a new addition to the babe's room...

2011-12-19T17:28:00.002-05:00

Here it is, the knit pig I made this weekend as a stocking stuffer for the Little Miss! It was a very fast project (the best kind these days!). I think it took 6 hours...? I knit the pig on a set of size 6 needles and held two strands of the same pink yarn together since the yarn was a varied hand spun I wanted the pig's skin to be thick enough so you couldn't see the stuffing, and on its own one single strand of yarn would have been to frail and transparent. I stuffed it with an old messed up hat I knit from the same yarn a few years back, which was the perfect filling, very dense with more weight to it than poly fill, giving the pig a robust solidness to its stout physique. The finished measurements: he is 5 inches tall and 8 inches long. It's going to look so cute sticking out of the top of her stocking on Christmas morning! (pictures were taken at dusk hence their yellow-ness... the pig is a nice pale pink!)

The little face with brown eyes.

The little i-cord cork screw tail.

And a new addition to her room, a Sharon Montrose print of a little lamb.

So darling. I love the idea of having a little sheep above her crib (counting sheep, etc). Plus this little pale faced cutie reminds me of our little one, so curious and fair.

Now every wall has artwork! Done and Done! Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog when I will share a little DIY about the bird house nightlight I made for her room. It's so cute and looks like a harvest moon at night, you'll see!

A Love Letter to Winter

2011-12-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

***

Less than a week until Christmas and this week's Love Letter to Winter is all about the Jolly Holiday! I hope you all had a great weekend! Ours was pretty chill, I finished the knit toy I spoke of on Friday and I'll post pictures of the finished project later today! It's going to look so cute sticking out of the wee babe's stocking on Christmas morning. Have a great week and as always click on the "***" to go to the links.

***

So this has been happening...

2011-12-17T18:40:00.000-05:00

Just some videos of what the little miss has been up to lately at 13.5 months. She is full on walking and exploration is her number one pass time! Surprisingly I don't have any walking videos from this week, maybe because it's getting harder and harder to catch up with her! Other little milestones- she's very affectionate loves to kiss and hug us on her own initiative. She's been very chatty for a long time now, but she is using more words in appropriate situations and not just repeating us like a parrot. Like when her friend correctly velcroed her own shoe this week, Cordelia whispered "good girl" for her friend, a praise usually reserved for our dog Millie.

So here are a few videos, some long, some short.... hard to edit as a parent, so watch what you will.

Above: this week she hung out with her cousins Liam and Sophie after school.

Talking on the phone in her crib. (cellphone vid)

Beat box remix, playing with some noise machines in her room. (cellphone vid)

Weekend Project: Knit Christmas Gifts... ahhhhh

2011-12-16T14:34:00.001-05:00

Hey All! Have any fun Christmas-y plans for the weekend?

This weekend I'm knitting this pig as a last minute gift for our 1 yr old daughter! I knew I wanted to knit her a toy and I have all of this pink yarn in my stash that needed a purpose and so a pig felt like the natural recipient, plus I Looooooved piglets when I was little, so it seems only right to pass along this tradition! And some day in the future when I have the money for the needles and yarn, I will knit her this big soft owl! Now off to knit. Have a great Weekend!

update: Go HERE to check out the final result!

Links and Such

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

***

Happy Thursday and happy Links and Such! How's your week? Mine is really great, I managed to send two Christmas packages yesterday to family in Alaska and England. Should we take bets on which will arrive to their destination first!? My bet is England....? (cus that's what they told me!) Other than that the husbo is done with school for the semester which means he's around more which is always nice for the wee babe and myself...And I won this giveaway on CupOfJo! so excited I'm choosing the "Maine" scent! anywho, enjoy this week's Links and Such! And Lil the above poster reminded me of you. ; )

DIY mushroom prints

cus everyone needs a metal stamping kit
I want to live here

the power of a mother's hug
I love him
gingerbread camper
10 things this mom Learned and doesn't want to forget in the first year
lovely little shops
make your own party poppers, or Christmas crackers
the ultimate cardboard play house
shining star space cube

and in case you missed it:

I reviewed "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"

Green gift wrapping ideas

a NEW before and after

and my Family dynamic ; )

What to Watch: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2011-12-14T19:40:00.003-05:00

Last night we watched Werner Herzog's documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams. I feel like my brain grew a few ripples during the course of watching this film. In college while on an Art Abroad to France in 2002 we went and saw some cave paintings... the experience was magical and unique but still felt like a bit of a tourist experience... Herzog's film, with its scenes of long, quiet and musical moments spent alone with the paintings, (without any narration) felt like church. Ideally what church should always feel like... it was a spiritual experience that one can have in nature, when in the presence of something truly awesome (awe-inspiring). To feel so connected to people from 25,000 years ago was truly remarkable. I've always been fascinated with archeology and as an artist I love the line quality, gesture, and movements of these drawings... the drawings are really stunning. There is so much more to say, more that I am still processing. But do me a favor and watch this documentary. And I mean watch it in it's entirety, put down the phone, the computer and just sit with it. Because Herzog will make you feel as if you are actually there, in the presence of something wonderful.

(ps the trailer is nice but doesn't do it justice, I find it too choppy.) You can read more "What to Watch" posts HERE.

A "Green" Gift Wrapping Round Up

2011-12-14T13:20:00.003-05:00

If you've read my Green Living posts, you may know how much packaging drives me crazy! Gifts arrive in packaging be it to the store or directly to your home- your little gift has already seen it's share of waste (sorry to be a hum-bug, but think about it!) SO the thought of putting this gift back into more trash to then be smashed into trash bags at the end of Christmas Day... is kinda gross and unnecessary. So I thought it would be fun to offer some alternative gift wrapping ideas, using recycled paper, fabric and other fun household elements to inspire your own green gift wrapping endeavors.

Above: I'll be honest, not all of my gifts are wrapped greenly this year, but here are a few that are! I found these great colorful drawstrings bags in my mother's Christmas decorations that belonged to my grandparents (?) and so I wrapped the husband's Christmas present in the green bag and used the red cord to tighten up the package tying it around the outside, acting as a bow as well as a great place to tie the luggage tag- gift tag. The smaller white drawstring bag I received with a purchase and I'm using it to wrap a stocking stuffer. We have a few other drawstrings bags I will use for our daughter's presents too. I love the simplicity of this bag idea- so easy, just drop it in the bag and synch up the cords! Boom, you're done!

Next year when I have more time, I'm going to make fabric wrapping! Here's a great tutorial from poppy talk on how to make your own printed fabric wrapping. Now you can reuse the wrapping every year!

Use Brown Parcel paper and embellish with things from nature.

Monogram tags from old Christmas cards.

Bow tutorial, could use recycled paper.

stamp the recipients name on brown parcel paper packages.

Use fabric from old t-shirts as ribbon.

Recycle your tacky Christmas tins into vintage inspired tins.

Need some last minute gifts wrapped!? This ETSY video shows you how to use house hold items to wrap up your presents!

Happy Wrapping!

Before and After: Painted Side Table for a Children's Room

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

My grandparents had a set of these wooden side tables from Hong Kong, and after sitting in a damp basement for a number of years they had seen better days! My sister took the first side table, sanded it and repainted it a mango orange and it now lives in her apartment in NYC. I held on to the second one knowing that one day I would have a use for it! Early this fall we transitioned our daughter from co-sleeping into a crib in her very own room and I knew with a little T.L.C this side table could be really cute in the room.

The table had a patina of mildew and the paint was chipping and the wood was cracked in big not-safe-for-humans-chunks. So I used a power sander and really knocked off the pieces of wood and paint to make sure no further chipping would take place after the new paint was applied. For color, I chose a salmon pink to balance the gray walls and the two larger pieces of blue furniture in the room.

A detail of the top of the table. The relief is now all one color and I actually like how each piece (i.e., bird and flowers) are no longer it's own color... the new monochromatic nature of the relief strikes a balance with the vibrant pink paint.

And here it sits in her room next to the glider conveniently blocking the baby from the one exposed outlet. It sure is a bright pop of color! I'm planning on doing a full baby room post once I have the ottoman recovered and one more piece of art on the wall.

Cousins

2011-12-13T09:38:00.002-05:00

straight up chillin

doing a few little dance moves

and answering the question: "How big are you!?"

Sophie was over yesterday and these two little jokers were horsing around in Cordelia's room. Cordelia can now say "Up" which she loooooves to put to use to ask to get into her crib, to be put up on a big chair, it's her new favorite game. Hence why she is in her crib in these photos, it's not any form of punishment I swear! What a funny little pair.

A Love Letter to Winter

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, hope you all had a great weekend! Ours wasn't really a weekend, since the husbo worked a 13 hour shift on Sat and was studying for most of Sunday... but we will hopefully have a weekend-type day sometime during this coming week! Fingers crossed! I made some good progress on the Christmas front- wrapping presents and finishing some secret knitting things... so that's a plus. Anyway here is this week's Love Letter to Winter full of pretty pictures and more Christmas themed activities and decorating ideas. Enjoy.

Above: Such a pretty Cabin

***

reminds me of my Aunt Deb's in England

simple wreath

pine cones hung with ribbon

Cotton ball Christmas window

Felt Garland tutorial

world maps + Christmas trees

Scrap wood tree

Christmas tree alternative

cute scalloped tree skirt (sorry no link)

burlap tree skirt

and a cute advent idea- inside the numbered bag is a new ornament to hang on the tree each day!

can't get a word in edgewise

2011-12-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

I'm the dude in the tie, my family is the stain...

tragically true, tragically funny

Happy Holidays!

; /

Links and Such

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

(word up!)

Hey All, Happy Thursday and Happy Links and Such! Below are a few things from around the inter webs that I've been digging this week including gift ideas, DIYs etc. Hope you have a great day!

the 5 best toys of all time
felt and wire gift guide
Cup of Jo's gift guides are always fun, like this one for Dad!
cool fabric wall calendar
I really really like this huge ID Bracelet
the most powerful images of 2011
adorable knit booties
cool color combinations for knitting inspiration
make a clementine candle
DON'T throw out your dried up markers, Recycle them into...
Make this perforated Modern Christmas tree, decoration
sweet nothings custom gold necklace, heeh heeh heeh

more added to Stunning

the first Love Letter to Winter!

another video of the little miss walking

and check out this etsy treasury I made

I won this GIVEAWAY! Help me decide what to get!

2011-12-07T19:04:00.001-05:00

Hip, Hip Hooray! I won this awesome Giveaway hosted by HoneyKennedy for a gift certificate from Portland's (Oregon) Shop Adorn. I'm pretty excited and you know I'm going to "treat Yo'Self!" to something fabulous! But what to choose!? Won't you help me decide?

Above: the Pendleton Portland Collection Arrow Cardigan. I'm addicted to cardigans and this one would live in my wardrobe from now until I'm rocking it at the Senior Center. I like how it's a little bit funkier than your typical cardigan, plus it's Pendleton and 100% wool so it will last forever!

Also from the Pendleton Collection, this Box Pleat Shirt. Another piece that will last a long time, but I worry that it's too much of a staple. I mean part of the fun of winning a giveaway is getting something really unique! Plus the other day I got dressed and was loafing around when I looked down and realized I looked like an art teacher- in head to toe faded black- i.e. different shades of gray. All that was missing was a the coffee breath and a random swipe of paint on my cheek. (no offense fellow art teachers!) As much as I love gray I think I should focus on color...?

Or I could make my winnings stretch a bit farther and get this fun set of Butter London Holiday Trio Nail Polish.

and add this Snow Gardenia Perfume to the list!

or these Paige Jeans!

Decisions, Decisions

Watch this Video: Fenton the Dog

2011-12-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

My cousin from London sent me this video last week and it's pretty hilarious. It takes place in Richmond Park in London. Don't we all have a Fenton in our lives!? ; )

A Love Letter to Winter (the first one!)

2011-12-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Here it is the first installment of my seasonal blog series "A Love Letter to Winter". I thought I should jump right into Christmas links and pretty photos for this week's "letter". In case you missed it check out this past Friday's weekend project- DIY decorations! Enjoy!

Above: A fun December activity guide

Holiday Card Round up

Christmas tree alternative: Tomato cage + Christmas lights

large felt christmas tree for kid's to decorate all day long! ; )

check out this homemade advent calendar

display ornaments in large jars

a gallery of christmas wreath ideas

more ways to decorate with ornaments

24 days of Reading: Wrap 24 christmas books you already own. Kids get to pick which one is read that day. Stack under a kids tree in their bedroom.

Be sure to check back in here every Monday for another "Love Letter to Winter"!

Snippets

2011-12-04T23:13:00.001-05:00

It was a slightly rough week for sure- with teething plus a cold, but we managed to keep her distracted by staying busy with a trip to the Brandywine River Museum to see their Christmas display followed by lunch at Terrain. Then later in the week, dinner in Philly with an old high school friend, followed by a big playdate on Thursday! (Activity can be a life saver for sure!)

above: such a sad little one, makes you look forward to the days when you can snuggle with them in front of a movie and fix them anything they want!

Here's a little video montage of the babe from this week... playing in her room, chatting and singing in her stroller and getting better everyday at walking around. Stay tuned for the first "Love Letter to Winter" posted on Monday!

Weekend Project: DIY Handmade Christmas Decorations

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

Poof it's December and as we were driving around last night it felt like everyone looked at their calendar and immediately plugged in their Christmas lights! We are a little behind in that dept, but my mom has decorated her house and it looks awesome and epic as always- blog post to come!

In the meantime I thought it would be fun to focus a weekend project on handmade christmas decorations! Here are a few I would love to try. Let me know if you give any a whirl!? Above: mistletoe- complete with template.

Ornament Wreath

Vintage Book Flowers, cute for the tree or strung as a garland!

How to Cut the perfect snowflake

Loads of paper chain templates

Terrarium Ornaments

Links and Such

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

nice reminder! ; )

Happy Thursday, here is this week's Links and Such! Enjoy!

Kermit the Frog and Brett The Flight of the Concord sing a song
Add a fur pom-pom to your beanie
DIY magnetic trees
lovely christmas cookies! (order by Dec 18th!)
another pretty i-phone case
smoky quartz painting
check out this gorgeous cowl neck- so versatile
hitching a ride
beautiful calendar
funky alphabet wooden blocks- for the little miss
love this knot basket
and this knot pillow- fun nautical touches for your home !

AND

Enter this awesome Giveaway At Honey Kennedy

Paul and Stella

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-05:00

ah a father and his daughter, how cute are they!?

Dirty Details of Motherhood

2011-11-30T11:07:00.001-05:00

Today I'm on snot detail. I have an intimate relationship with the phrase "her nose is running like a drippy faucet" but to be more accurate it's not dripping so much as spurting, bubbling in bursts of sludgy goo. And of course when I go to wipe it up she gets even more upset and then out comes more snot- requiring more cleaning. I am a walking cliche. I have snotty tissues in ALL possible pockets- cardigan, front and back pant's pockets, I have streaks of yogurt on my sweater and usually it looks like a banana sneezed on my sleeve (yes it is banana in this case and not snot). Here it is - "motherhood". And those are just the physical surface details, the signs that I take care of a budding toddler all day long. There is also the noise factor that is not translating here (you're welcome!)...

I once read that taking care of a toddler is like wearing a helmet made of screams. WORD UP. I will add to that and say, there is no better sound than the silence that follows the screams and crying... when all is calm, the baby is happy (and better yet- asleep!). When you look around and just melt, exhale, and decompress from the torrent of noise that was just inhabiting your head, your core, your being. Sounds dramatic but it's true. It's designed this way, it's suppose to be so upsetting and rattling so you actually help the baby instead of run away. During these moments you wish you could open a door, a window and let the NOISE out of the room- to have it dissipate like smoke from burnt toast... but it's a helmet after all and not as easy to get rid of. Are my ears bleeding? really, are you sure, because they should be bleeding!

The past couple of weeks the baby has been teething like crazy and has had a cold, our dog, Millie, has been having a bit of a hard time with the increased noise level around here. To be honest she's never really been the same since the "new dog" came to stay. This week we have found her cowering in the corner of the laundry room, practically hugging herself, rocking back and forth while muttering some mantra to comfort herself. And as much as I want to join her some days, I tried to be a bit more proactive to help comfort our "first child". I did a little googling and found some stupid ideas to help your dog adjust, and then others that gave me pause.

Por ejemplo: The idea to play a tape of a baby crying for your dog to help them adjust to these sounds before the baby is born. It's sort of cruel, like boot camp- breaking your dog down inch by inch so they can with stand the new noise level. And then my mind pondered the idea of a parent boot camp... what would that look like (parents having babies thrown at them during an obstacle course?) and would it even work? There is nothing like the real thing- i.e. a real baby... and taking care of a newborn is a hellavuh lot different than a 13 month old. At the beginning you are pretty much thrown into it- you have to adjust in record time to less sleep, etc but honestly for the most part a newborn sleeps A LOT, and then when they are awake they are more or less pleasant. They aren't unrolling the toilet paper, playing with the trash can, throwing food on the floor, you don't have to wrestle a newborn during diaper changes and to put on one single sock... Yes you have 13 months to build up the various layers of your parenthood callus so you can handle a toddler. It's still not easy, but your bond is strong like bull, allowing you to manage and navigate the road blocks a little easier.

But if motherhood has taught me anything (besides love, patience, and gratitude, blah blah blah) it's that we should get back to the commune/ it takes a village- way of life. The days I have a "playdate" are often the best medicine for a fussy, teething baby. Their is often a change of scene and playing with another little one really helps their mental state, because let's face it they get bored of us too... so whose with me!? Who wants to buy a chunk of land, live in a yurt and raise our babies together in one big pile of banana sneezes? It could be Fuuuuu-uuun!?

swinging

2011-11-29T16:46:00.001-05:00

this video sort of reminds me of when we put the little miss in a swing this weekend... pretty similar, except our daughter giggled a bit more- get with the program DOGS! ; )

Proof of Walking (and Proof of Coaching)

2011-11-28T20:20:00.001-05:00

I thought I would offer up a little video proof that our daughter is "walking". She is still crawling to get most places as it is faster and less risky, but when coached and encouraged she can be quite adventurous with her little feet. She is pretty determined (wonder where she gets that from!?) and she roars and says uh-oh when she falls, lol. I took these two videos tonight with my cellphone in my parent's dimly lit house... I tweaked the exposure to make viewing them a little easier... (hopefully)! She was getting tired at the end of a long day and had been cruising around pretty good up until I thought to video tape... but here you have it, proof of walking at 13 months!

Above: is the short version

And here is the longer version, for those who are interested. It's cute to see how she understands "Stand Up!" She isn't walking full time, but I don't think that's too far away! So I guess right now I will enjoy this phase of crawling and walking before the inevitable phase of walking but mostly RUNNING!!!!

Some Thanksgiving Pictures...

2011-11-28T14:07:00.001-05:00

Here are some shots from Thanksgiving this year!

Above: a little family shot- very rare!

I made this little feather felt headband for the little miss to wear, it remained on her head for all of 3 seconds! lol, ah well next year!? Plus I made it big enough that she can wear it for a long time- elastic baby! (I'll do a little quick DIY tutorial with detail shots this week!)

The little miss and I.

She's wearing a darling dress from her Alaska Grandparents, I knit the scarf, the tights are from her English cousins, and her tulip shoes are by See Kai Run. I'm wearing this awesome vintage dress from DearGolden, j crew cardigan, a funky woven vintage belt (can't see it!) and a funky necklace my sis got me from Anthropologie. (in case you were wondering!)

The husband partaking in our Annual tradition of posing with the "participatory head gear" He was "road kill".

While I was crying for my lost homie.

After dinner, the little miss dancing at the player piano.

And later that night, carving up the bird into leftovers as Millie hopes for some scraps!

We had a great Thanksgiving and hope you did as well!

Links and Such

2011-11-27T07:57:00.000-05:00

Hey All, hope you had a great Thanksgiving (if you celebrate the U.S. holiday)! We did, although I'm quickly learning how different holidays are going to be from here on out with a kid. They are definitely more work... But it was a tasty dinner with about 24 people at my folk's house, and to celebrate the little miss decided to put her steps together and start walking a few days before! She's still working on balance, etc but for the last 4 days she's been really walking, not full time, there is still a lot of crawling in the mix but she's really on the move making large journeys on foot across her room.

Anywho, exciting stuff! I wanted to do a Links and Such this Thursday but life got crazy and it's still crazy even as I attempt to type this (the baby has discovered that my caps lock key lights up so that's a new challenge). So here are a few links from this week for your weekend. Above: Love this Make It Rain needle point, hilarious! Reminds me of Along Came Polly- "RainDance!"

animals in sweater vests
as a new mom, I've enjoyed reading this comedic take on motherhood
Want this wooden puzzle
pretty outfit
ugly Renaissance babies
make bath fizzies
hand painted pebble
love these earrings

15% off HarvestGoldJewelry's etsy shop! w/ code THANKYOU
even more handmade black friday and cyber monday deals

Handmade Shout Out: Maine Made Leather Mocs

2011-11-23T13:56:00.001-05:00

I stumbled upon these fabulous handmade Moccasins on etsy this week and I just had to share!

They are custom made in Maine by WassookeagMoccasins and the husband and I both want a pair. They are available in a variety of leathers from Buffalo to Bullhide and in a variety of colors. I just wish they had a sturdy sole and could be my everyday running around town shoes. But they will do just fine as my indoor slippers! ; )

***

What I've been knitting lately...

2011-11-22T09:53:00.001-05:00

I realized the other day that this season I have knit quite a few things... and I wanted to share the completed knit goods that are finished and off the needles! I am still working on a little sweater tunic for the baby (but the gauge is off so it will fit her best next fall, so no rush to finish it at the moment!) I also have a list of Christmas presents I am slowly chipping away at. YUP, I'm knitting pretty consistently this fall. I love how quickly and easy some pieces have knit up - it's very rewarding to see something through! (forgive the pictures, my camera is on the fritz so most of them are cell phone shots!)

I knit this teeny bear as a little purse companion for the baby to play with when we are out and about... I'm planning to knit more of these little friends for the bear as stocking stuffers!

And I knit this little pixie hat for the baby (it needs some tweaking... might knit another version of this hat in a warmer yarn for late winter)

I knit this lion hat for the babe for Halloween, and I knit this gray hat for myself. (I made the gray hat longer than the pattern called for- in order to make it more slouchy. I love how it's an easy go to staple!)

I knit these little mitten ornaments for a blog giveaway last week. I'll be offering more knit giveaways starting Dec 1st!

I knit a simple pink cowl neck for myself in a super soft baby alpaca yarn! It knit up really quick, on size 9 needles I cast on 57 stitches and knit in seed stitch until I got my desired width. It's very warm and fun to wear out and around the house!

And last night I knit this tiny vintage inspired scarf for the little miss from a pretty purple cotton and WASHABLE yarn! It's a fun little accessory perfect for outside and an added layer for a drafty house come winter. We joke that it looks like a baby ascot, making her look like a little french dude. (just what she needs, more people thinking she's a boy!) I might also knit the bigger version of this scarf for myself... haven't decided on a color yet... in the meantime I'm back to my secret Christmas knitting! I'll be sure to share more knit goods and presents after Christmas.

A Love Letter to Fall: Thanksgiving Themed Part 3!

2011-11-21T10:15:00.001-05:00

***

Hi all, here is this week's Love Letter to Fall- thanksgiving themed part 3!

***

Links and Such

2011-11-17T07:09:00.001-05:00

ah those were the days... ; )

Happy Thursday! Here are this week's Links and Such. Sorry for being a little non existent this week, the baby has been under the weather, so you know how that goes! I still can't believe Thanksgiving is next week? I was reminiscing on Twitter about how this time last year I was still wearing maternity clothes at Thanksgiving (ah the joys of having a newborn) and so this year I really want to dress up. It's not enough progress that I am no longer in elastic pants... I want to actually wear jewelry, etc. anywho, just being a girl! Do you dress up for the Holidays?

Have a great Thursday!

for the day I get an iPhone
Decorating inspiration: gray and white chair with a funky dresser
want this leather bracelet
can't get enough shawl collar cardigans (ps mens sweaters are warmer, I swear)
DIY lampshade chandelier mobile
perfect for the cyclist: a detachable speaker for your smart phone
all about socks
check out this big metal sink!
make your own penguin
super funky gold leaf rope bracelet
DIY: yarn + wire = word sculptures (cute for Christmas decorating...)

and if you missed it:

the winner of my blog-iversary giveaway

and a Love Letter To Fall Thanksgiving theme 1 AND Part 2

Just Chillin at our local Library

2011-11-15T10:33:00.001-05:00

(ie: her bedroom, hence the pjs and lack of footwear)

The little miss is under the weather today, so I'm on duty with pockets full of tissues and arms full of hugs. She's still pretty happy and jovial, singing to herself and reading... she really only gets upset when I try to wipe her nose and face. So that's good. But I thought I would do a little check in since my intended blog posts probably won't happen today.

And a little REMINDER to enter my giveaway, the winner will be picked and announced tomorrow!

***

A Love Letter To Fall: Thanksgiving Themed part 2

2011-11-14T08:49:00.001-05:00

***

Hi folks, hope you had a great weekend! I DID!!! The Husbo watched the baby on Sunday and I finally got back in the studio! Hooray! I'm working on opening my Etsy Studio Shop by The New Year at the latest, so stay tuned to the blog and twitter for future info on that! Here is this week's Love Letter to Fall- with another Thanksgiving theme! Hope it gets you in the spirit. Here is last week's Thanksgiving theme part 1, in case you missed it.

***

AND don't forget to enter my giveaway! The Winner will be picked on Wed!