Weekend Projects

I've got a whole list of projects I'd like to do this weekend.

1. We're starting off our weekend with a trip over to feed the ducks and swans. 
2. I want to get started making a photo book of my kids. I'm going to take one photo of them from each year of their life, add a few of their favorite things (see my inspiration here) and print them out over at blurb.
3. I'm currently working on an updated version of the kids' silhouette canvases. I'll finish them up over the weekend and show them to you next week. Spoiler alert: Charlotte's hair is pretty hilarious. 
4. We'll probably hit up a local kite festival, and cross "fly kites" off our summer list.

What do you have planned for your weekend?

P.S. I'm over at The Notebook today as part of Meaghan's Friday Finds.

Recipe Cards

When I was newly married (almost ten years ago!) I made a project of neatly printing all of my recipes on matching recipe cards. But as the years went on, I found that my favorite, most splattered-on recipes were the ones written on index cards by my grandmothers, or the one my mom wrote on one of her recipe cards. Not only are these my most cherished recipes, but they're easiest to find because they stand out in my recipe box because they don't match every other card in the file.

You know I'm a girl who appreciates cute stuff; but when it comes to cooking I'm all business. I need plenty of space to write a recipe. I don't want to have to dodge dangling salt & pepper shakers, or have half the card taken up with an image of grapes. I want clean, simple, no-nonsense recipe cards.

It's with all these things in mind that I created the first installment in my recipe card collection. I wanted to offer cute, durable, and functional recipe cards that would stand out from the crowd. I sent these babies to my professional printer, and they're thick and durable with a clean, smooth writing surface. Everything I've ever wanted in a recipe card. And I'm so excited that they're finally available in my shop.

Happy cooking!


P.S. The kids and I are over at good tots today baking cinnamon chips. Come take a peek. And bring your appetite!

Butterflies

Remember those painted butterflies the kids and I made a while back? Well, the butterflies are back. This time they're super-sized and dressed up for a good time. Here's a peek at a project I finished this week for a display window:

I've kind of always despised the tulle curtains my landlord provided for us. They do, however, make the perfect butterfly backdrop. The solid-color butterflies are cut out of sparkle paper, and they're super cute in real life.

This project has given me loads of inspiration. I'm going to work these babies into a window-seat re-do for Charlotte's room; and wouldn't they be super sweet for a baby shower? I'm working on a tutorial as we speak. Can't wait to share it with you!

P.S. Pardon my crummy pictures. It's hard to take pictures when your subjects are back-lit by the window. :)

The Cover-Up

I've always heard friends talk about how much sooner they start showing with each subsequent pregnancy. They're not kidding. I wasn't ready for the "big reveal" right away, although my waistline started shouting out the news pretty quickly. Thank heavens for all the great slouchy, stripy tops this season. I have to say that my slouchy little plan worked pretty well.* In case you have a "little secret" to hide, let me point you in the right direction:

Top: 1. American Apparel, 2. Bobeau, 3. Ella Moss, 4. Olivia Moon
Bottom: 1. Bobeau, 2. Olivia Moon , 3. Olivia Moon, 4. Anthropologie

*Here's a little tip: if you really want to keep something a secret, definitely don't share it with your five-year-old. My son told his best buddy, and together, they dazzled others with the news as I taught a lesson at church. There were definitely a few raised eyebrows that day, along with some not-so-discreet glances at my midsection. So if you don't count all the people in my class that day, my cover-up worked wonders.

Maternity Style

I've never felt confident sharing pictures of myself, let alone pregnant photos, and I wasn't planning on sharing this time around, either. I think my waistline started expanding before I even knew I was pregnant, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and wait for it to be over. But the nice people at Splendid wanted to help me celebrate the good news with some of their new maternity collection.

And while yes, they gave me this cute top, they didn't require me to gush about how much I love it. I'm doing that because I sincerely love it. In my three pregnancies, my Splendid maternity clothes are by far my favorites. This is the Splendid Maternity Variated Stripe top, in case you need one. I really love it so much, I just ordered it in another color. Can't wait for it to get here. And I bet my family can't wait to see me wear something else for a minute. :)

My favorite thing is that this is something I would totally wear if I weren't pregnant. There's no empire waist, no ruching, no ties, no tell-tale maternity trademarks. Not that there's anything wrong with those things. And I do own quite a few "typical" maternity tops. But this one makes me feel totally normal, and stylish, too. I love the length, and I love the shape...it's the perfect solution for my awkward, chubby, "is she? isn't she?" stage.

My kids get a kick out of my pudgy belly. And Hudson checks every morning to make sure our baby is still growing. It's taken me a while to get excited this time around. I just know how much work this is going to be. I dread that last month of pregnancy. I know how many sleepless nights are ahead. But I also know how long we waited for Charlotte to join our family, and I feel so blessed to have this chance to add to our family.

And thanks to Splendid's encouragement, I'll be back at least once a month to give you a pregnancy update. So you'll be seeing A LOT more of me, a lot more often in the next six months...so brace yourselves. :)

********

Shopping Guide:
Shirt: Splendid Maternity Variated Stripe Top, in punch
Pants: Jolt Skinny Jeans (not maternity)
Sandals: Sam Edelman (similar)
Leaf Necklace: I made it
Stacked Bracelets: I made those, too :)
Nail Polish: OPI Cuckoo for the Color


P.S. Photos by Hudson. Ashley, Hurry back!

one, two, THREE

We have a little announcement:

Baby #3 will be joining us in January! I still can't believe I'm going to have three kids.
Bryce and Hudson are super excited.
Charlotte doesn't have a clue what's going on, but she's definitely going to have some jealousy issues.
And I'm both excited and terrified at the same time.

*****
And since I actually put some thought into what we'd wear for this announcement, here's some info on our clothes:
Hudson's shirt: Mini Boden
Charlotee's shirt: Old Navy (similar)
My top: Splendid Maternity


Stay tuned for my first maternity style post, ever.

A Facial + A Winner

Congratulations to comment #7, Jackie who wins the Perricone giveaway. I'll contact you soon about your big victory.

And to everyone else who entered, you're not going to walk away empty-handed. No, Sir. Today's your lucky day. I'm offering you a chance to receive Charlotte's facial services with a 50% discount.

The treatment begins with her favorite product, Strawberry Rosebud Lip Salve.

 She uses a generous amount of product to gently massage your face.

And concentrates her main efforts on the lips, so you'll be soft and shiny and beeeeeautiful.

You'll walk away shiny and strawberry-scented with a huge smile on your face.

Any takers?

Update: DIY Bobby Pins

My little Covered Button Bobby Pins have received a little bit of attention lately.
I've been getting lots of emails asking some of the same questions, so I'm going to answer those questions here for your reference.

1. What fabric did you use?
All the fabrics I used are from the Central Park by Kate Spain collection for Moda Fabrics. Here is a swatch sheet with all the item numbers for each fabric.

2. Where did I get the fabrics?
I got my fabric at a darling fabric shop in Livermore, CA, called In Between Stitches. They do offer some fabrics for sale on their website. Definitely stop by and check them out if you're ever in Livermore.

3. What size of buttons did you use?
They're size 30. The diameter is 3/4"; I find this size is perfect for the bobby pins. They fit the pad pretty well, with a little room to spare, and they look proportional to the size of the pin. I've also used these size 30 buttons to make push pins, simply by gluing thumbtacks into the back. Here's a link in case you want to buy some.

4.  Do you recommend any other types of glue for this project?
I've only had experience with gorilla glue. But any type of glue that will bond to metal should be just fine. You could probably use hot glue as well, but I have problems with hot glue peeling off of metal...so if you're looking for longevity, definitely look for a glue that is specifically for metal.

Let me know if I missed anything. I'd love to see pictures if you've tried this project!
Have a great day.

Words

I'm at a loss for words today, so I'm borrowing some of my new favorites from Pinterest.

                                                                            Source: shop.thefoundary.com via Christina on Pinterest

                                                                         Source: sycamorestreetpress.com via Christina on Pinterest

                                                                             Source: flickr.com via Christina on Pinterest

                                                                   Source: gorgeoustakethecity.tumblr.com via Christina on Pinterest

Just a few notes:

• if you missed my DIY Bobby Pins, they're over at Honest to Nod today. I'll be posting some common FAQ's about this project later on this week, including fabric sources, etc.
• today's the last day for the Perricone giveaway. I'll announce the winner tomorrow.
• stay tuned...I've got some big stuff coming this week.

Have a Great Weekend

I can't believe it's Friday again. It seems like the weekends come one right on top of the next these days. Hope you get to do something fun this weekend.

Oh, and there are just a few days left to enter the Perricone giveaway. Don't miss out!

Favorite Free Printables

Even though I love to design my own paper goods, sometimes I'm in a pickle and need a quick fix. Sometimes I'm in a creative rut and I can barely manage a scribbled a note on an old napkin. And sometimes other people's stuff is just better than mine. I'm no fool.

Kind Cards, from Kind over Matter

Thank goodness we live in a time when brilliant free printables are everywhere. My only problem is keeping track of them all. It's dizzying, really. This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface, but I've compiled a list of my favorite places for free printables.

1. Kind Over Matter (printables)
2. Wild Olive (printables)
3. Love vs. Design (printables)
4. iDIY (printables)
5. Creative Mama (printables)
6. We Love to Illustrate (printables)
7. simple as that (printables)
8. Sprik Space (printables)
9. Eat Drink Chic (printables)
10. Anything but Perfect (printables)
11. Cottage Industrialist (printables)

I'm giving you the links to both the blogs and the printables. Because behind every great source for printables is an even better blog. So take some time and explore these incredible blogs while you're at it.
Have a great day.

Honest to Nod + me

This summer is full of big things around here. This is the first of the big projects I've been waiting to unveil.  Land of Nod just re-launched their blog, Honest to Nod, and I'm a contributor! It's an honor to be working with one of my favorite companies, and in the company of some incredible bloggers. Hooray! Go check it out today.

Our Summer Vacation

We look forward to our special trip to Grandma & Grandpa's every year on the 4th of July. You really can't beat celebrating the 4th in a small town. I've only missed one year, and I'll never do it again. Here are a few highlights of our trip:

Lots of time spent in Grandma & Grandpa's back yard. The kids especially loved wading in the new stream. I think they were both soaking wet at the end of each day.

 Grandma & Grandpa surprised the kids by renting a bounce house. A special thanks to all the younger aunts and uncles who can keep up with these two. I think the "big kids" may have enjoyed the bounce house as much as the little kids.

The parades are always the highlight of the celebration. There are two parades. One for the kids to be in, and the big one on the 4th, where they throw all the candy. Both were a hit.

Probably the biggest victory this year was Hudson actually did some sparklers. If you'll remember, he's a bit afraid of fireworks. Especially the sound. He's always had issues with loud sounds. Sensitive ears, perhaps? Remember those gunshot earphones from previous years? Hudson likes wearing his special "firework earmuffs" and it makes the sound more tolerable for him. And I'm glad he didn't miss Grandpa's spectacular firework show. My dad has impeccable taste in explosives. :) He really knows how to put on a show.

We also made a trip up to the lake. Charlotte absolutely had to go in. As soon as we got out of the truck, she sat down to take her shoes off. She was furious when we told her no. But Grandpa obliged her every whim, and dangled her into the cold water. And remember those tire swings from my childhood? Yep. My kids love 'em.

We all had such a great trip. And now you can see why I was too busy to keep up on my blog during our trip. I was distracted by all the fun. A huge thank you to my folks for making our trip so memorable. Can't wait to see you next!

Acai Berry Super Giveaway from Perricone

You all ready know how much I love Perricone. And the clean lines and perky packaging of the SUPER collection have caught my eye time and again. The SUPER collection is based on superfoods. We hear about the health benefits of superfoods all the time. Turns out that they're really great for our skin, too. The SUPER collection harnesses the powers of those superfoods to target common skin concerns.

Today, Perricone is giving one lucky reader a product of their choice, up to $150 in value. Here are just a few you can choose from:

Sweet Clean cleanser, packed with acai berry super is both effective and gentle; and ideal for all skin types.

Have you read about the benefits of yogurt for skin? You can experience those benefits with Second Skin hand and cuticle cream. It was developed with probiotics from Greek yogurt, and leaves you with soft, polished skin.

I'm sure you've seen the Sun Kissed tinted moisturizer in all the beauty and fashion magazines lately. It provides SPF, and reflects light leaving your skin looking both flawless and sun-kissed.

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There are SO many more products to tell you about, and they're all equally fabulous. But I'm sure you're thinking, but how do I win? So here's how you enter:

1. First, tell me which Perricone product (valued at $150 or less) you want or need and why. You can find the links to their site in the product descriptions above.
2. Tweet about the giveaway. Make sure to include me (@christinabw) in your tweet so I can see your post.
3. As always, followers of my blog get an additional entry. Just because I love you.

The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. It will end at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, July 19; with the winner announced the following morning. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, and good luck!

The Trouble with Vacations

The trouble with vacations is there's a whole lot to do when you get back.
This photo of my kids waiting for the parade to start accurately illustrates my attitude about the tasks at hand today.

Definitely stop in tomorrow for the best giveaway ever. Seriously. You're not going to want to miss this one! And hopefully by tomorrow I'm not buried under a mound of laundry.

I'm Back

Just returned from a wonderful vacation.
While I'm wading through the piles of laundry, here's a little summer travel game I put together over at good tots:

Go here for a link to the free download.
I'll be back later on this afternoon with a report from my trip.