Winner

The winner from last week's 3 Sprouts giveaway is comment #22: Gayle. Congratulations, Gayle! And thanks to everyone who participated. Stay tuned...I'll have another exciting giveaway later on this week.

(Winner selected by Random.org)

Giveaway: 3 Sprouts

Whether you're in the market for platform beds, a trendy stroller, or a fab hostess gift, the csn family of stores will always have what you need. I'm so excited that our friends at allmodern.com are offering a free 3 Sprouts storage bucket for one lucky reader.

Want to win? Of course you do. Here's how:

1. Leave a comment here and tell me which bucket you'd choose.

2. If you're a follower, you get an additional entry...just make sure to leave a separate comment saying that you're a follower.

3. Spread the word: tweet, blog, or mention the giveaway on facebook for another chance to win. Simply leave another comment with a link to your post.

I'll close comments on Sunday at 11 pm (Pacific Time); and the winner will be announced bright and early Monday morning. Good luck.

The Nap that Wasn't...and some Ice Cream

The house was quiet. She was sleeping, he was reading. I was elated.

It didn't last.

Cribs: They're not just for sleeping anymore.

Jail.

Wrestling Ring

Bounce House

The best part of all...I just couldn't be mad. Not even if I tried.

Sometimes a ruined nap creates the best memories.

And if you're in the mood for making more memories--of the sweet, messy variety--try making homemade ice cream. This cookies & cream was totally easy and pretty darn good, too.

Baby Shower Details

Recently, the pink + yellow baby shower I threw for my friend Ashley has been featured on several blogs. {Thank you all for your kind words!} And I've received a number of questions about details...so I figured an all-encompassing blog post is in order.

The Wall:

I had this genius (at the time) idea of creating a lightweight, fake wall that I could hang on my wall with adhesive. (Adhesive = no wall damage). My plan involved six sheets of foam board, tape, glue, lots of cursing, and paintable bead board wallpaper. I took a fabric swatch from the table cloth and had paint dyed to match. It would have been the perfect plan. Except that when I went into the garage to inspect my wall, the drying wallpaper paste had warped the foam boards into a perfect half pipe. Too bad it wasn't a skater-themed baby shower. All in all, it was a huge nightmare. I should have just sucked it up, rented a truck and bought a real piece of bead board. Lesson learned: do NOT try to construct a wall out of paper. Duh.

The Food:

Cupcakes from Sibby's Cupcakery

I posted the popcorn recipe way back here.

Marshmallow Pops: instructions here.

My amazing friend, Jen, baked and decorated all the sugar cookies...aren't they darling?

Candy: bought here, here, and here.

All the labels (popcorn, candy bars, water bottles) I just did on my computer and printed off. {The beauty of custom-labeled items, is that it can be done way in advance; and the tiniest details are often the most noticed.}

Serving Pieces:

Most of my serving pieces have come from Crate & Barrel over the years. Some of them (like the beverage jar) are still available.

I think that's it...if you have a burning desire to know something I left out, just let me know.

I hope you all had a super-duper Father's day. What was 72-hours ago my spotless kitchen now looks like war zone. I think that means it was a success.

Photos from Hudson

Hudson received a camera for Christmas. The memory card was bursting at the seams, so we finally uploaded all his photos. After digging through all the photos of his feet and his toys, there were actually some pretty cool ones. Despite the poor photo quality, it's really fun to see life through his eyes.

He didn't take this one, but he styled it. We were anxiously waiting for B to come home from work on his birthday. I love his face.

Have a nice weekend.

Celebrate

Just popping in with a quick picture of a Fourth of July project I'm working on.

Currently the entire garage, both kids and myself are completely covered in red glitter.

Etsy Finds: ME!

Of course the ONE day I don't open my Etsy Finds email, I'm actually in it. My Cutlery Napkins were featured in Monday's Get This Party Started article. Hooray! Being featured in Etsy Finds is kind of one of those things you always secretly hope for, but you know will never happen. Go here to read the article, scroll down the page a bit and you'll find this in the "Picnics & Barbecues" section:

Makes me want to go on a picnic. Anyone want to join me?

Have a great Wednesday!

Enchanted Forest, Part II

If you come to my front door, you'll see some pretty typical sights: struggling pansies in a flower pot, cute door mat, a front porch that needs to be swept, etc. As you reach over to ring the bell, chances are you'll be startled by a house finch flying out of my porch light.

I took this picture when there were only two eggs. Now there are four. Hudson loves to check on his "baby eggs" every morning. If you look close at the nest, you'll notice some dryer lint and a few strands of my hair. I'm glad to know that someone appreciates our lint, and my continuing post-partum hair loss (ugh).

And I also want to give a HUGE, public thank you to the best babysitter ever. Uncle Ryan, you have no idea how much my kids love you. Hudson got all teary-eyed this morning at breakfast. As I consoled him and tried to determine the problem, all he could choke out was, "I miss RyGuy." Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your willingness to take on my little beasts. And Charlotte won't go to sleep for just anyone. So consider yourself special.

Eight

Eight years: two kids, three cities, two Bachelor's degrees, three years of Dental School, two years of Residency (and two more to go). When I married B eight years ago today, I had no idea where life would take us. I'm not really the sappy type, so I won't be filling the pages of my blog with oozy, love prose. But I will say that I love him infinitely more with each passing year.

We've both changed a lot since that day eight years ago; and I think the mutual love, respect, support and acceptance we allow each other is the key. While I'm letting down my sappy barrier for a moment, let me take a sec to say some nice things about B.

• He is supportive of everything I want to accomplish. And he never complains about all the craft paraphernalia I have strewn about the house. That's a good man, right there.
• He compliments me every day, and I can tell he means it.
• He lets me decorate the house however I want. That's big.
• He makes me laugh. Hysterically.
• He's my very best friend. I trust him with my secrets, my hopes and my dreams.

Happy Anniversary, Dude. I love ya.

{P.S. B and I don't pose for many pictures together. It's nothing personal...we're just not one of those picture-taking kinda couples. But I thought you'd enjoy the photo booth strips, circa 2008.}

Favorite

I'm a cookbook addict. But this one really takes the cake, so to speak. The word love doesn't quite cover it. I will never use a taco seasoning packet again.

Remedy for a Bad Week

Hands down, one of the hardest weeks I've had in a while. I celebrated making it through the week by buying a new album. Sometimes all you need is a good cover song and a pajama-clad dance party to lift your spirits. Hope you have a good weekend.

DIY: J. Crew Sparkle Necklace

Recently I developed a severe case of obsession over a necklace I spotted at J. Crew. I found myself daydreaming about it while I was in the car and thinking about it before I drifted off to sleep at night. Two things stopped me from buying it on the spot: 1. The price tag. 2. The fact that I knew I could make it in five minutes, for about five bucks.

Here's what you'll need:

1. Satin ribbon. I found the perfect shade at a local shop. I used a 5/8" silvery-grey to re-create the original. And I bought 3 yards to make sure I had plenty.

2. Faceted acrylic beads. You can use any color; but I chose clear. I used the following shapes/sizes: 20mm Round, 18x13mm Rondelle, 22x14 Tube, and 17x15 Cube.

3. Tape

4. Scissors

5. Needle-nose pliers (optional)

Tie one knot about 6-10 inches from the end of your ribbon. This will become the bow that ties the necklace closed, so make sure you leave enough ribbon to tie a bow.

Tape the opposite end of the ribbon like a shoelace. This helps you thread the ribbon through some of those tighter beads, without fraying it to shreds.

Thread your first bead. Tie a knot. Thread your second bead. Tie a knot.

Repeat in any pattern you'd like. Keep tying knots and threading beads until your necklace is as long as you desire.

Cut the tape off the end of the ribbon; then trim both ends so they're the same length.

Tie a bow; and wear your sparkly new necklace with pride.

Just a few tips:

Tie the knots pretty tight and as close to the beads as possible. If tiny people like to use your jewelry as lassos or teething toys; the knots will get tighter and the beads will start sliding around. Not a huge deal, but don't say I didn't warn you.

The rondelle is a bit of a nightmare to thread because it has the smallest hole. You kind of have to twist and jam the ribbon in there, then grab the end with the pliers and pull it on through. The ease of stringing the rondelles all comes down to how the end of the ribbon is taped. If you're having a hard time, simply cut of the end of the ribbon, re-tape it and try again.

If you order the beads from the links above, you'll have enough to make roughly three necklaces...so throw a necklace party, or make several so you'll have some cute, handmade gifts on hand.

Enchanted Forest

I'm starting to wonder if I live in the Enchanted Forest or something. We keep having funny little run-ins with wildlife. Remember the lizard? Well, the other day it was pouring. The kids and I were sitting on the floor in the family room playing board games and this little squirrel scurried along right next to our screen door trying to stay dry. The kids immediately hurried over to the window to see her (we named her "Mommy Squirrel") and she wasn't frightened by her audience. We threw out some sunflower seeds to keep her around a bit longer, and the kids admired her while she stayed dry near the house.

And then there's this little devil:

The Raccoon who has taken possession of our garbage cans. He lurks out there every night from 9 pm - 3 am. He's smart, strong, and stubborn. When we catch him in the cans, he climbs up the fence and waits for us to leave the window so he can return to his business. One night, B returned late from a night of call, only to be startled by the raccoon perched protectively on the fence. And when the kids aren't waking me up during the night, you can bet the raccoon is keeping me up with his banging around down there. We're strategizing a way to politely get him to move along...I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Too bad I can't sing, or I'd try this. I'm sure all my little critter friends would love to help me tidy up around here.

Oh, and this is just the beginning: there's a pair of turtle doves who live in the back yard, and some wild boars who roam the neighborhood (really).

In other news, I'm teaching my first-ever jewelry making class tomorrow. I just finished making the bracelet kits. I hope I don't sound like a complete idiot. :)