Have a Splendid Weekend

Just wanted to share a few of my favorites from Splendid's new arrivals. 

Equal parts nautical, chic, and perfectly comfy at the same time. Not to mention, you can mix and match just about everything and look wonderfully put together. These pieces are currently sitting on top of my want list. 

And don't forget...there's still time to enter my giveaway. 

Have a great weekend!

blue stripes, hoody, red stripes

sandal, bag, ballet flat, wedge

 twill pant, maxi skirt, linen pant

Family Adventure: Birdwatching

The last couple weeks, we've started a birdwatching project. Sometimes we'll set up a blanket on the grass and see who pops into our yard for a visit. Other times, we stealthily take photos through our open kitchen window. Then we look up the birds on whatbird.com and learn about them. 

We set up a feeder in our huge pine tree. It took about a week for the birds to find it, but they love it. And the kids love watching them. My post over at good tots today is all about birdwatching. Go check it out. And download my free field journal to keep track of your findings:

Here's a page from Hudson's field journal. (I had to type in the text he wrote, because it didn't show up very well; but the coloring is his. :)

In other bird-related news, our baby birds hatched this week:

Doesn't their fluffy, fuzzy hair remind you of someone else we know?

Giveaway!

Just want to thank you all for your kind words and your support of my new stuff. You all know how to show a girl some love. So I'm giving away a huge box full of goodies. Tons of my new stuff; and some brand new never-before-seen goodies.

Here's how you enter:
1. Leave a comment here. Simple as that.
2. Want more chances to win? Help me promote my new stuff (yep, I'm shameless): Tweet it, Post it, or otherwise spread the word, and leave me a separate comment for each time you do.

I'll definitely make it worth your while. Comments will remain open until Sunday night (or is it morning?) around midnight. I'll announce the winner bright and early on Monday.

And make sure to pop back in tomorrow for a family-friendly download.

Thank You Collection

I'm so excited to have "official" photos to share with you. My Thank You collection is now available in my shop. Hooray! I've been working hard on this project the last several weeks, and I'm so excited to see it become a reality. 

flags

stripes

balloons

dots

The best part? Teaming up with some of my favorite people on this project. 

The next best part? The price. $6.00 for 12 cards. Not too shabby.

If you're lucky enough to live in my hometown, go grab some at my folk's store; and definitely check out the coordinating recipe cards while you're there. 

Tooth Fairy Supplies

I hope you all had a fun Easter weekend. We had a great time. And to top it off, Hudson discovered his very first wobbly tooth. I gotta get my plan together for the moment that little pearly white pops out of there. Here are a few of my favorite options:

Tooth Pillow

Official Tooth Fairy Kit

A storage container is a must. I'm loving the simplicity of the pillow up top. But I've been a long-time fan of the Official Tooth Fairy kit. And I'm still toying with the idea of a DIY Tooth Fairy bag.

While I'm deliberating over the logistics of the Tooth Fairy transaction, we'll be reading these books at bedtime to keep up the excitement and calm any fears he may have. 

You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy?

Truman's Loose Tooth

I'm lucky enough to have some sweet hookups for a professional extraction in the comfort of our own home. So I've got the frilly stuff under control and B can take care of the dirty work. My only other concern...what's the going rate for a tooth these days?

Happy Friday

Hi there, folks. It's been a light blogging week for me. My mind and studio have been buried in paper goods all week. After attending my third pottery class last night, I've realized how complicated and time-consuming the art form is. Pottery class makes me happy. And frustrated. But mostly happy.

So my Happy Friday post today features the gorgeous work of DiTerra. Check out her shop for more stunning pieces.

Rippled Pot 

Bowls 

 Ancient Turquoise Bowls

Aren't her photos lovely? Such beautiful light. I love how the clean white background keeps the focus on her beautiful products. Just thought I'd point that out.

What are your plans for the weekend?
I've got a date tonight with B.
Saturday includes some time in the pottery studio, going to see Rio (it didn't happen last weekend), and dyeing loads of Easter eggs.
I'm sure we'll all be bouncing off the walls on Sunday from excessive sugar consumption.

What are your plans?

Big Bang Theory

Hudson yesterday: "Mom, whenever I hear a big bang, I know it's Charlotte."
He's right. I thought Hudson was quite the climber...but this girl can hold her own. Lots of climbing leads to lots of falling, thus lots of "big bangs."

Hudson has taken to calling me "Mother" this week. Just this morning, I handed him a glass of milk and he said, "Thanks, Mother. You're a good girl."

2000 and 5

2000 greeting cards ready to be packaged. 

5 little eggs ready to hatch.

Just a few of the happenings around here lately. I've been working hard on my little collection...here's a little peek at the thank you notes. Recipe cards are at their final destination and everything else will be unleashed later on this week.

Mama and Papa bird have been busy guarding their nest in our porch light. I snapped a quick photo while they were away. Sometimes I forget that they're there and I'm startled when a bird zooms out of the lamp as I walk out the front door. 

:::::::::::::::::::

Also, I've been thinking a lot about this article regarding photo usage and blogs. And I've made the decision to stick with primarily my own photos. Any other photos you see here will either be used by permission or are promotional photos that are meant to be blogged (like from items that are for sale, or photos with a "blog this" or "share this" link)...I'll still be using those in my inspiration boards and Happy Friday posts, etc. I've employed my new photo philosophy for a while now, but I thought I should let you know. Plus, nobody wants to see just a bunch of photos I took from somewhere else, right? Anyhow, that's my new outlook on blogging.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We made these lettuce wraps on Saturday, and they were really fantastic. We spent most of the weekend playing and I took a heavenly nap on Sunday afternoon. I was so distracted by all the fun and the rest that I didn't do nearly enough laundry. Pretty sure B had to wear dirty socks to work today. Oops. It won't kill him, right? Probably builds character. Or fungus. But I'll stick with character and hope for the best. :)

Feeling Lucky

I'm feeling lucky today for lots of reasons. I'll get into that in a sec, but I have to warn you: you may be seeing a bit more of me on my blog. I've inhabited this blog for almost three years and it's high time I get over my fears of a) being photographed and b) putting pictures of myself on my blog. I'm lucky that I have a wonderful and talented friend who's helping me face my fears. And it might be nice for my kids someday to see photos of me not wearing pajamas and/or looking bleary-eyed and exhausted.

I feel lucky (more like blessed) to have parents who encourage and support my dreams. I don't how they've been so patient in inspiring all my whims, but I'm sure glad they have. From those very first "handbags" made from paper, staples and ribbon; to encouraging my first professional print experience and walking me through my first wholesale job to buying my very first jewelry making supplies--there's no doubt I am who I am because of these two incredible people. They are the epitome of love and kindess. Mom and Dad, I hope I can be everything for my kids that you have been for me. And I hope we get to see you soon. We miss you!

 I feel lucky that Charlotte wasn't hurt when she fell out of her crib yesterday. Looks like it's time say, "goodbye, cute crib bumper. Hello, ugly crib tent." What is it with my daredevil children? I also feel lucky that Charlotte slept through the night last night. It was the first time in over a month. And the first night all week that I've actually slept in my bed. Oh, how I've missed my warm, cozy bed.

 I feel lucky to me married to my best friend. I love the time we get to spend with him. I love that he's patient with me when the house isn't always clean (wait...is it ever clean?) I love how he makes me laugh every day; and how he calls me on his way home from work. I even love him when he eats all of my ice cream, and when he hugs me when I cry about it. Embarrassing, but true: I actually did cry about ice cream this week. I think somebody needs a nap...or a mini ice cream cone from Trader Joe's. Or both.

I feel lucky to have you in my life, too. I love your sweet, supportive emails and comments. They mean so much to me and keep me going day after day. I feel lucky to be part of the good tots family...Jill and Jackie were among my very first blog friends and it's an honor to work with them. I'm feeling so lucky and thankful today for all the good in my life, that we're going to go out and spread some love, too.

First, the kids and I will be passing out Easter Eggs, Katherine style.
Then we're gonna hang a few of these darling posters.
We gotta check out Rio...we've been playing Angry Birds: Rio forever now.
And we're gonna do a little (real) bird watching of our own.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Show & Tell

This is the purpose of the mini flannel boards I showed you yesterday.
I've got a new gig as a contributor over at good tots!
I'll be sharing my favorite kids' activities on a regular basis...so stop in and check out my first post.

DIY: Mini Flannel Board

I don't try to hide my age (I'm 30...ask my son. He tells everyone). But this may be dating me a bit. Growing up, my mom had this awesome flannel board. She used it to put up little pictures that went along with stories she told us. I decided mini flannel boards for my kids are a must-have. I'm envisioning everything from build a jack-o-lantern kits to tic-tac-toe games. Come back tomorrow to see our first flannel board project. 

This was really so easy I shouldn't even be writing a tutorial about it. It took me about 15 minutes and cost less than $2.50 each to make. I only had to buy the white boards...I had everything else on hand. Look around--you probably do, too.

Here's what you'll need:

White board: I used a cheapy from a discount store. Cheap is key here...you're looking for anything with a cardboard or pressboard backing. Something that will be easy to staple through. Really, anything lightweight with a frame and some type of non-glass center support will work. A picture frame, cork board, etc.

Fabric scraps: I used some white fleece, and some green flannel. The fleece is to build up the center of the board and make it flush with the frame. The flannel will wrap around the entire board. I had some left over from baby blankets...but I just realized I have so many little receiving blankets laying around. You could easily recycle one of those to cover a flannel board.

Hot glue gun, stapler (or staple gun), scissors, spray glue (optional).

Let's get started:

1. Cut a piece of fleece (or flannel, or felt) to fit inside the frame. Cut another larger one the exact size of the frame. Glue the pieces of fleece together, then hot glue them to the frame.

2. Cut a piece of flannel to go around the frame. Give yourself four inches of fabric on each side of the frame.

3. Fold one side up and over the frame. Hot glue it to the edges of the frame, and staple the edges of the fabric to the cardboard backing.

4. Trim the folded fabric so it hangs off about 1/2"...cut the extra fabric off the corner.

5. Glue the free hanging fabric down to the frame, fold and glue the corner of fabric so it fits flush with the frame. Repeat steps 3-5 with opposite side.

6. Do the same thing on the adjacent sides. Fold fabric, glue to frame, trim corners and staple.

7. Finish stapling edges of fabric to the back of the frame.

Ta-Da! You're all done. Now start dreaming up activities and projects you can do with your new flannel board.
***
UPDATE: These boards were jus sitting out during a play date we hosted. They were a hit. And Bonus! Charlotte loved playing the same game the "big kids" did. I loved that there were no choking hazards or game pieces she could destroy.

Crochet Picture Frames

While seeking inspiration for my sister's nursery I stumbled upon these sweet crochet picture frames from Lola Nova. She kindly gave me permission to share her photos with you. I love these frames so much that merely sticking them on an inspiration board wasn't enough. They need to be featured on their own.

Anyway...imagine the possibilities. I'm seeing a baby's name spelled out inside these little frames; and then maybe stringing them into a garland? Or simply adding a few to a gallery wall for more color and texture would be such a fun, handmade detail.

Here's Lola's tutorial; while you're there, take some time to explore her blog. It's filled with her fantastic projects, vintage finds, and thoughts on motherhood. You'll come away both inspired and uplifted. Now, where's my crochet hook?!?

{Images copyright Lola Nova; used by permission}.

More Nursery Inspiration

Remember that nursery inspiration board from last week?
My sis is kind of torn between the owl bedding and this bright paisley bedding. So I created another inspiration board to giver her a few more ideas. This time playful and fun with a healthy dose of bright color. Something that will easily go from infant to toddler and beyond.

I'm thinking a little faux window seat/toy box setup with tons of pillows and books...perfect for story time. A garland made out of sweet felt roses; butterfly wall hooks for coats and accessories (or dress ups). And colorful removable wall clings for extra color; and when she gets bigger she can rearrange them to her heart's content.

Bedding, Pottery Barn Kids

Butterfly Wall Hooks, Dutch by Design

Crying is for Babies print, IKR Designs

Wall Dots, Lot 26 Studio

Yellow Rug, All Modern

Lamp, Ikea

Felt Flowers, A Market Collection 

Storage Bench, Ikea

The Week in Projects

Life has been pretty hectic lately. But I've squeezed in a couple projects to keep me sane. 

 Here's a close up of that leaf necklace I mentioned earlier.

And a little sparkly birthday gift for a friend. I kinda want one for myself. 

 And two new designs going into my shop as we speak:

Personalized Bird Notecards

Birthday Flags

I also submitted my collection to the printer yesterday. So excited to see the finished products. Now I've just got to finish the handmade elements and fine-tune the packaging and such and we'll be all set. Can't wait. 

Oh, and this is the second week of my pottery class. I'm having so much fun. I don't have a clue what I'm doing and the poor instructor has to tell me over and over the steps and the hand positions. And despite his guidance, I usually end up with a wobbly off-centered gooey lump of clay. I'm guessing all my family members will be receiving lovely, slightly crooked vases for Christmas this year. ;)

Awkward

Lots of things are awkward about this post. The first and most awkward being that I put pictures of myself on my blog. That feels weird to me. And embarrassing. But one of my goals for the year was to step out of my comfort zone...and this is definitely way out of the safety zone for me. So here's a little awkwardness for you, along with the photography skills of my five-year-old.

Charlotte wanted in on the action. She's not shy about this sort of thing. I should take a page out of her book. A few more awkward things: it looks like my toes have been chopped off. I'm actually wearing shoes but our grass is too long to see them. So enjoy those club feet I'm sporting today. Also awkward: the amount of time that has passed since we cut the lawn.

Now the real reason for taking the pictures. I made my necklace last night...but I've been deliberating about the length all day. I wanted something long, but perhaps this is too long. Or not long enough? I can't tell. I need a second opinion. So the purpose of taking the pictures was to ask my mom and sister if the length of the necklace is awkward. But then I figured I'd take it step further and just ask all of you.

So what do you think? Awkward necklace? Awkward pictures? Let's hear it.
I can't decide if the necklace needs something else. Maybe a heavier chain?  It's just a silver leaf on a simple silver chain. I went back and forth over adding a few sparkly dangly bits or some tiny pearls interspersed in the chain, but then decided to leave it alone. What do you think?

And since you can't see the necklace in question all that good in the above pictures (my "photographer" and I are still fine-tuning the process). Here's a better view of the necklace. You just have to promise not to laugh and my 45 double chins. Or go ahead and laugh if you need to. Everyone needs a good laugh once in a while. I can take one for the team.

Have a great Tuesday.
And a big Happy Birthday to my friend, Erin. I love you to bits!

Inspiration Board: Happy Nursery

My little sister and her husband are having a baby girl this summer. While we eagerly anticipate kissing that sweet little face, there are plenty of details to keep us busy. I'm so excited that my sister asked me to help her design the nursery. Even if she hadn't asked, I probably would have forced myself on her, and that would have been awkward. I get a little excited about this sort of thing. Have you noticed?

Here's my first inspiration board for the project (yep, working on a couple more at this very moment).
She chose the bedding and told me what they're after: kind of a home-spun vibe; coordinated, yet not too perfectly matched. A few of her must-haves included extra storage, some DIY opportunities, and lots of color. I think this fits the bill quite nicely.

Get the look
Bedding
Lamp and Shade
Yarn Letter
Balloon Print
Twig Hooks
Polkadot Pillow
Scalloped Garland
Bird Knobs
Toy Chest

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours was great--awesome weather, first tee ball game of the season, and some peace and quiet. Subtract my little stint in traffic school and you'd have a perfect weekend. Traffic school is worthy of an entirely separate blog post...seriously, great stuff. Even the story of my infraction is pretty great, too. ;)