DIY Gilded Baby Print Ornament

December 10, 2015January 19, 20162 Comments

We are so excited about August’s first Christmas! How will he regard the feast, the presents, the stockings, the caroling?!

This important milestone is one that we’ll probably remember more than him, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t pull out all the stops for our little merry jelly belly. For this first baby-centric-Christmas we’ll be continuing some long-standing family traditions, while throwing in some new ones just for August. The first – an annual handmade Christmas ornament.

To help inspire this sentimental tree trimming I sifted through pin after pin on Pinterest but quickly found the tutorials lacking. Many of the handmade ornaments were too crafty looking (I know – there is such a thing I swear!). I wanted August’s first ornament to capture this important milestone while still retaining a modern classy feel. I really liked the idea of capturing a hand or foot print but instead of the traditional pressing method I opted for a different technique: embossing. This way I could capture his tiny digits without creating something too cliche. Continue reading →

Maggie Daley Park

October 29, 2015January 19, 2016Leave a comment

Our little jelly belly turned eight months earlier this month. Crazy how time flies, right?! Besides hitting a new age, our little man sprouted his first two teeth, said da-da, and started to crawl. And all in just a week! These developmental leaps were a sudden wake up call that his infant days are fleeting.

After this realization a rush of sentimentalism washed over me, prompting me to schedule some time off for a staycation with the boys. I wanted a handful of days where I could slow down, spend time with August and his dad, and soak up the season.

One of the highlights of our recent stint of hometown tourism was a visit to the new Maggie Daley park. Continue reading →

DIY: Baby Gnome Hat

March 16, 2015January 19, 20161 Comment

Little baby August was born this past Valentine’s day at a hearty 7 pounds and 6 ounces. But despite his ample weight, this long and lean baby has the tiniest of craniums, causing any and every hat we have for him to slide down over his eyes. The result: one fussy baby! So what’s a mama to do? Make some DIY hats of course!

To ensure our little guy’s noggin was staying nice and toasty in our home and beyond I whipped up a simple yet chic hat design that I could create using various fabric scraps. Using printed fabrics on a bias instead of elastic, and solid t-shirt fabric for the top, August’s “krasnoludek” hats have become an instant hit! Keeping his head warm while adding a pop of color to his ensembles, making these little gnome hats in different color combos is becoming my new pass time, in between feedings and naps at least.

So without further adieu, I bring you a quick photo tutorial on how to make a baby gnome hat (or two or three!) for your own little bundle. Enjoy!

DIY: Eco-Friendly Handmade Gifts

December 2, 2014January 19, 2016Leave a comment

Are your fingers feeling itchy to craft? Then get those digits to work!

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ve assembled my all-time most popular DIY tutorials for you to peruse through. Click on any of the photos below to read the full set of instructions on how to make these practical and design-savvy eco-friendly gifts for the holidays.

After all, nothing’s more festive and heartfelt than something that’s handmade with love!

DIY: Festive Fall Garland

November 17, 2014November 15, 2014Leave a comment

Pumpkins deep jewel tones and warm hues, spicy candles and cozy fabrics all of these things are what make autumn my favorite season. So when dreaming up a new look for our fireplace mantle, I knew I wanted to combine all my favorite elements of fall into the spread. Pumpkins. Check. Wine colored mums. Check. Now for the finishing touch: a fun upcycled garland.

Pom poms, those delightfully little fluffy balls of yarn, are one of my secret obsessions. I will use any excuse to make a fresh batch – affixing them to gifts, headbands, art prints and more. So when choosing the texture of my festive fall garland the choice was easy.

Now when choosing the colors and textures – that’s where a bit of experimentation came into play. Digging through my drawer of varying fabric scraps, I settled on a warm cream linen, rich pumpkin velvet, and grey and lilac t-shirt cottons. I then grabbed a ball of white yarn that had been sitting untouched after a summer project. Cutting, wrapping and slicing I found that the linen frayed too much and didn’t have the fluffy outcome I wanted. The velvet and cottons, however, worked out perfectly!

So without further adieu, I now bring you an tutorial on how you too can make one of these festive pieces for the season. Play with a variety of colors, textures and pom pom sizes to give your garland a twist of your very own.

Lay out your chosen fabric
Cut the fabric into 1/2″ strips
You’ll need 4 strips of fabric per pom pom
Tug both ends of each strip to stretch and fluff them out
Wrap the first strip around four fingers
Wrap each of the remaining strips around the first
Using a shorter excess strip, place the string between the center of your fingers and tie a knot
Pull the pom off your fingers and cut the looped ends
Fluff and trim your pom so all the ends are similar in length
Cut a long piece of yarn onto which you’ll tie your poms
Center each pom along the yarn mapping out the spacing
Tie the yarn across the center of each pom and pull into place

And there you have it! In fifteen minutes or less you can be on your way toward making a festive fall garland of your very own! Should you give the project a try – be sure to share pictures of your final creation with us on Facebook or Instagram!

Giving Thanks

November 6, 2014January 19, 2016Leave a comment

Fall is, hands down, my favorite time of year. The changing foliage, chillier temps, and pumpkin-laced – well, everything – makes it a time to indulge in all the little wonders of life. Autumn also offers the promise of Thanksgiving, the best holiday of them all! Gathering with loved ones to share and reflect on all the good things the year has offered makes it my favorite celebration.

To get my “attitude of gratitude” warmed up for the season I’ve decided to post a daily thanks to my Instagram each day of November. Whether it’s for specific people, things or circumstances, I’m thinking about all the blessings in my life, big and small, and sharing them with others through the site.

Consider joining me in this season of giving thanks – and start sharing something you’re grateful for every day on your own instagram account! Be sure to tag your posts #givingthanks so that we can all share in your thanksgiving reflections!

What We Save Saves Us

October 23, 2014January 19, 2016Leave a comment

Maybe it’s thanks to my recent trip to Starved Rock National Park – but something about this beautiful art print by Rob Jones has my mind racing. Such a simple message, such an elegant design, and yet, there’s so much more that can be read between the lines and layers of the sketch.

Conservation, environmentalism, green living – all of these are ways we describe an ethic, a lifestyle, in which we aim to protect the natural world around us. We try to advocate for the planet, for creation, for all the beautiful things within it. We attempt altruism – but in the end – it’s not just saving for saving’s sake – it’s also about saving ourselves – isn’t it?

But then again, maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones that drew me to this image. The thought of bringing a babe into a world fraught with poisons, pilfering, pollution and social injustice is enough to make any parent’s head spin. And add to that the very tangible fear that the welfare of future generations is literally at stake – and boy! Do you have one worry-warted mama-to-be!

Maybe I’m drawn to this print because I’m in the midst of reading Thomas Friedman’s book Hot, Flat and Crowded, a book that calls us to arms to change the current state of global politics and infrastructure to preserve the planet for future generations.

And yet, maybe it’s something else still. Maybe it’s the hopeful message that resounds in this piece that elevates my spirit. Maybe it’s the reminder that we’re all in this together – whether bi-pedal, bark-laden or microscopic. We’re all connected and the reminder of this brings me hope. Seeing the stacked layers of a tree’s lifespan fills me with a wonder and awe – and propels me to want to make a difference.

And what do you think? How does this art print speak to you? Do you find the message to be inspiring, discouraging or a mix of both?