The cozy blankie tutorial

So....it's been a while! This is my official first blog post for 2015. Let's make it a good one, shall we?

Who wants to learn how to make the easiest softest cutest blankie? You do? Great. You're going to need a few things.

Supplies:

Half yard cut of 'the soft' fabric...Seriously. I don't know what it's called but it's the same material all those really cozy throw blankets from TJMaxx and HomeGoods are made out of.

FQ of coordinating cotton fabric

Scissors

Pins or clover clips

Intermediate or above knowledge of sewing

Okay. Cut your cuddly fabric to approximately 18x24". Cut your cotton fabric to approximately 16.5x22.5". Lay your inner piece on top of the cuddly piece (centered), wrong sides facing each other. Now start folding your cuddly fabric over the edge of the inside fabric, pinning as you go. Just like you would a binding. If you need help on instructions for a 'faux binding' try a quick search on Pinterest. There are lots of great tutorials out there. 

Now it's time to sew. Can you manage a straight line? Then you can make one of these. 

Just stitch all the way around with a top stitch, making sure your cuddly fabric doesn't come unfolded. You won't see it if you have to unpick and restitch but it's a pain! (PS: I like to add a little tab of ribbon as an accent, just tuck it under your 'binding' before sewing.) Once you've managed to make your way around all the edges, you are done! Congrats. Now wasn't that easy? See? I wouldn't lie to you. Happy making!

A DIY nursery mobile, with a side of cute

Well, I finally got around to making this baby mobile that's been just a thought in my head for the last 6 months or so. And I have to say, it's kinda cute:

It was pretty simple. I've shot a photo of some of the supplies, but there are things missing. Like the branch I scavenged from the backyard and the yarn and hot glue I used to cover it. And to be honest, that step was so simple and the result was so beautiful that I'm actually tempted to cover multiple sticks in random colors of soft yarn and use them as home decor. I digress.

I bought some scrapbooking wood embellishments in nifty leaf and mushroom shapes. The drill was only necessary for some of the wood embellishments, if I was using them in the middle of the string and they needed holes in the top and the bottom. I used the smallest drill bit I could find and it worked really well. The fishing line worked great and I love that you can't see all the knots and strings. I added my own handmade pieces, like these DIY mushrooms and the painted wood disks.

The hedgehog was also a souvenir purchase from a day trip to NYC. I had just found out I was pregnant a couple of months earlier, and knew regardless of gender that I wanted to go with a woodland themed design. He finally found a home at the top of this sweet mobile. He seems happy there.

And there you have it. After tying together a few wooden embellishments and then tying those to the yarn-covered branch, it was ready to hang! Once I had all the supplies and really dove into the project, it didn't take long at all. The hardest part is the planning. That's it, enjoy, and thanks for visiting!

Into the woods: a nursery design

Well here it is. I've finally managed to put together a post about the new nursery! I honestly think nurseries may be my favorite decorating project. I love to concept and plan, and then buy all the quirky little details. Here it is, the 'nursery' side of the room:

 And here's the 'guest' side of the room. I spent several weeks in this bed getting adjusted to a newborns sleep pattern. Again.

Our task was fairly simple this time. Being our second baby, I knew exactly what I needed/wanted and what I could live without. First on the agenda, move the crib in. This wasn't as easy as it sounded since I needed to transition little E into a big-girl bed. Once she figured out the kind of freedom that came with an open-sided sleeping area, we were done for. It was a challenge but after a week or two we were adjusted.

Next I wanted a good quality rocker. The one I had with E was awkward and uncomfortable, and the wooden arms proved a danger to a thrashing doesn't-want-to-sleep-no-way child. So cushy and cozy it was. I was willing to spend money on this. In fact, it's the most expensive piece of furniture in the whole room. Maybe the whole house?

Then came the dresser. I wanted something small and simple (and maybe in need of some work/creative genius), but the husband talked me into something larger and more convenient, something that would grow with the boy and his needs. To be honest, I love it. Lots of drawers and space on top. Perfect.

The rest of the details came in bits and pieces. Finding something at a store, like the silver deer head, or making a custom pillow cover to match my desired color scheme. Stitched arrows, wooden arrows and an antique camera from a flea market.

Other things happened accidentally, like finding an adorable (inexpensive) crib sheet at Target that matched the decor or the soft blue end table I thrifted for $10. My favorite thing might just be the antique skis my mother gave me. With a little painters tape and craft paint, I added a pop of orange to one, then mounted it to the wall and added hooks for keeping baby outfits handy.

 

 To be perfectly honest, I love how everything turned out in this room. I had gathered a lot more items to put in the room, but as I went, I came to a point where I decided I liked the calm simplicity. And I stopped. It was perfect. And perfect for my little man.

Flea markets and antique shops are great places to find unique decor. Think about using items in different ways, like how I turned a couple of old cheese boxes into small shelves simply by mounting them to the wall. If you have any questions about items I used please let me know! Enjoy!

Play day project day

Yesterday was a stay home and play kind of day. Play for her, work for me anyway. God gave me one last week of nice weather to finish off all those exterior painting projects I've been procrastinating on. Thanks Lord, I'll get right on that.

We did, however, manage to play most of the time she was awake and save the majority of the painting for the nap hours. Turns out, giving a 2 year old a paintbrush and asking her to help isn't exactly smart. Especially if neither of you are wearing painting clothes.

So, after an epic meltdown when I took the brush and paint away, I decided it was time to have some inside {washable} painting time. This girl does love to paint. She gets that from me I suppose. Here's my little artist taking her work very seriously:

 

And a new tool. Everyone loves exploring new ways to create. I'd like to explore a nap right about now, but back to those gnarly outdoor projects! I'll have some before and afters for you soon. It's amazing what a coat {or two or three} of paint can do...

I guess there have been a few changes around here lately...

Ah, summer, with your necessary indulgences.

You know what's hilarious? The faces you make when running through a sprinkler. Seriously. Hilarious.

 And then there's the sandbox I made. It is a BIG hit with the wee one. She loves digging and burying and unearthing. We've been taking a lot of baths around here lately. Ahhh, summer.

 

Bebe Van Gogh

To say we had a good first time painting, would be a serious understatement. I guess anything that gets you dirty must be fun? At least that's what a toddler thinks. And anything that leads to a bath is just plain awesome. So, she did really well with her first experience. I think we found our new rainy day activity. Absolutely.

 

 

Watermelon madness

SO before the big tooth debacle of last week, I introduced her to a summer favorite: watermelon. And she loved it. Here's to summer!

Welcome to the sick

We've spent the last week sitting around the house being miserable. Not exactly sure what's going on with le bebe, but whatever it is/was, is not something I would like either of us to experience again. Basically there's been a lot of cartoons and ice cream around here lately, and not a lot of giggles and playtime. I think we're both ready for normal. And we're almost there. I hope.

Down on the farm

Here's some more gratuitous photos of my child. Because I can. It's funny, I took her to a real farm and don't have a single photo of her with an animal. Honestly, I almost left my camera at home so I could be more in the moment with her. Sometimes it's hard to capture the memory and create it all at the same time. Said every mamarazzi ever. So although I couldn't find it within myself to leave the camera at home, I did only use it for a few minutes. We were really busy saying hello to all the animals we've only seen in books. And playing in the dirt. And trying to make friends with every single field trip kid.

Opera singer in the making?

I always catch her making the funniest faces. This was no exception.

I just love her little mushroom clip made from a sticker and some felt.

My future's so bright...

She loves her sunglasses, and I'm just happy she actually keeps them on. It makes for less jerking and sneezing from the sun. But a lot of times when she's in the moment and running from here to there, they don't stay on her nose. Like this moment:

And then I ask her to give them to me so I can hold them for her, and she does:

And I just adore her perfect little nose, her perfect pink lips and how her hair is starting to flip out on the sides:

Mini-me glitter style

There are things I never thought I would do. Like buy shoes identical to my daughters. But here's the thing, it's my style. It's not something I do on purpose. She isn't old enough to decide for herself. A lot of times I'll find we're 'coordinating' because I woke up and felt like wearing blue, and I also happen to pick out her outfits every morning...

So when I found an adorable pair of shoes on clearance AND they happened to have a pair in my size, I decided 'why not?'. So there it is, out there for the world to see, I bought us matching shoes. And I'm not planning to apologize anytime soon.

The girl who loved all things dirt

Ok, I'll admit it. Sometimes I have these dreams of grandeur and then my attempt leaves me, well, sad. But then there are times where I forget about the end product and just enjoy the moments, and in the end I realize that's more fun anyway.

Case in point. An attempted photoshoot with a bebe in a tutu and a yellow chair. I wanted this adorable photo and instead I had a girl who wanted nothing more than to play in the dirt. I mean, what other reason is there to venture outside anyway?! So although I wanted the favorite shot of that ten minutes to be one of these:

It actually ended up being this:

Isn't life funny that way? I mean, when I look back through my thousands of images ten years from now, I won't see a posed photo of a girl being something she isn't, instead I'll see a little girl being exactly what she was.

A perfect spring day

A friend suggested we take the kiddos to the park for some pictures in the daffodils. Since yesterday was a bit cold and dreary, we decided to head our there today. And what a perfect day for it! We were there in the morning and it was already warm enough to loose our jackets. After we took some pictures it was off for a quick walk around and then some playtime in the playground. I never realized how awesome fences were until I had a walking/running/feerless/stubborn toddler. After some catching up, we took off on our separate ways. A quick jaunt through Target, some lunch at home, a nice long walk with the dog and bebe and a sleeping girl up in her crib. Ah, a perfect day... Okay, enough talking, time for the photobomb: