And yes, she actually left the house looking just like this. I love this girl to bits!
06 September 2011
The Little Gymnast
Maren loves gymnastics. And fashion. Here's what happens when the two worlds collide...
And yes, she actually left the house looking just like this. I love this girl to bits!
And yes, she actually left the house looking just like this. I love this girl to bits!
05 September 2011
Labor Day Weekend 2011
As I was driving home from Target this afternoon, I was thinking how ironic it would be for someone to go into labor on Labor Day. This is what happens when I'm left alone in the car...I think brilliant thoughts. Seriously, I am so grateful for a husband who works so intently to provide for our family. It is because of him that I am privileged to spend my days home with our little ones and that I have the time to pursue my creative endeavors. He is our champion!
We've had a lovely weekend. Can you guess what Brett did for me?
The kids enjoyed time in the pool and bath, respectively.
On Sunday evening we joined some friends downtown for the 'balloon glow'. The weather was just brisk enough to hint that autumn is on it's way. Maren spent the evening in a dancing, rolling frenzy with her dear friend, Abby. Brett commented tonight that these girls play like brothers. They were wrestling and rolling all around the ground. It does a mother's heart good to see her little girl enjoying a sweet friendship. And yes, Maren wears that pink tutu nearly everyday. I love the contrast offered by her distinct feminine fashion preferences and her willingness to play rough and tumble. There's something quite endearing about a little girl wrestling about in a flouncy pink skirt!
We also enjoyed some time with Brett's parents and plenty of hours of outdoor play with neighborhood friends. As far as weekends go, this one couldn't have gotten much better. Happy Labor Day!
We've had a lovely weekend. Can you guess what Brett did for me?
The kids enjoyed time in the pool and bath, respectively.
On Sunday evening we joined some friends downtown for the 'balloon glow'. The weather was just brisk enough to hint that autumn is on it's way. Maren spent the evening in a dancing, rolling frenzy with her dear friend, Abby. Brett commented tonight that these girls play like brothers. They were wrestling and rolling all around the ground. It does a mother's heart good to see her little girl enjoying a sweet friendship. And yes, Maren wears that pink tutu nearly everyday. I love the contrast offered by her distinct feminine fashion preferences and her willingness to play rough and tumble. There's something quite endearing about a little girl wrestling about in a flouncy pink skirt!
We also enjoyed some time with Brett's parents and plenty of hours of outdoor play with neighborhood friends. As far as weekends go, this one couldn't have gotten much better. Happy Labor Day!
03 September 2011
A quilted pink runner
Since I am a glutton for punishment, I decided to whip up a table runner for Maren's Pink Party. It actually was a pretty quick project...I just wish I would have decided to make it more than 4 days before the party. *wink*
I had all the materials on hand, which is what made me decide to tackle the project in the first place. I cut the fabric to random widths, sewed them together, quilted on either side of the seams, and added a funky black and white binding.
See those cake balls? They were almost my undoing. When it comes to things in the kitchen, I'm not great at following directions. Those poor balls of delicousness suffered the consequences. Dear Bakerella, next time I promise to read through your entire book before I begin to make up a batch of cake balls. I did use an amazing chocolate cake recipe from my neighbor. It has zucchini in it, and I promise to share it with you soon. You'll thank me.
Happy Saturday!
I had all the materials on hand, which is what made me decide to tackle the project in the first place. I cut the fabric to random widths, sewed them together, quilted on either side of the seams, and added a funky black and white binding.
See those cake balls? They were almost my undoing. When it comes to things in the kitchen, I'm not great at following directions. Those poor balls of delicousness suffered the consequences. Dear Bakerella, next time I promise to read through your entire book before I begin to make up a batch of cake balls. I did use an amazing chocolate cake recipe from my neighbor. It has zucchini in it, and I promise to share it with you soon. You'll thank me.
Happy Saturday!
01 September 2011
Vintage tells a story
Each room in my house is infused with a hint of vintage flair. I love the conversationalism [I just made up that word!] offered by a great vintage piece. Visitors often ask me about the quirky hat on the shelf in the guest bath, the great box purse on my mantle, or the various collections of vintage toys and books scattered throughout my home. Nobody ever comments on the lovely Pottery Barn clock sitting in our family room. I'm quite certain it's because the clock doesn't yet have a story to tell.
The hat was my grandmother's. I like to imagine which occasion might have inspired it's purchase.
My mantle is home to another of grandma's hats. There's also an old tin discovered at a flea market by a twenty-something version of my mom. I love thinking of what her life was like when she was a young mother. The marbles were my dad's when he was a boy and the milk bottle came from the dairy where one of my grandmas was raised. My parents actually brought me home from the hospital to that same old dairy house, and my mom rescued the glass bottle from the farm before it was leveled and the land sold for town-homes. The dairy farm is long gone, but a few treasures remain to tell it's story.
My grandma's box purse...again, I wonder what sorts of things she carried with her in this purse and where she might have gone with it in her hand.
A shelf in Maren's room is home to other favorite items. My mom's glass baby bottle holds more of dad's marbles. [My poor dad...he's lost all his marbles!] I can't imagine carrying around a glass baby bottle! A charming copy of Peter Rabbit was a gift from one of my aunts and the other books came from my mom's childhood library. I'm sure that many chilly Minnesota afternoons were spent curled up in a chair reading these books.
I do love having bits of the past scattered about our home. My family has been blessed with a rich Godly heritage, and I am grateful for these reminders of the generations who have remained faithful in order that we might be here in this place, clinging to the truths that serve as our anchor today.
Each week Gussy hosts an Inspiration Workshop. I recently started reading her blog, and I have discovered plenty of creative inspiration within her pages. If you have a spare moment, you should go see for yourself!
The hat was my grandmother's. I like to imagine which occasion might have inspired it's purchase.
My mantle is home to another of grandma's hats. There's also an old tin discovered at a flea market by a twenty-something version of my mom. I love thinking of what her life was like when she was a young mother. The marbles were my dad's when he was a boy and the milk bottle came from the dairy where one of my grandmas was raised. My parents actually brought me home from the hospital to that same old dairy house, and my mom rescued the glass bottle from the farm before it was leveled and the land sold for town-homes. The dairy farm is long gone, but a few treasures remain to tell it's story.
My grandma's box purse...again, I wonder what sorts of things she carried with her in this purse and where she might have gone with it in her hand.
A shelf in Maren's room is home to other favorite items. My mom's glass baby bottle holds more of dad's marbles. [My poor dad...he's lost all his marbles!] I can't imagine carrying around a glass baby bottle! A charming copy of Peter Rabbit was a gift from one of my aunts and the other books came from my mom's childhood library. I'm sure that many chilly Minnesota afternoons were spent curled up in a chair reading these books.
I do love having bits of the past scattered about our home. My family has been blessed with a rich Godly heritage, and I am grateful for these reminders of the generations who have remained faithful in order that we might be here in this place, clinging to the truths that serve as our anchor today.
Each week Gussy hosts an Inspiration Workshop. I recently started reading her blog, and I have discovered plenty of creative inspiration within her pages. If you have a spare moment, you should go see for yourself!
How to make a pinata
I first found inspiration to build a pinata for Maren's 3rd party via Pinterest. Oh Happy Day has a great tutorial on building a number pinata. I modified Jordan's technique a bit, and this is what I came up with!
I started by free-handing a number 3 on a large moving box.
I used a serrated knife to cut through 2 layers of cardboard at the same time. This ensured that the numbers were exactly the same size for each side of the pinata.
Next I cut out long strips for the sides. Mine were about 6 in. wide. I used packing tape to connect all the parts.
Near the top of the '3' I left a flap open to fill the pinata with candy. I just closed it up with a few strips of tape when the entire thing was done. Since I used wide packing tape to connect the parts, I ended up puncturing the tape near the bottom in several places so it would break open more easily. The pinata stood up to several hits from each kid at our party. We actually invited one of the adults to give it a few whacks in order to break it open.
I only ended up using 1 package of tissue paper for the entire pinata. I started by using a glue stick to cover the surface with a layer of tissue.
Next I covered large sections of the '3' with Mod Podge.
I tore up random chunks of tissue...
...and scrunched them up a bit...
...then I just stuck them to the pinata.
This was a relatively quick and simple way of adding texture. I decided to only add the layer of 'scrunch' to the front and back of the '3'. I did one side in the evening, allowed it to dry overnight, and finished the other side the next morning.
Maren and her '3'.
This ended up to be a more time-consuming project that I had originally anticipated. I'm so glad I stuck with it, because the pinata was the 'hit' of the party. [Please excuse the lame pun...I can't seem to help myself, especially when I'm writing past 9 pm!] It really was a great way to add some fun to the party without spending much money. If you can find a free box, the tissue only costs a couple dollars and most people have some sort of glue on hand. We filled the pinata with packages of suckers, Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Rolls. I'm sure everyone agrees that birthday parties are the perfect time to see that children are getting adequate amounts of sugar into their systems, right? If so, I did my part! *wink*
I started by free-handing a number 3 on a large moving box.
I used a serrated knife to cut through 2 layers of cardboard at the same time. This ensured that the numbers were exactly the same size for each side of the pinata.
Next I cut out long strips for the sides. Mine were about 6 in. wide. I used packing tape to connect all the parts.
Near the top of the '3' I left a flap open to fill the pinata with candy. I just closed it up with a few strips of tape when the entire thing was done. Since I used wide packing tape to connect the parts, I ended up puncturing the tape near the bottom in several places so it would break open more easily. The pinata stood up to several hits from each kid at our party. We actually invited one of the adults to give it a few whacks in order to break it open.
I only ended up using 1 package of tissue paper for the entire pinata. I started by using a glue stick to cover the surface with a layer of tissue.
Next I covered large sections of the '3' with Mod Podge.
I tore up random chunks of tissue...
...and scrunched them up a bit...
...then I just stuck them to the pinata.
This was a relatively quick and simple way of adding texture. I decided to only add the layer of 'scrunch' to the front and back of the '3'. I did one side in the evening, allowed it to dry overnight, and finished the other side the next morning.
Maren and her '3'.
This ended up to be a more time-consuming project that I had originally anticipated. I'm so glad I stuck with it, because the pinata was the 'hit' of the party. [Please excuse the lame pun...I can't seem to help myself, especially when I'm writing past 9 pm!] It really was a great way to add some fun to the party without spending much money. If you can find a free box, the tissue only costs a couple dollars and most people have some sort of glue on hand. We filled the pinata with packages of suckers, Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Rolls. I'm sure everyone agrees that birthday parties are the perfect time to see that children are getting adequate amounts of sugar into their systems, right? If so, I did my part! *wink*
29 August 2011
A Sparkly Monogram
This week I'm excited to share some of the projects I put together for Maren's pink party. I opted for something a little different than the traditional balloons to welcome our guests at the front door...a sparkly 'M' for Maren.
I had everything on hand for this little project. The 'M' was originally for something I was going to do in Maren's room. That project never made it past the yellow paint!
Since I didn't have pink paint I utilized my elementary art skills and mixed red and white together.
And just like that...a pink 'M'!
I used two colors of glitter to create on ombre effect...
...while the paint was still wet I applied the darker color heavily to the bottom and thinner towards the middle. Next I went over the middle with the lighter color and finished near the top with just a faint dusting of the lighter color. The glitter also managed to sneak into all other areas of my craft room. It has a tendency to do that!
I finished off by tying three thin scraps [rescued from the trash!] to one side of the M.
I glued a pink ribbon to the back so I could hang the 'M' from the wreath hook. I haven't decided if I'm brave enough to allow this glittery masterpiece to grace the peg rack in Maren's room. If I do, it will supply her wardrobe with a nice amount of sparkly for the foreseeable future!
Find more Monday inspiration here:
I had everything on hand for this little project. The 'M' was originally for something I was going to do in Maren's room. That project never made it past the yellow paint!
Since I didn't have pink paint I utilized my elementary art skills and mixed red and white together.
And just like that...a pink 'M'!
I used two colors of glitter to create on ombre effect...
...while the paint was still wet I applied the darker color heavily to the bottom and thinner towards the middle. Next I went over the middle with the lighter color and finished near the top with just a faint dusting of the lighter color. The glitter also managed to sneak into all other areas of my craft room. It has a tendency to do that!
I finished off by tying three thin scraps [rescued from the trash!] to one side of the M.
I glued a pink ribbon to the back so I could hang the 'M' from the wreath hook. I haven't decided if I'm brave enough to allow this glittery masterpiece to grace the peg rack in Maren's room. If I do, it will supply her wardrobe with a nice amount of sparkly for the foreseeable future!
Find more Monday inspiration here:
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