savethewords.org

We are now the proud owners of the word:

FOPPOTEE

{a small minded person}

a favorite website for us word lovers:

savethewords.org

Joel Henriques

Laura gave me this link to Joel Henriques' Paper City. I love love it. {thanks, Laura}

His blog, made by joel, is even more awesome. I want to download and make everything. He has a book coming out in the Fall, perfect for a 2011 Christmas gift.

fyi. awesome.

hey sweetheart,

You really don't have to get me anything for Valentine's Day, because your undying love and devotion is quite sufficient.

However, should you choose to declare your love in an ... hmm ... accessorizing kind of way, any of these will do:

{ARMELLE jewelry}

Dani's room.

Dani's awesome, and she turns twelve next month. This combination of coolness means two things...I'm old, and she deserves a monumental celebration! because she's awesome.

Since this is the Year of the House (and the Year of Good Health, and the Year of the Good Read, and the Perfect Sunday Roast, and Cheeescake) we decided to put our generous give-backs from the United States government (aka tax return) towards a new bed room for Dani.

It's needed. She deserves a cool place, to be cool.

I tried to come up with a plan for Dani's room by myself but soon realized I needed help to reach the level of greatness we were trying to achieve, so I asked Autumn, because she is awesome too, and she has been a huge part of our Year of the House so far. I knew she'd make it great. And she so totally did.

Here is what I sent her as our inspiration:

{Premier Prints via fabric.com}

{target.com}

{Beauty Will Save the World by Raceytay

found via Creature Comforts}

Dani loves giraffes, and the owl lamp, and purple - and I loved this color inspiration - and Autumn turned it into pure awesomeness.

Dani is very crafty and has needed TONS more storage space, and Autumn gave her that with all the shelves and bookcases. And all these pieces are grown up enough that Dani can take it all with her when she leaves home {I'm told that happens. they leave. eventually. sniff}.

So we're painting today, and buying a bed tomorrow, and waiting for Uncle Sam to deliver the rest.

I'm super excited. I mean, Dani's excited. It's all for Dani. My addiction to beautiful design and my desire to change everything this year has nothing to do with it. It's not about me. It's about the children.

We're both pretty excited.

shop share.

I love talented women with an enterprise:

amme & neb by Lori

Bejeweled Beads by Chelsea

gustafer yellowgold.

My all time favorite kids music.

I listen to him more than the kids do.

& his website is the coolest.

so so great.

Gustafer Yellowgold.

a simple wish list...

folksy flannels - anna maria horner

Does that help, sweetheart?

just click the picture to the link, and buy.

go ahead.

click.

...are you clicking?

you're not clicking.

that's okay.

I have everything I need.

I just want to savor your love and affection

for Christmas.

and gift cards.

click already.

Hogwarts.

They arrived Friday night. Filch greeted them at the bottom of the hill with lantern in hand and croaked "I'm here for the First Years!"

The kids giggled and followed Grandma up the driveway, into the magic of Hogwarts.

They were welcomed to a feast of Pumpkin Pasties, Treacle Tarts, Butter Beer and Pumpkin Juice, among other wonderful wizarding treats and trifles.

Then they were sorted. {there was a walkie talkie in the Sorting Hat, and Seth had the other in the bathroom.} Jake was first, in Ravenclaw. He was content. Then Andy in Hufflepuff. He was happpy. Joey and Kacie in Slytherin. Appropriate. And Dani in Gryffindor. She was elated.

Off to the House Dormitories for the night.

The details were everywhere. Thank you, Cassy. I wish I were there.











Moaning Myrtle {ipod in the medicine cabinet}:

And of course, Trick or Treating. The End.

And of course, Halloween wouldn't be complete without sharing the Child Family costumes of the year. This year came from Jonny's obsession with all things "Man in Black".





I love you, Cassy. Thank you.

infant carseat blanket.

Jaclyn emailed me a while ago and asked if I knew of a pattern for a carseat blanket baby cover...thing. I needed clarification; so she sent me some pictures and I told her I have no idea where to find a pattern for that cool contraption, but who cares because we can figure it out!

My favorite. Figuring it out.

So may I attempt to explain in some sort of mildly understandable fashion how to make the lightweight infant carseat baby blanket cover to keep the wind out but you can still hold the handle...thing.

• Cut out a piece of fabric measuring 42" x 50". {I didn't have one piece of fabric large enough, so I pieced mine together.}
• Make it look like this:

• Here are some measurements:
  

• Make two straps in contrasting fabric using this tutorial, but measuring 5 1/2" x 2".
• Sew them onto the top of your blanket 5" apart. I did three lines 1/4" apart to secure them real good.
• {Because my blanket was pieced together, I had to add a bottom fabric to cover up my seams, which is why there are straight machine quilting lines in the picture below. You don't have to do this with one piece of fabric.}

• Finish the edge of your blanket however you want. Some suggestions are a zig-zag stitch, serging, one straight stitch so it kinda frays {I like the fray}, quilt binding {which is what I used on this one}, ricrac, whatever!
• And there you go. Jaclyn now has a nicely covered baby.

happy creepy halloween from picnik.com.

Too much freaky fun.

necklace hangers.

I've been needing a new way to hang up my necklaces. I don't have many, but this is where I kept them:

A jumbled mess of a hand towel holder.

So I was at Hobby Lobby and saw these decorative wood blocks with a knob on them that had pretty paper decoupaged on them and thought..."hmmm. Those would be nice and simple, but they're too pretty, and cost $7. No thanks."

Then I walked in the wood aisle and saw the same wood blocks for 30% off of 50 cents. So I grabbed 3. Then I noticed that their cool drawer pulls were 50% off, so I picked 3. I spent $6. And hurried home.

Now I have this:

Much better.

First I painted the blocks white, then sanded them down on the corners a bit.

Then I drilled a hole in the bottom half of each wood block for the knobs, using a bit the size of the screws on the knobs.

I had to trim the length of the screw on the knobs or else they would stick out the back and not lay nicely against the wall. So I took the knob apart so I wouldn't damage the pretty part, and used a chisel and hammer to pound the end of each screw off. I guesstimated.

Once I reassembled the knobs, they screwed into the wood quite nicely. I did have to use pliers to tighten them, but they're good and secure. I would place some washer in between the knobs and the wood just to give more room for your necklaces to hang. I didn't do that.

Then I hammered in two staples into the back (hammered because I can't find the staple gun) just slightly and layed a piece of string under each staple, then hammered them in tight. I tied a couple knots and trimmed the ends.


Then hung each on a basic picture hanger. Easy.