SHROOMS

Cute little mushroom bitties. I've been wanting to makes some mushrooms for a while. I'm not very good at sculpting but I had seen several that I liked and wanted to mimic for my daughter's forest room as well as my nieces garden room (Influence here, here and here).

I purchased some Pluffy by Sculpey. It's extremely soft clay that doesn't dry out. You sculpt and bake at a low temperature. It's great for kids so this easily turned into a crafternoon with my daughter.

I started with a small ball, then rolled it to a soft point on one end. Then I gave it a nub at the top and a fat stem. I tried creating a mushroom as two pieces (a stem, and a nub), but after some trial and error, I liked this way better. I used a paperclip end to create the under nub lines first and then I put some into the top of the stem. Then I played with it a bit and give the nub some shape. Last, I manipulated the stem to be either something that can stand on it's own, slim, or I put a straight pin in it. The pin helps it stay in place if it's not able to stand on it's own. It can stick into a shelf or something. Below are several experiments. Not perfect by any means, but cute enough to display as is, paint or use in a terrarium.

GIVING THANKS WITH REAL MAIL

Last September I joined the 52 Weeks of Mail Challenge. Since then, I've written to friends I don't get to see anymore, family members who offer up their kindness, and lovely people from my past that I have missed in my life. It has been rewarding and I'm glad I took up the challenge. I like it mostly because there's always a birthday to remember, or someone to say "thank you" to. This has been a great way to ensure that I say what needs to be said.

Plus, I am still attached to actual mail and I truly hope that the United States Postal System can hold on for dear life. I would cry a long while if real mail went away. If there were no more stamps I might need to seek therapy.
































































I adore stamps. Thanks to my dear friend, Carlyn. She got me hooked on stamps. We went to London and Scotland together several years back and we bonded creatively over keeping records of our travels with bits of found items, stickers, stamps, rubbings and drawings. I still have those sketchbooks.

And the photos that we took. This was back in the days when we took photos with real film and had to wait until our return to spend the whole of our paychecks to find out if we got any good shots. It wasn't convenient, but I long for the romantic-ness of it all. I still have my Holga and I hope to bust that out someday soon, despite the ever popular and easy Instagram.

But, see what happened to film? Oi, please don't let that happen to stamps and mail. I beg of you.

Perhaps it's time to write a letter, say thank you, wish someone Happy Birthday with a real card instead of on Facebook.

And while I'm at it, I need to plug my favorite book these days:  "thxthxthx". I lovelovelove this book. Leah Dieterich not only has an amazing idea here, she has a fabulous talent for writing. I adore her sentiments, frustrations and honesty. That's a great gift to send to someone you miss.

GIFTING

Oh, how I love gifts. I love to give them, get them, wrap them, unwrap them, plan them, make them and buy them.

There's something heartwarming about giving a gift. It makes me feel good. I like to dig into my stash of ribbons, papers and twine and wrap things up for the big event.

Giving gifts, it's like playing Santa all year long. How can any part of that not make both the giver and receiver not feel extra special? I wish I could do it more, I double wish everyone in the world could do it more. It might ease some of our tense relations.

GOOD BOOK

One thing my husband and I, together firmly believe in is books. We want to have good inspiration and information on hand, so from the time we were engaged we started our library. We have no trouble justifying the purchase of books. If we go a month without buying one or two it's high-time.

Here's one my husband picked up for me. It's loaded with color and pattern inspiration, wonderful history on Orla Kiely and her process in design. Not to mention it's well laid out and printed. It's a GOOD BOOK.

FROM LOVE LETTERS TO STYLE BOARDS

After years of Graphic Design and mom'n it up, I welcomed the opportunity to try something different when my sister-in-law and her husband asked me to help them with the interior of their new home. At first, I was all, "Are you sure? I don't know what I'm doing. I've never done that." But I am LOVING this experience. They're dream clients, and that helps.

I approached this project much the same way I start any design problem that needs to be solved; with research and of course, style boards. So many friends have wanted to see what their home looks like. Showing a few of the style boards may offers a small taste.

We started with painting, wallpaper and some minor home upgrades in February. Now, in late June, we're wrapping up much of the major furniture, decor and lighting purchases.

There are three levels; four bedrooms, six bathrooms, two offices, two family rooms, a formal living room and piano room, a kitchen, dining, sunroom, game room and music room. There's a lovely pool with a patio, pool house and tea room. It's such a beautiful home with good solid Arts & Crafts bones.

Originally, it started out with a variety of bold, unappealing wall colors (peach, orangish brown, blue, green) There was nothing subtle about the paint choices. We brought it all down to a more even and natural place. Overall I hoped it would feel like an old love letter written in script on weathered, lined paper... something to be read in a quiet place.

I wanted the formal living room to feel like a basket of fresh eggs. The Master Bedroom needed to feel warm and textural. I wanted their kids rooms to be fun, colorful and appreciated by kids and adults. I hoped their family room would feel like the most livable area with a comfortable, industrial mix. Overall, the style needed to combine Victorian  romance with Industrial colors and materials offering a quiet marriage of masculine and feminine. They're happy with their home and I actually want to move in.

There were a few blogs (Here, here. and here.) that I found particularly inspiring as we brought it all together incorporating their existing furniture, paintings and decor with the new.

POLKA DOTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY

Thanks Carrie for the write up on our little party for Stella. Funny thing is since then, I've seen so many things that would've been perfect for the polka dot party. But that's the way it goes, when you're looking, it's harder to find, when you're not, it's all over the place!

DADDY'S DAY

Our girls are pretty lucky, they have an amazing daddy. A hard working, loving and attentive daddy. I'm so grateful for all he does for us. Thank you for being the best daddy to our girls. They adore you and so do I. Love you.

And to my own dad and father-in-law, you too deserve some praise for your love and support over the years. I feel truly blessed to have you in my life and in our girls lives.

A few days back my husband mentioned something about some yummy wasabi almonds. I got several jars and made a little nut pack for each of the dads in my life. Dad's like nuts.

FOREST CRITTERS

Here's one way to make everyone jealous; Give these adorable little handmade forest animals to the newest baby in the family with a handmade stump house. All the other cousins were looking around like, "Grandma! What about me?!?!"

Nina was just a bitty when Christmas rolled around and Grandma Brown busted out these sweet little guys. They each have their own rattle in them. There was no pattern, that's how grandma rolls. I have been blessed to have a mother and a mother-in-law that both sew like a couple of champs. I can only hope to have a smidge of their skills. Thank you Grandma Brown for this delightful gift. They still get a lot of attention and looks so darling in Nina's room.

BALLS FOR BABY

That's a fun title. Quite a long while ago I came across a great tutorial on purl bee for beach balls. When I couldn't shake my psycho nesting phase, I made several. Starting with one for my baby girl for Easter that year. It sort of snowballed from there into a ball for all of our sibling's kids, then friends that had babies, then neighbors that had babies. It has gotten to the point of no return. People probably expect, or at least hope for a ball from me when they have a baby. I'm actually ok with it though because it takes very little fabric, it's a homemade gift that can be personalized with the baby's nursery colors, and it really doesn't take too long. Provided I don't have kids at my heels while sewing. So... it actually takes double the time that it should because when do I ever have no kids at my heels while sewing?

P.S. Don't stick a needle (the one you did the hand stitching with) in the completed ball. I did that once, just for a moment and oops, it went in and I couldn't get it back out without opening the ball up. I got it out, but nothing says, "we're not really friends" like a sharp object inside of a baby's toy. Not the best gift.

I use Purl's template for the medium ball and I pretty much do the rest on my own. Their tutorial is great, but after, what... 24 balls, I've come up with my own tricks and short cuts.

1. First of all, after I cut two pieces for each of the four fabrics, I lay the pieces out to determine the best pattern on the ball. If you create a flat flower with them (face up), I make sure that each pattern's twin is directly across from it.

2. Then I flip the one from the right on top of the one on left, and pin on the right side (that's the edge that I sew). This ensures each pair is "right sides together".

3. I don't chain sew, I probably should, but I don't have experience there so I just sew the pinned side corner to corner, 1/8" from the edge. Then iron the seams.

4. I sew each pair and put it back in it's place so I don't mix up the patterns in the end. Then iron the seams.

5. I sew two sets together to create two bowls, making sure that I don't repeat any of the patterns within one bowl. Then iron the seams.

6. Then I put the two bowls right sides together (make sure that the end fabrics aren't repeated). I match up the top corners first and pin about 1/2" to the right, then 1/2" to the left, that will be the opening. Then pin all the way around the bowl.

7. When sewing the bowl, I start at the top right pin and sew all the way around to the top left pin leaving about 1 1/4" opening at the top (I like the opening at the top because the end cap covers my bad hand sewing job ;)

8. After the ball is sewn, turn it inside out, stuff it, and add a jingle bell.

9. This is another place where I have veered from Purl's tutorial. They use solid fabric for the end caps. I find wool felt to be so much easier and I like the look of it. Cut 2" felt circles. I have found that a tomato paste can is a perfect size. I cut carefully inside my sharpie lines.

10. Hand sew the top opening and then the end caps to each end.

Total time it takes to make a ball: 1 hour if there are no kids at your heels. With kids, about 2 hours to all day.

FOR MAISIE

I love the 36" balloons. I'm a sucker for their enormity, and roundness. I can't resist purchasing them for my daughters birthdays and making tassels inspired by Geronimo. I love to see my girls eyes pop out and their mouths drop. It's probably equivalent to us standing next to a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Balloon. But inevitably, we still have it hanging around the house even a month after the event.

It was time to let it go. It usually takes some coaxing but this time, my daughter was excited to make a little note for her friend Maisie in New York. A friend she's never met other than on iChat. So Maisie, look up to the skies for a big blue balloon, this one is for you ;)

WHAT HAPPENS HERE...

I'm still not a huge fan of Vegas. This trip didn't change my opinion much. There's serious effort to keep you lost within a hotel so you can't spend your money in the other hotels. As a result, nothing is convenient. There is no walking in a straight line in that town.

But I was grateful for some much needed inspiration. I'm not a gambler. I'm not one to carry around a giant souvenir cocktail, but I do like to shop and take photos of things that inspire me. Thank goodness I married someone that enjoys the same (see him shooting the Louis Vuitton wall at Crystals, City Center). I Love, LOVE, loved Prada, of course, and Stella McCartney with her beautiful chandelier horse, "Lucky Spot". All Saints at Cosmopolitan Hotel was making me drool with the vintage sewing machines lining all of its window as well as the many patterns, textures, and spectacular lights all along the strip.

I also loved the variety of casino carpets. I found myself looking at the floor more and more, enjoying the color combinations and patterns. I thought, what a great book this would make... and guess what, someone else thought the same.

FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE. BILLBOARDS 2012.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And we knew it. We knew it when we got in the gold limo behind MGM. When we stepped onto the red carpet. When we saw the many guitars all lined up and ready for their performers. When Ty's publicist took us to our 8th row seats. When Brandi sat down next to us. When Mike Tyson and Tommy Hilfiger were within spitting distance. And when Ty led us to the side of the stage to watch Stevie Wonder sing.

We were so very fortunate and loving every minute of it. I was snapping photos with my phone like a fool, not even caring that none of them even look good. It was no surprise that my husband was blending into the crowd of "who's that?" with such success. Tommy Hilfiger kept staring at us, probably wondering "who's that?"

It was fun to see the performances even though I don't really have Bieber Fever or listen to Katy Perry. I gained a new respect for performers like Taylor Swift after hearing all of her amazing accomplishments. I was so proud of Ty for doing so well as a host with Julie Bowen. I had happy-tears in my eyes for the lucky singers that got to sing with Stevie Wonder and I was in awe of the many, many people backstage making the whole thing run so smoothly.

Once in a lifetime. Thanks Ty and Holly!

See real Billboards photos here.

 

Christine and I getting into the limo. Holly, Emily, Jeff and Duncan on our short ride to the red carpet. Tosh and I in the hotel suite and in the limo. The line up of guitars. Ty looking so very calm. Me, Christine, Emily and Jeff in Ty's room backstage.

Ty and Julie starting the Billbaord Awards. Jeff and Emily, Me and Tosh at our seats. Taylor Swift receiving her award. Julie and Ty on the overhead screen. Brandi looking absolutely stunning. Justin Bieber performing. Mike Tyson with Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose. Stevie Wonder singing with Alicia Keys.

Backstage shots of Cee Lo and Stevie Wonder being interviewed. My husband Tosh beaming after Stevie said to him, "I love you too, man." After show parties at 1 Oak @ The Mirage and Lily @ Ballagio.

 

FINAL TWO

After a bit of shopping (thanks mom for watching my kids!) I was able to narrow down to a couple of dresses. I was really surprised to find a colorful option. I think it's going to win out. And I love the shoes! Both will get much more use than the black set up, although the black dress is pretty spectacular too.

1. Alex & Ava Cowl Neck Jersey Dress $158.00 (Ginger). Cole Haan 'Air Vivian' Sandal $178.00 (Sequoia). Nordstrom Multi Row Bar Bangle $48.00 (Gold). Argento Vivo Triple Teardrop Earrings $68.00 (Gold).

2. Adrianna Papell Rosette Mixed Media Dress $178.00 (Black). Via Spiga 'Brook' Sandal $225.00 (Turquoise Patent). Kendra Scott 'Rafa' Rose Cuff $125.00 (Gold). Kendra Scott 'Elle' Small Oval Earrings $52.00 (Turquoise).

VEGAS ON THE APPROACH

I'm not huge on Vegas, but my husband and I need a getaway. NOW. The last time the two of us got on a plane without kids was before we had kids. That was 4 1/2 years ago. Since then we've had two very appreciated one-nighters to Park City. We've gone to Portland with one kid and to Dallas with two kids. That's the extent of our travel. It always involved family and tended to be a bit stressful. Those were great outings, don't get me wrong, I liked those trips, but we're ready for a real vacation from our kids. It will be hard to leave our sweet girls for four whole days but at least Vegas is close-ish. It's also a bit of a "cheap" getaway. I had looked into San Diego. I want to save that for the kids. And Palm Springs. I want to save that for a sibling getaway.

So Vegas it is. I was starting to get excited about it. I never would've thought, excited about Vegas? But then... We got invited to the Billboards. That just kicked the meter up a few notches. We didn't think we would be able to swing it. Our original tickets out of town were the day before awards night. All hotels were booked because of the event. A return ticket would be as much as our original hotel and flight to Vegas. And the kicker was that who would watch our kids for 4 whole days? But somehow it all worked out and we get to go.

So now... a dress. Oh boy.

I must confess, I don't have a body that can just easily fit into any cocktail dress with ease. I have some areas to deal with. I've had two kids and my high metabolism that I grew up with sunk pretty low post 35. It's not going to be easy to find something for an event like this. Plus it's going to be 90+ degrees down there. Ugh. I'm going to need a girdle plus it will be hot... I may pass out.

Today, I go shopping... I feel a little like Julia Robers in Pretty Woman when she's so excited to go shopping and finds out that the experience sucks beyond belief. I have already started this process and after 8 dresses, I am a bit nervous. I can't leave this purchase to Vegas. If I don't find anything there, I'm bound to show up in my usual frumps. We're also sitting in a camera section so I need to try to find SOMETHING that doesn't embarrass myself and all I know. It's the new obsession.

Here are a few thoughts before I go: Needs sleeves but not too long. Can't be too short (like a shift dress). Not too fitted. Can't be stretchy material. Can't be see-through. Solids might be best. It would be a bonus if I could actually wear it for another occasion later. I'd love it if it were under $300.00 but I'll try not to think about that, there are too many other restrictions. But I can't forget shoes and accessories. Wish me luck.

DRESSUP & BOOK NOOK

I couldn't decide. I knew I wanted to do something with one of the closets in my daughters room. She loves to hide so I thought a quiet spot with books might be nice. But she also loves to play dress up so where to put all of those things without making her room look junky? It was a project that my husband and I worked on together. There are two closets in her room so I reorganized to make everything she really needed fit into one, then we took off the closet doors and painted the interior of the other closet. My husband installed some track lighting and I started planning out the scene.

What I REALLY wanted was a sky scene with hot air balloons, blue skies and clouds. I also wanted a small dresser painted bright yellow, like the sun. So I started looking for wallpaper. I couldn't find anything that was fitting these ideas. I thought about painting it blue but I didn't like that with the existing coral wall color in her room so I left the walls white. Clearly, from the get go, I could see that this project wouldn't be complete right off. I made two hot air balloons and purchased one other (see "Hodgepodge"). I found a cloud shelf, and some cute flower hooks at Urban Outfitters. I had a cushion made and purchased a small nightstand and painted it yellow. I made a pillow with some Dandelions fabric by heidikenney that I had been admiring for a while on Spoonflower I found a used tin mirror and hot glued lots of colorful shiny bits all over it, (found around the house and at dollar stores). I purchased a ruffle curtain at Target and used a bathroom shower curtain rod to hang it. I got four bins from IKEA for storage.

My mother-in-law made a nurse hat and vest, and two superhero capes. I found construction vests at IKEA and lots of costume items on sale after the Halloween season at Target and Savers.

Things left to accomplish: I still want to find a wallpaper or do something to the back wall, and possibly the left wall behind the cloud shelf so that it's not white on white. I also would like to get a flokati rug for under the cushion and add some fringe to the pillow. 

Although I have things in mind to make this closet better, for now it's a huge success with my kids and their friends that come over to play. It's also really easy to put everything away so it doesn't get overly messy. That was important to me. That's also why I like having a few baskets high up and a dresser with an area for hats, shoes and a drawer for jewelry. It all worked out somehow.

PEOPLES

I've wanted to make these for quite some time. We've got tons of Vintage Fisher Price Little People, which are called "peoples" in our house, and these little bitties can play along too. A cute tutorial for making them with kids is here. It makes for a fun crafternoon even with my littlest one.
You Need:
Wooden dolls (available at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or here in a variety of sizes)
Pens (Colors for eyes and mouth)
Brush and Paints (Colors for hair and clothing)
Clothing Materials (Fabric. Lace. Felt. Stickers. Ribbon. Sparkle Bits)
Fabric Scissors
Hot Glue

1. Have your kids draw eyes and a mouth (or no mouth) on the ball of the peg.
2. Have them paint the hair (let dry). I did one and they followed quite well. 
3. Have them paint the body clothes from the neck down (let dry).
4. They choose the fabrics and trimmings.
5. I cut out skirts, dresses and pants and hot glue them on.

They love being a part of making their own peoples and playing with them. They're a hit.

EVENING OF FOOD & FABRIC

As promised, I'd like to offer up my humble review of Pallet, a new restaurant in Salt Lake City. I found out about it while looking for wallpaper for my sister-in-law's home. I really love the wallpaper they chose for their men's restroom. It's a black on black damask. Cody Derrick of City Home Collective was good enough to help me out with the source. We ended up using that wallpaper in a gameroom and LOVE it.

A few friends had experienced Pallet before I was able to get there, but we all had similar thoughts. Beautiful, dark and lively atmosphere (I love the enormous mirror behind the bar), with a menu that needs some tweeking. Priced as if it has been around and favored by many. My husbands opinion was quite low, but I'd like to see how they do over time. Perhaps a chef that could offer up flavors that are worth the price. I had the scallops, my husband had the buffalo ribs which he said was, "the worst cut of meat" he'd ever had. I liked my meal, and our friends both enjoyed theirs. I enjoyed our evening there but I think we'll wait awhile before returning to see if some kinks get worked out.




Around the corner, I came across a fabric store that I never knew was there. Tissu Fine Fabrics & Design Gallery. Pierpont is home to several cute little shops, some stick around, others come and go. I don't know how long this has been there, but I fell in love with some fabric in the window. It's the kind of fabric that makes me nervous though. I want to make something with it, but I'd buy it, and it would sit in a bag until I could muster up the courage to start a project. Possibly a table cloth for Mother's Day.

STELLA TURNED FOUR AND I SURVIVED

I'm pretty sure my husband doesn't want me to throw another party ever again. He's patient with me as I dedicate our home and much of my time to planning and preparing for our daughters birthday parties. He likes to get involved, within reason. He designs adorable party invites and I'm always grateful to have one thing off of my to-do list. And I'm as patient as I can be as he asks me, without fail, "how much more have you got planned with this thing?"

With our oldest daughter turning four, I decided it's time to move on from a family birthday gathering to a friend party. She wanted to invite a few friends from school, a couple from church, her best friend, her cousin and some neighborhood friends. 16 kids total (Yeecsh).

She wanted a POLKA DOT theme. I asked her about colors and she said, "blue and purple". Once I found an outfit, I based the color palette around it and started planning the invite, food, cake, decor and favors. Below is my style guide for shopping and a few photos of the party.

THE FOOD: anything round I could find. Melons cut in round shapes and stacked large to small. Tomatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Grapes, Blueberries in round clear containers. THE CAKE: I ordered Cake Pops from Kate's Pop Sweet Shop via etsy for the kids. I don't feel confident with my baking skills so I am usually sweating through the whole process and praying it all comes out ok. I made a three layer vanilla cake with blue frosting with tissue puff skewers on top and a circle punched number four. I also found some circle sprinkles that helped the bottom edge. It was a cute cake. THE DECOR: I made circle danglers by using a Fiskers circle punch and sewing them in strips. I used dart balloons to create a small wall of color. I bought a 36" balloon online and made the tassel with ribbon, fabric and tissue paper. I really wanted Craspedia Billy Ball flowers but instead I opted for simple yellow tulips. I wanted to use bamboo forks and colorful plates. I have a stash of bottles from previous parties and got some dot straws on etsy and put them all in a large round yellow tin, filled it with ice. I made some yarn pom pom garlands and tissue pom poms for decor around the house. THE PARTY FAVORS: I originally thought about sewing dot baggies for candy but opted to go simpler and got craft bags and some washi tape. Filled them with dot candy, a dumdum wrapped in dot fabric and tied with twine, some blue foil wrapped chocolate balls and some purple sixlets. I circle punched a "thanks for coming" and hot glued it to close the bag as washi tape doesn't hold very well sometimes.

My daughter really wanted to paint at her party. She loves crafts so I got some wood letters, the first letter for each child invited. I spray painted them white and got a variety of colors from the color palette and circle sponge applicators and let them create their own letter art. Of course, aprons were a must ;)

A huge thank you to my husband and all of the moms for helping to make the party go smoothly. Thank you Nicole for jumping in and taking a few photos.

Maybe we'll do this every other year? We'll see if I can stop myself.

HODGEPODGE

My process for decorating a room starts with finding one thing; a wallpaper or fabric and then creating a color palette, patterns and accessories around it. This has worked great with our girls baby rooms (Nina's has been featured on Apartment Therapy and Modern Musings), but for some reason with my oldest daughters "grown-up girl" room, I was feeling the flop.

First off, I fell in love with a paint color. A salmon. I still had our enormous vintage gold frame that I turned into a bulletin board with pale yellow linen backing. So the color palette started with those two colors. My daughter loves blue so I added a teal but I had a hard time finding fabrics in my crazy color palette.

Then we got bunkbeds for her to eventually share with her little sister. Big. White. Chunky. We hung onto some of our functional, modern, white IKEA pieces like the book shelf, chair and light. So... no real theme, crazy color palette... I was trying to salvage items from her baby room and I just couldn't make it work. I needed a small wall shelf for all of our Friends With You toys. I painted it teal to see if that helped tie in the colors.

I'll tell you what, the room is a hodgepodge of randomness and it's driving me crazy. After my husband did some work with San Francisco's Lab Partners they gave him an adorable calendar with a "festive fleet of flying contraptions". Then I bought this super cute handmade balloon by Zoe Howard Jacobson (the one with the face). So I focused on A Day at the Fair theme. I made two other hot air balloons and embraced the crazy color palette I had roped myself into. Teal, salmon and yellow.

For her Christmas present, we created a dress-up closet with a yellow Victorian dresser, a teal floor cushion and a white cloud bookshelf. This whole area is still a work in progress to me. This is why there are no photos, I'm too embarrassed to show what it all looks like now. Plus I hate the blinds. One day, this room will come together. I foresee this happening perhaps when she turns 14? Oi.

Until then, I'll continue to create random bits of fun things that have nothing to do with anything and I'll remind myself that it's ok. This is a kids room, it's meant to be fun and messy and a bit crazy. And then I'll really try to convince myself that there doesn't really need to be a "theme".

Below are the two hot air balloons that I made, and Zoe's cute little balloon that I will forever cherish. Also a robot that I made trying to tie the colors together. This was before the Fair theme. I need to give credit to Abby Snow for her robot design. I swiped it and made about 6 robots over the last couple of years for gifts. Mine are a bit different, but her cute little guys got me started.

 

CITY CREEK OUTING

City Creek opened the end of March. We chose to check it out on a Sunday for some mellow window shopping instead of attempting a shopping excursion among the craziness of opening weekend. Although it's a bit of a bummer that it's not open on Sunday, it makes for a lovely family outing. All of the fountains are going and I know for a fact that the kids enjoyed it this way much more. They could run around and squeal with delight. And I was able to get a few shots of my favorite patterns and textures. Tiffany's was my favorite.

HAPPY EASTER!

EASTER GARLAND

I think I'll use this garland for an upcoming birthday decoration as well. The colors work for multiple occasions.
























Ever since I saw 36" balloons with tassels on Geronimo, I have been putting tassels on everything possible. I like them at the end of felt ball garlands. I also like to mix felt balls with pom poms. If you have the patience and don't mind destroying your skin a little to make felt balls, knock yourself out. Here's a tutorial. I bought a ton of wool roving and started to make them and quickly found that the job sucks. I don't have the patience for it and my skin can't take the soapwater soak for 10 minutes per ball. So I buy the balls on etsy now. Pom poms are easy enough to make and you can buy a little tool here. My friend, Nicole makes darling wreaths and offers a tutorial on her site. I string them all together, space them and put a dab of hot glue on each side of the felt balls to hold them in place. Then I make the tassels with a variety of ribbons, slit fabrics, lace, and yarn, all about 14" in length. Fold the bunch in half over the garlands end piece and wrap thread around the folded end to secure it. Then tie a knot around the tassel on each end with the garlands end piece. It takes about an hour or so to make. It's easy and I love how delicate it looks. Happy Easter.

Materials Needed:
Scissors. Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks. Felting Needle (or Large Needle). Clover Pom Pom Maker. Felt Balls. Yarn for Pom Poms. Tatting Thread. Strips of Lace, Ribbon, and Material in a variety of colors.

RED GOLD

Just a brief moment of panic last week when I opened the freezer and found no more raspberry jam. When I saw some gorgeous raspberries on sale at the market I had to make the time for a batch of jam. We can't survive for long without homemade jam in this house. My mother-in-law calls raspberries "Red Gold". So completely agree.

Printable Jam Labels for you. Enjoy.

Large Lid , Small Lid, Tags, Round Circle Labels (Fiskars XL Punch)

The Martha Stewart string was originally purchased at Michael's, but can now be found just about anywhere. Check out etsy for a plethora of colors.

BABY ROOM CONCEPTS

I've been working on my sister-in-law's home with her and her husband. They recently purchased a beautiful Arts & Crafts home near by. It came equipped with terrible paint in every room and plenty of space to beautify. Needless to say, we're having fun giving each room renewed life and style.

They have a bit of a earthy, minimal, and textural style and a nice collection of mid-century modern furniture. We want to add to that with a touch of Industrial, and Victorian. They like muted blues and greens, feminine mixed with masculine, they like wool, and felt... they like what I like.

All of the rooms need paint, some need wallpaper, most need furniture. I started by collecting snippets of products and style ideas and applying them to style boards for each room. For their nursery, I had several thoughts... too many thoughts because to me, a nursery is the perfect room to do something very different from the rest of the home. I've included them here, and as many of the references as I could find for each.

REGENT BIRDIE
A bit of Hollywood Regency and a few birdies amount to a beautifully feminine space for a baby girl. I'm not much for pink for girls because it's a bit obvious, but in this case, it's really sweet to me to have pale pink mixed with gold and accented with pale greens and blues. Paint metal items gold and/or gold foil vintage Victorian frames for a bulletin board. A gold pouf and mirrored dresser along with a very girlie vintage chandelier. A few handmade bird houses on the wall and various knitted or sewn birdies could make a cute mobile. Maggie & Sparrow has a beautiful option. A grey rug with a graphic pattern and a simple glider. White iron crib RHBaby. Birdcage memo holder available at The Orchard. Bird print by Matte Stephens.

SCHOOL DAYS
I was originally inspired by a homeschooling room from Mandy Lynne. Decorating with vintage globes, suitcases (photo credit: Mollypop) and typewriter, Victorian frame turned to bulletin board or chalkboard, needlepoint footstool, and wire baskets for storage. Vintage Fisher Price Schoolhouse (etsy) and peoples in Vintage wood wall shelf (photo credit: bunnyfrogs). Doily garland (by anemonecomms) and soft toys (by Cleo & Poppy and blabla). Quilt by Maggie & Sparrow. Clock and lighting by Schoolhouse Electric. Furnishing with Millbrook Iron Crib (RHBaby). Hannah Nicole Glider (Sears). Vintage schoolchair/desk (Modern50). Painted Victorian dresser for a Changing table.

FOX DEN
As a mom of two girls many of my ideas lean to the feminine but I tend to like boy things. Boy shoes for instance. My girls wear boy shoes until they figure out that their shoes are boy shoes. Then I have to surrender to the sparkle. A room based on foxes could go for boys or girls. I love the kick of color and the opportunity to combine masculine with feminine in color, texture and style.

This is a great opportunity for a vintage Mid-century dresser/changing table. The Daddy Glider has clean lines and is complimented by a textural knitted pouf. A vintage school chair and teak crib. Harlequin wallpaper by Ferm Living. Socks the Fox by Blabla. Lighting by Sect Design and handmade fox plushies. I'm a huge fan of Maggie & Sparrow's quilts. And an even huger fan of  Djeco's Scouic Fox pull toy designed by Marc Boutavant.

RAINY DAY
I love clouds and rain. Maybe it's the Portland in me. I miss those days when it would rain for 20 minutes and then get sunny for an hour then rain for a half hour and then sunny for 4 hours.... Clouds coming and going is comforting to me. Mellow weather feels like a good concept for a baby's nursery. This one is my favorite, actually.

I recall seeing the "I will be grateful for this day" poster on etsy a while back and loving the subtle colors and rain drops. I love the idea of small white string lights and fluffy white ruffle curtains. Vintage tin bins for storage and a Rain Cloud Mobile by The Butter Flying. This would be a nice place for a damask wallpaper or fabric for the bumper, flokati rug and warm wood furniture. The Little Dorm shelf by Ferm Living. Drum light by West Elm. Glider by Olio. Cloud pillow by BlaBla Kids. I also love the idea of white string lights to offer unpredictable lighting. Bird print by deka-Animals. Umbrella charm by Jade Scott.

COUNTING SHEEP
Sheep mobile by Gifts Define. Wood Sheep by Plan Toys. Myles Glider available through Layla Grayce. DIY IKEA painted shelving. Cloud B Sleep Sheep. Sheep Crib Bedding by Land of Nod. Flokati pouf. Budding Crystal Chandelier by Anthropologie.

IN THE GARDEN
Inspired by the colors in my grandmother's garden with a variety of lush greens and vibrant pink, yellow, orange and blue. I love the Garden Rug from from Land of Nod. It has all of the colors that I remember from the hot summer days I spent on her farm in Northern California. Quilt by A Beau Ideal using "a mix of Heather Bailey lines for the fabric including Nicey Jane, Pop Garden and Bijoux." Also in the mix are vintage tin bins and mirrors from old window panes. Garden knobs for wall hooks and wire baskets for book and toy storage. Vintage side chair along with a lovely glider by Petit Nest. Yellow metal crib and side table. Snail art by Matte Stephens. Felted snail by Muddy Feet. Olive linen curtains by Crate & Barrel.

VINTAGE CIRCUS
Wire storage bins, wire baskets and crib by Restoration Hardware. Lighting by Anthropologie. Quilt by Maggie & Sparrow. The baby's name in string art inspired by Dominique Falla. Painted Victorian table for a changing area or small dresser. Vintage letters and Fisher Price circus toys. Animal art by Lisa Jones Studio. Table lamp available through Swank Lighting. Pouf DIY through DesignSponge. Carter Glider by Room & Board. Jute rug from Rosenberry Rooms.

WOODLAND FRIENDS
Brown flokati rug. Stump side table from West Elm. Quilt by Maggie & Sparrow. Langley Floral wallpaper by Ralph Lauren. Dupioni silk curtains. Vintage Iron crib, Matteo linen bedding, and Capiz pendant by Layla Grayce. Neutral colored tufted glider. Vintage wood wall shelf for small decorative items like a mushroom collection and little forest critters. Soft toys like hedgehogs, bunnies, and chipmunks. Hand crafted items like felted mushrooms in a teacup, felted acorns could be turned into a mobile. Jonathan Adler Squirrel. Gorgeous brown lace for a pillow and soft quilted pouf all make for a textural and soft woodland room.