bridal emergency kit

When I was getting married, a lot of my friends were too.  So, like many women, I found myself in a bridal whirlwind in which napkin colors, the d.j. vs. band conundrum, and tent rentals were all of monumental importance.  At this time, I came into possession of a Bridal Emergency Kit.  I was not the first bride to get it.  It came to me from a friend after her wedding, and it was a mammoth drawstring bag full of tons of little travel-sized items, all of which some bride along the way had found to be handy on her big day.  The idea was that you would add something after your own wedding and pass it on, which I did.

Much more recently, a young woman I know announced that she would be tying the knot.  She wanted me to create some fun totes for her bridesmaids and mom like I made for another friend last summer.  Now, it is important to note that this woman holds a special place in my heart because she was my long-term substitute when I was on maternity leave with my second child.  She did a fantastic job, really went above and beyond,  and anyone who teaches knows that having a sub who you can really trust makes all the difference in the world.  When it came time to deliver the totes, I wanted to include a little something extra.  A Bridal Emergency Kit seemed like the perfect thing.  Some girlfriends and I brainstormed a list and assembled the following items, all in the small travel sizes:

• lip balm
• breath mints
• ibuprofen
• little folding hairbrush with built-in mirror
• lint roller
• snack-sized energy bar
• safety pins
• wet wipes
• bobby pins
• a sewing kit
• clear nail polish
• bandages
• antacids
• tissues
• dental floss
• deodorant
• hair spray
• hand lotion
• nail polish remover
• scissors
• small disposable toothbrushes

We tossed it all into one of my zippered toiletry bags and she loved it!  My point is, you've doubtlessly got some shower gifts on your list or at least a gal at work who is about to get hitched . . . why not throw together one of these little kits for her?  You can add or subtract items as you see fit.  It is a great gift because it gets her excited about her wedding day and she can just toss into her carry-on for the honeymoon.  Genius! 

roots



A cozy sitting area perfect for a little reading or knitting by the fire.

It was William Morris, one of the major players in the Arts and Crafts Movement, who said: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  This has come to be my Platonic ideal of housekeeping and decorating.  Of course, I am nowhere near living within these parameters, but I do strive to at least move in this direction.  I know a few people who seem to be a little closer to the mark, and they challenge me to create a living environment for my family that is both functional and inspiring.  Two such people are my own parents.

This space was originally an outdoor atrium.  As a sun room, it is used year round and fills the house with light. 

 

I grew up in a modest rancher in the Oakland Mills neighborhood of Columbia, Maryland.  My parents were among the first to move into the new community in the early 70's, but they began transforming their house into a distinctive and unique home from the moment they moved in.  Comparatively few of their changes have been major structural overhauls.  They've worked within the innovative, open floor plan, adding architectural details here and there, infusing the entire space with antiques, finds from their travels, books and art, and other treasures from their life together.



Though the kitchen has been completely renovated, the large footprint of the room is an original feature of the home.



Because of the flow to the house, the formal dining room is really multi-purpose, working as a central space for congregating.

After traveling in Japan, my parents were inspired to create a spot for quiet reflection in the more private section of the home, overlooking the garden and the public open space beyond.

My parents have now lived in their work in progress for almost 40 years, tinkering all the while, and what they have created is truly exquisite.  My sister and I both feel strongly that growing up in an aesthetically stimulating environment made a huge difference in our world views.  Square footage is not the secret to a beautiful, functional home--love and creative vision are, and I am lucky to have parents with both qualities in spades. 



the fun in failure

We had a great project idea today--we were going to make stamps out of stuff we had lying around the house!  Maybe even use the stamps to make Valentines.  I couldn't argue with my boys' enthusiasm, so we got started right away, gathering up the materials: glue, scissors, some pipe cleaners, cardboard from the recycling, a stamp pad, card stock in a few colors.  Our thought was that we could create shapes out of the pipe cleaners, glue them to the cardboard, and then stamp to our heart's content.  We whipped up a few different shapes and waited for the glue to dry.

Then, we stamped.

Underwhelmed?  So were we.  And we got some glue on the stamp pad.  But here's the thing--we didn't throw in the towel.  We started trying some different things, and it turned out that our "stamps" served very nicely for crayon rubbings.  And then we discovered that lots of things were nice for crayon rubbings, like the miniature pie tin from the play kitchen and the surface of our work stools.  Card stock wasn't looking so hot, so we switched to regular weight paper.  That was better.  My older son thought it would be even better if we used the special-edge scissors to cut the rubbings out, and we glued those onto the card stock.

It wasn't what we planned, but it sure was fun, and the boys were using so many skills--problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming.  All in all, our big fat failure turned into quite a successful afternoon.  I think there's a lesson in that, don't you?

note to self





Okay, New Year's resolutions can be a little hokey, but in my mind, they do have their place.  Taking a moment to pause and reflect is an important part of living a purposeful life.  I decided that this year, rather than make traditional resolutions, I would just make a "Note to Self", a reminder to myself of the things that need to be priorities even though they may slip through the cracks at times.  I created this postcard using one of Michelle Underwood's wonderful free digital scrapbooking kits available at Two Peas in a Bucket.  I made it in a 4" x 6" size so that I can slip it into a frame and keep it next to my bed throughout the year.  I've made a blank one for you to fill out if you'd like to give it a try, and you can find it here.  Happy New Year!

a handful of handmade holiday picks

Christmas Cardinal Purse by Chirp and Bloom

One of the real joys of a handmade business is the direct line of communication between the artist and the customer.  As a buyer of handmade goods, I love having a chance to talk to the artist, get a sense of the process, or read about them online.  As a seller, I similarly delight in knowing exactly where my little creation is going to end up, be it down the street or on the other side of the world.  I imagine a little boy in Korea opening up his car mat, and another little boy in another time zone doing the exact same thing--they will both make the same rumbling and screeching noises as they push their toy cars over the roadways, though they may use different words to say thank you for the gift.

With the holiday season upon us, I thought I would point you in the direction of a few artists who I really feel ooze joy and creativity with their offerings for children.  And I do mean a few-- there is so much to choose from, and isn't that wonderful? 

Becky of Chirp & Bloom is an apparel designer who has branched out wonderfully to purses (like the adorable one above), sachets, and other additions to her line of gorgeous clothing for kidlings.  You'll love her use of traditional sewing techniques and vintage fabrics.

Apple n Amos will knock your socks off with beautiful wooden toys that are designed for learning and fun, like this sweet gingerbread cookie set.  Many of the toys are painted with a non-toxic, water-based wash and sealed with beeswax.  Wooden toys aren't the only thing you'll find in this shop--look for handsewn and crocheted items as well.

For a fun twist on the personalization trend, I love these handpainted name trains from Vibrant Trains.  Boys and girls alike love trains, and these bright and colorful name trains would also make wonderful nursery decor.

I hope that some of these finds will encourage you to look to the handmade market this holiday season for that unique gift that will be appreciated all year long!

make a retro fall wreath

My boys and I are always dreaming up projects to do in our downtime, and they recently decided that we needed to make a fall wreath.  My oldest especially has been very intrigued with the idea that wreaths announce the seasons--a few weeks ago, placing a large apple that he made at school on the door, he announced, "It's apple picking time!"  They were emphatic that leaves should be the focus of this wreath.  I think that what they really wanted to do was take actual leaves and glue them onto a wreath (which could, theoretically, be beautiful, but when executed by 2- and 4-year-old boys, would look like the forest floor).  By the time we got to the craft store to pick out some supplies, they were fully on board with my dreams of handmade pompoms and wool felt.  The beauty of this project is that you can customize it in a million different ways.  It would be lovely to do this in monochromatic shades, for instance.  Or imagine adding some felted acorns or a beautiful felt bird.  I let go on color choices and let my boys make those decisions, but I still love the way it turned out.  The major plus of this project was that all of three of us worked on it together, and we could have used even more helping hands, so it's a nice full-family project.  And though the orangey hues are reminiscent of Halloween, this is transitional enough to last us right through Thanksgiving.

Materials

• Pompom maker (available in the knitting section at the craft store--I bought two so both boys could work at the same time)
• 12" wreath form
• 2 spools grosgrain ribbon
• 1 skein multi-colored yarn
• 2 sheets wool felt
• needle
• hot glue gun
• leaves from your yard and/or leaf template

Directions

1. If you need a ribbon to hang your wreath, attach it to the wreath form now.  Use the grosgrain ribbon to wrap your entire wreath form.  We used a few different colors of ribbon.  Secure the end with a dab of hot glue.



I loved making pompoms as a
kid.  We are thinking up all sorts
of uses for our new tool! 

2. Collect leaves from your yard and trace them onto paper (or simply use the leaf template).  Using the template, cut the leaves out of wool felt.  We cut out nine walnut leaves and three oak leaves for our wreath.  Using the needle, create a simple vein with the yarn through each leaf.  No knots needed--the yarn will stay in place thanks to the thickness of the wool felt.
3. Create your pompoms.  We made seven large pompoms.  This is great for developing those fine motor skills, too!
4. Using the hot glue gun, attach the pompoms and leaves in groups around the wreath.

This is definitely an adults-required project, but we had so much fun with it.  I hope you do, too!

party planning for the sippy cup set

For his 4th birthday, my son had some very clear ideas about what he wanted--a dinosaur mystery party.  But when I asked him what that meant, he told me that it was a secret.  Of course, I wanted it to be perfect for him, so I got to work anyway.  We came up with a party plan that was totally dinosaur mystery-themed and kept everyone busy, happy, and well-fed.

We are firmly in the home-spun party camp.  I certainly have no problem with kids' parties that are hosted at a kid-friendly venue, and we love to attend them, but as a family, we prefer to host our celebrations at home.  Ultimately, we pulled together what I thought was a very fun and creative party that everyone on our guest list, from nine months to ninety years old, enjoyed. 

Herewith, some tips for hosting kids' parties that anyone can try:

I made this dino-themed invite,
along with matching thank you notes,
and printed it onto card stock for
mailing.

1. Set the tone with your invitations.  I have mentioned this before, but it is really helpful for your guests if you give some hints about the event and about your child with the invitation.  Especially as your child gets older, not everyone attending will know exactly what interests the birthday boy or girl has.  Guests like to know what to expect and how to dress, and they like to have a little direction when choosing a gift.  And keep the length of the party short and sweet for the little guys.  With this age group, less is definitely more!

A guest completes her dino mystery puzzle.

2. Keep 'em busy with stations.  It works at school, so why not at a birthday party?  We set up four themed stations: Dino Chomp, Dino Dig, Dino Match, and Dino Dash.  At each station, the kids had to complete a task to earn a puzzle piece (these were color-coded) that would solve their "dino mystery".  The tasks were simple but engaging, and the kids loved having a challenge to tackle.  Every child was occupied and engaged.  This took a lot of planning and work, but it paid off.  A friend of mine has since used the same approach at her son's party with a car theme, and it worked just as beautifully for her.

3.  Know what to have someone else take care of.  Originally, I'd planned to make dino-shaped sandwiches and the cake.  But as the stations took up more of my time, we decided to outsource the food.  We ordered pizzas, including specialty pizzas for the adults, and I bought a simple cake at the store and decorated it with a dinosaur play set that we rinsed off afterward.  Everything tasted great, the kids loved it, and it was one less thing for me to worry about. 

4.  Try a non-traditional favor.  There's no question that kids love favors.  But it's o.k. to think outside the goody bag.  I first realized this when a friend of mine gave an audio book to each child or sibling group at her son's party.  She had gotten a good deal and the cost per guest came out to the same as that of a traditional goody bag.  My children thought it was terrific.  For this party, I traded with my friend Becca of Bee Sweet Cookies, and she made an amazing personalized stegosaurus for every guest.  A major hit.

Overall, the most important thing is to go with the flow and really think about what your child and his or her friends will enjoy.  Happy kids always make a great party.