little bit creations

post 22 of 30:dream home

2012-02-23T16:11:00.002-06:00

somehow i am supposed to get 8 more posts done today, sorry to let you down, but i do not think that is going to happen. i made a great attmept and i am super proud of how many posts i did manage to do! i really enjoyed the thirty day challenge, i think that i will be doing something like this again in the future! ( i will finish 30 posts, just not by the end of today)

well this week i have been in la-la land. a land where i dream of building a custom home. a home that has everything my husband and i ever wanted. it is so exciting to think of all of the possibilities and ways we could introduce our personality into a permanent fixture. it is so exciting, yet totally unreal. however, i still like to let my imagination roll!

i am quite the addict when it comes to house plans. you could open any notebook or notepad that has been owned by me or in my presence at one time and you will find some type of house plan...either little scribbles of a living room space plan, or a full blown house plan designed down to the vase placement on the cocktail table. randomly throughout a day, ideas will pop into my head of my next great idea for a house plan for me to take to the notepad, or a living room layout and i get as excited as i do on christmas morning when it is time to open presents. i can not wait to see my idea drawn out, or better yet come to life! well for now these ideas are all in my head or on paper, so i thought it would be fun to share them with you!

and the latest house plan i have been drooling over...

of course what they call the "grilling porch" would become a solarium.

there are SO many other photos i have saved, but iw ould not want to overwhelm you...perhaps another time.

post 21 of 30: sleep training and weaning

2012-02-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

i usually do not blog about parenting, yes the random photos of wren and posts of family events, but that's it. well it has been eating at me to post about weaning and sleep training, so i am just going to bite the bullet and hope for good positive comments. as a mother i know we all have our opinions and they are usually strong ones, and i respect that...so i am reaching out to you. reaching out for your opinions and hoping for positive ones, or at least ones that i can relate to.

W(our daughter) was born on march 26th, 2011. when we brought her home from the hospital she like most babies had her days and nights confused. M(my husband) and I would take turns throughout the night with her. i had many family members begging to help us, but i was breastfeeding and did not see how that would help, i felt like in the end it would only be a tease to our new sleep habits and could possibly destroy my nursing relationship with W. so we took turns. around 8 pm i would nurse W, then sleep until the next nursing session. we had to hold W to get her to sleep, everytime we tried to lay her down, she would just wake up again. (during the day, we had no problem getting her to sleep without being held.)then i would wake and nurse,and M would go to sleep. then we would repeat, doing this until morning.

finally i figured out that she would sleep at night if i put her in her bouncy seat, and then we would not have to hold her. so that is what i did. she would fall asleep while nursing/just by being held(it was easier back then) and then i would place her in the seat. i would then push the seat into the bedroom and blissfully sleep for 5-6 hour stretches at a time. we wondered if this would be a bad habit, and if we could ever get her to go back into her bassinet. after a week or so of this practice i drug out the swaddler(before we were just using a receiving blanket). when bedtime drew near i would do the following routine: bath, lotion/massage, pj's, swaddle, nurse and bassinet at 7( i would shove the shirt i wore that day in the corner of the bassinet so my scent would be near). she would sleep for a few hours and wake around 10/11. we would change her diaper(something we do not do now unless there is poop because it just wakes her that much more and takes that much longer to get her back to sleep), i would nurse her to sleep and put her back down. at the time we would all lay down. W would sleep 5 or 6 hours and wake, and we repeated. sometimes she would go back to sleep while nursing and sometimes she would stay up.

by 6 weeks, when i returned to work, we had a pretty good routine. i would get a total of 8 hours of sleep with only one night time feeding. at this point we had stopped the nightly bath routine, still doing the other steps, but only a bath every few days or so. at that age they simply just do not need a daily bath.

by 9 weeks old she was sleeping through the night. she would sometimes wake around 5a.m. and would feed. sometimes she would stay up and sometimes she would go back to sleep. this continued until around 8 months when she began to crawl and pull up on things. she got a sinus infection and was constantly waking up from the aches, pains and congestion. me having the same infection and being sleep deprived nursed her back to sleep. it was a horrible habit to start again but try telling me that at 11,2, and 5 am when all i wanted to do was go back to sleep. it was a "quick fix". ever since then i have been battling with what to do. at her ten month appointment, the pediatrician urged me to stop nursing her to sleep and to stop feeding her at night. i agreed.

the first step for me was sleep training and weaning during the day. for the last two and a half weeks i have been giving her breast milk in a sippy during the day and going with the don't offer don't refuse method when it comes to nursing. the grandparents have been using the same method with the bottle during the weekdays. she is down to only 2/3 bottle or nursing feedings a day. at nap time i read her two books rock and sing for a little, then kiss her and lay her down. she usually plays and babbles, sometimes a little whining and is asleep within 15 minutes. there have been a few times she has cried, so i try to repeat or nurse her until she is calm and lay her down (this works but does not help with the weaning.)

after a few days of positive results i tried it at night. oh boy this is a whole different can of worms. she screamed like i had abbandoned her. i knew it was too early and continued the old routine. well last night i got ballsy and decided to try again. she was doing so good and then M got home from the gym. he was starving and well she heard us and she began crying. so back to the old routine again i went.

it is hard for me to relate or get advice from other mom's cause their story is not always the same (i.e. bottle fed, or paci user). but i am curious, what worked for you? gradual or cold turkey? did dad play a part? did you use juice or milk? how long did the process take? did you do cio or another method?

i want to hear it all!

post 20 of 30: playdough

2012-02-21T13:47:00.000-06:00

i thought that i would never get to 20! woohoo!

this weekend wren and i made some playdough. it was super easy. we got the recipe from http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/. They have all kinds of recipes, edible, smelly good, etc.

We went with this one.

No Cook Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour

1 cup of boiling water

2 tablespoons of cream of tartar

1/2 cup of salt

1 tablespoon of oil

Directions:

Simply mix all the ingredients together!

Be careful as it can be quite hot.

she may or may not be trying to eat it.

our batch came out pretty sticky..not to worry, just add flour and knead.

post 19 of 30: the box

2012-02-21T10:46:00.000-06:00

so last weekend i found myself rearranging the living room for a large addition. anticipatng what was to come and fill this giant blank spot.....

no, not a new sofa, I WISH!

no, not more toys. she definitely DOES NOT need more toys!

well there you have it, in all of its beauty. we took the plunge. we have been living about as far off the grid as it gets for us without a TV since July and we gave in. we could not pass up the deal we got on this TV and we were sick and tired of trying to watch things on our cell phones.

(do not mind all of the leg that my hubby is showing) :)

i never knew getting ready in the mornings could be SO easy.

normally i am running around like a crazy person and wren is crying cause she wants me to play with her. it makes for a frazzled morning and sometimes a late one. well this momma has got a time clock to punch! thankfully now i just throw in a dvd and she plays with her toys and dances while she watches it. she still comes crawling for me a couple of times but nothing like before. i think it is a lot better for both of us.

i would never tvsit my daughter but this works for the 15 or 20 minutes i need it a day so i can shower and get dressed!

post 18 of 30: roots

2012-02-20T11:30:00.000-06:00

i needed to get back to my roots with a post on interior design. funny that i consider interior design my roots. i have been collecting some inspirational photos for quite some time but have neglected them on one of many boards on pinterest. so today, i am finally sharing.

kitchens are on my brain quite frequently. no not because i am getting a new one, no not because i even see a new kitchen in my future, just because there are endless options and opportunities. have i mentioned that aqua, and all colors in the range, are totally my favorite colors. my husband jokes that i sneak the color in on every project, not every project i tell him, but most! my clients haven't complained, so i am going to keep on truckin'.

well this color has made its entrance in its fair share of kitchens as well, and i am DEFINITELY NOT complaining. i think i could live very happily in any of these kitchens, as for the hubby, hmm not so sure.

the above kitchen is by far the most amazing kitchen EVER

so would you do it? would you take the plunge into this heavenly color?

post 17 of 30: birthday sign

2012-02-20T11:16:00.000-06:00

i made this lovely sign for wren's party this weekend.

i feel like i am giving away all of the details, but i have to have something to finish these 13 blog posts:)

i do not have anything from her party listed on my etsy shop, so if you are interested, just contact me!

post 16 of 30: unplanned weekend events

2012-02-20T10:56:00.000-06:00

friday wren woke up with some mysterious red spots under her eyes and on each hand. by the time i picked her up friday after work the spots were swollen and she had them all over. not sure what, but this little stinker had an allergic reaction to something.

this took us to urgent care friday night

allowing wren to fall asleep on her own leaves you with laughter later.

once she is asleep i always go in and check on her. i am never sure how i will find her. this was the best, so far!

post 15 of 30: heart day

2012-02-20T10:49:00.000-06:00

so i may be a little late, but better late than never...right?

here is how i spent my heart day(evening)

wren with her presents

came home to delicious beer can chicken.

the hubster took the day off and cleaned and organized the house, best present ever!

where's mommy's eyes?

he even baked! this was just the begginning. we also had tons of cupcakes, YUM

funfetti top, red velvet bottom, SUPERB!

post 14 of 30: invites

2012-02-20T09:11:00.000-06:00

well the invites are officially in the mail! and i could not be more happy with them. here is a little sneak peek. can't give the entire design away or i would ruin the surprise!

confession: i LOVE washi tape!!!

post 13 of 30: count down

2012-02-20T09:05:00.001-06:00

well i was WAY off on my 30 days of blogging count down, i only have 3 days left, and I somehow have to get it in 17 more blog posts. OH BOY. i have my work cut out for me!

Well this weekend I got all kinds of things accomplished. First on the list, the cake topper for Wren's party.

I found this adorable idea on pinterest.

i thought it was just perfect for wren's vintage owl themed birthday party. so i made one of my own:)

2 kabobs

14 felt/fabric triangles

-embroidery thread

-hot glue

post 12 0f 30: note

2012-02-16T16:41:00.000-06:00

I think that I only have 14 days left of my 30 day challenge, but I could be totally off. After this post, I still have 18 to do, so I better get cracking!

I imagine this delightful little note would belong to a little sweetie named Delilah. but...whatever your little sweeties name, I am certain she is very deserving of this adorable note card.

post 11 of 30: wren 10 months

2012-02-13T12:42:00.000-06:00

so remember that little sneak peek i gave you from lindsey lu photography of the photos of wren, pax and harper, here? well, the disc has arrived and i could not be more delighted. i ordered my photos from mpix today, what a great site! here they are!

harper and wren. these two are just a month apart. pretty amazing and pretty lucky to be preggers with your best friend at the same time:)

these two are best buds, inseparable. he goes to grammy and papaw's every day too!

in this mini photo shoot lindsey's goal was to capture wren's MANY faces. this stinker is extremely animated in her facial expressions. see below, i think lindsey nailed it!

i was SO HAPPY that she got a photo of super long lashes. i have been trying to get a photo, but it is kind of hard at this age:)

i think that this one is my favorite. harper is recently into putting things inside of other things and wren, well she is into the camera:)

lindsey was also determined to get some photos of wren's pouty lips:)

bubbles

and of course the soccer ball that she is always kicking around made an appearance.

head on over to "like" lindsey lu photography on facebook, here.

and check out her 365 project, here.

Post 10 of 30: rosettes

2012-02-13T11:32:00.001-06:00

this weekend my besty shared this AMAZING photo with me. how great is it?

i have been making fabric rosettes for quite awhile now but have not went super crazy or gotten too over creative yet because i have not sold any:( but this photo told me, it was time to get to work. so...to work i went! and this is what i came up with:)

So what do you think?

Would you wear one of these or put it on your daughter?

Post 9 of 30: Fingers Crossed!

2012-02-10T15:19:00.000-06:00

4 men 1 lady is hosting an amazing giveaway! Oh boy oh boy I hope that I win!

Abigail Lee is giving away a $50.00 gift card for any product in their store. Here are some of my favorites.....

Malamine Platter

Cutting Board

mouse pad

post 8 of 30: hooty hoo

2012-02-06T10:44:00.000-06:00

as you are well aware, wren's 1st birthday is coming up. this weekend i set out to make her birthday outfit. YAY! the party is an owl theme, so we needed a little owl:) want to make an owl outfit of your own?

what you will need:

-2 yards of flannel or felt (i used flannel, and i used 2 different colors, so a yard of each)

-scissors

-hot glue gun

-10 small glue sticks/5 large glue sticks

-onesie

1. Cut your fabric into 3" strips. if you are using more than one color, you will want to cut equal amounts of both. how much you will need will depend on the size of your onesie.

2. cut your fabric to look like feathers. it is basically a triangle with a rounded point. do not worry about being perfect here. flannel/felt is very forgiving and with the way these are laid out you will not see small mistakes once they are applied to the onesie. after cutting, you can always go back and tweak your cuts to make them smoother. leave about a 1" strip at the top, do not take your triangle to the very top of the fabric.

3. lay your strips out on your onesie and cut them at the nearest feather that is a little longer than the onesie. do not cut any feathers in half. this is where you can see if you have cut enough strips to cover your onesie, if not, cut more.

4. you will have some small peices, that were extra at the end of the strip, keep those.

5. start the hot glue gun! start at the bottom of your onesie, just above the snaps and work your way up. start with a small strip of two feathers. i started with a pink strip. run a bead of hot glue at the top of your two feathers and glue. then run a bead of hot glue just above that row of feathers, directly on the shirt. then i took another small strip of two feathers in navy and stuck it on. then i went to three feathers, still rotating from pink to navy, and so on. remember you want to cover the whole onesie so you do not see any white. two or three feather may not work for you, adjust so you the strips are as wide as your onesie. continue all the way to the top.

note: i put a peice of cardboard in between so i did not glue my shirt together.

6. when you get to the top you will need to cut a custom peice to finish it off. just use your shirt as they guide. i cut a large square, the width of the onesie, laid it down and then laid the onesie on top. from the top i cut the u shape of the neck out of the flannel. along the other end i cut my feathers. then i ran a bead of hot glue along the neck and tightly pushed my flannel up against it.

7. trim along the side of the onesie any extra fabric. i trimmed along the seam. glue down an extra bits hanging off. smooth out any imperfections you see with your scissors.

8. cut your wings. i cut mine using three different shapes. shap 1 and 3 were in navy, and shape 2 was in pink. i folded my fabric in half to ensure the wings would be identical. i really just "winged" it. you can cut whatever shape you want. i would measure your little one so you know how tall you want your wings. then cut the other peices to fit inside.

9. glue the wings to the top of your onesie.

note: be sure not to close/or glue the flap shut as you will need this to easily slip the onesie over their head.

i also put a dot of glue at the top of the sleeve on the front and back side for more wing support.

and wah-la, one little adorable :) owl

post 7 of 30: custom

2012-02-02T16:12:00.000-06:00

just to be clear, some of you may not know, that i do custom work as well! i love it when a bride approaches me with all of the details of the most amazing day of their life. i love it when a mother has worked so hard to perfect her little ones birthday but cant find an invitation that is the exact match. these are my favorite projects. sure i have created several paper goods for sale on my store, but my favorite projects are those that are created personally for you. i was recently approached by mel and lance to do their paper goods. i have been dabbling here and there with graphics but i am super pumped to dive in to this project. here's what mel is working with...

....and here's what i am working with, of course only a snippet, i can't give the details away!

the mason jar things seems to be big, i am also using mason's for wren's first birthday....anyone else theming with mason's?

post 6 of 30: time to tango

2012-02-02T15:24:00.000-06:00

word on the street is that the 2012 pantone color of the year is tangerine tango!

any of you brides planning a tangerine wedding?

i can work with that....

invitation available on http://www.littlebitcreations.etsy.com/

save the date card available on http://www.littlebitcreations.etsy.com/

you can purchase these AWESOME (ok i am biased) paper goods here and here.

post 5 of 30: custom artwork

2012-01-30T09:12:00.001-06:00

client project research. a recent visit to a clients home has got me researching abstract art. she has a large spot in her living room that is screaming for two custom art pieces! I got my hands full with this one though, they have some pretty amazing peices throughout the house that i am competing with:) no, actually i am super excited for the opportunity. she has a lovely mix of greys, tans and browns in the room. i plan on featuring all of those colors and everything in between with a pop of some metallics of course. this morning i have been perusing through etsy to try and find some inspiration.

do you have a favorite?

post 4 of 30: little rascals

2012-01-30T08:24:00.000-06:00

this weekend we hauled ourselves up to indy for a much needed visit to see our friends. we were fortunate enough to be well, so we FINALLY got to meet baby burke. wren did not know what to think of her, she kept poking her as if she wasn't real! it was the first time that she saw a baby smaller than her. lindsey of lindsey lu photography came over as well, with little harper in tow....she got some great photos, of course!

Post 3 of 30: Not just a pretty package.

2012-01-27T14:46:00.001-06:00

Look what cute lil' guys I got in the mail today!

WHOOOWHOOO. I can not wait to give these owl crayons away as favors at Wren's party. They are too cute!

Thank you Posh Paper Creations!

Post 2 of 30: Birth Announcement

2012-01-25T09:27:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things to get in the mail is a birth announcement with an adorable little munchkin on the front! Birth Announcements are something that I want to have a wide array of at all things teeny tiny, but I just have not gotten around to designing them, until now. Here is my most recent teeny tiny birth announcement!

I think it would be adorable in any of these envelopes.....

so....have a baby and order an announcement already;)

post 1 of 30: blog challenge

2012-01-23T09:46:00.000-06:00

i need a change...i started this blog back in 2009 and MANY things have changed since then; i think i am on my 3rd blog design, i have two etsy shops now (one which is seriously lacking, but i will get there), i have a daughter, my career has done a complete 360 but i am extremely happy, i moved from a city to a tiny house smashed between a bean field and a corn field and when i left the city i left all of my college friends. let's just say the last 2.5 years have been a change. i honestly could not be happier though! now, i am asking for ANOTHER change, i think i have gone nuts!

i am constantly trying to find things to blog about, as if my life is not eventful, trust me, it is! this weekend i did all kinds of things that were blog worthy.

friday-i made decorations for wren's party, HELLO, why did i not document this so i could do a how-to video?!?! don't worry i plan to take a lot of pictures at the party so you will see what i have been up to.

saturday-we visited my husbands best friend and his wife. they have a little guy just 5 months older than wren. the two were kissing all night long, can you say adorable photo op, but no. we also made homemade sushi, i could teach you all about it with photos and recipes, but instead i just stuffed my face.

these are just typical examples of my daily life and how bad i am slacking when it comes to my blog, so a change.

1. no more upper case letters. i need this blog to be as maintenance free as i have become, no make-up, no upper case letters.

2. i would love to tell you that i will do a post everyday, but who am i kidding, i know that will NEVER happen.

3. to finish what i start. i started working on our room a couple of months ago and i have posted a couple of times but with christmas and wren's first birthday coming up, the room went to the way side. so i challenge myself to finish, no deadline, but to finish (in a timely manner of course).

4. a blog challenge. i am SO excited yet SO scared about this. i challenge myself to do 30 posts in 30 days. bare with me as i may not get a post everyday, so some days may have multiple posts, but there will be 30 posts! this is going to help me in SOOO many ways, but mostly i hope it gets me designing more paper goods so i can further develop my etsy stores.

good luck to me, i hope you enjoy and i hope you stick around to read all 30!

38.5 Mill

2012-01-16T08:27:00.000-06:00

I think that I have found my hubby's dream home, complete with conservatory!

It's only 38.5 million, ha, a girl can dream right.

Hump Day Printables

2012-01-11T12:10:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to start giving away FREE printables, so here it is, finally! We all like Free things, right? Of course.

My bestie and I have little ones just 4 weeks apart. So like me, she has been planning a First Birthday Party. She has decided to go with a little man/Mr. Man theme. I had seen inspiration photos on pinterest when pinning for Wren's party and loved what I saw. I have spent some time this morning perusing through other parties when I decided, free little man party printables!

ENJOY!

I will even send you a pdf file if you do the following:

-become a follower on my blog

-post a comment on this post with your email address

-like me on facebook, here

-favorite my shop on etsy, here

first for everything

2012-01-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

With the Holiday's behind us (thank goodness), it is time to plan a party!!! Woohoo, Wren's 1st Birthday is gong to be here before we know it. The hubby narrowed down my pinterest color palette's, we have decided on a theme, my cousin has gathered the mason jars and I have gathered inspiration.

1st Birthday-Vintage Owl

I am SO excited, because this is on the way (of course I will be painting)

and these owl crayons.

What did you do for your little ones 1st?

excuse my blogcation.

2012-01-03T13:56:00.000-06:00

What I/we have been up to...

A Christmas present came in this large box, so we played. Funny how kids have more fun with non-toys than toys!

We baked Chocolate Chip Cookies for Santa, and left him a key.

We exchanged presents with the Payne's. Wren got this beautiful dress!

I whipped up this headband to match her dress.

Wren's cousin Anabelle came over. They are only 3 days apart.

I made this headband for Mike's cousin, they have a little one due in March.

The season of giving.

2011-12-21T16:08:00.002-06:00

We had a pitch-in breakfast this morning at work, it was so nice to stop and take a breath during the hectic work day and at this hectic time of year and talk with the people you surround yourself with day in and day out. We were discussing what Christmas is all about. It is definitely a time of giving, but that does not mean it has to be "stuff". One person mentioned that their family gets together for food and games, and then donates money to a charity rather than buying eachother "stuff". Coming from divorced parents, I have multiple Christmas parties to attend which means multiple Christmas gifts. This year I had 20 people on my Christmas list....CHA-CHING, do not get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but I also wish it was not so much about giving and receiving, and rather about spending time with loved ones!

What do your families do to help cut costs?

It is Wren's first Christmas this year, so for those far away that we do not see often, this was the card we sent:)

The card was inside a recycled grocery bag envelope. I lined the envelopes with black and white flocked damask paper. They turned out beautifully!

All things teeny tiny

2011-12-20T09:45:00.001-06:00

Well if you haven't already figured it out from my hint, here, and my facebook page, here, I have opened a new etsy store!!! With the Holiday's among us I have not created as many listings as I had hoped, but atleast I have a little taste of what the store will sell. Check it out here! The store will have something for all of the teeny tiny ones in your life. I am so excited about it. I think it is going to be a lot of fun for me. Here are some of the things for sale.

Happy Monday.

2011-12-19T09:09:00.001-06:00

This was a wonderful and eventful weekend for me! I got more Christmas shopping done, hooray!

We FINALLY went to the Christmas tree farm and picked our tree!

And with our little helper, we decorated!

Last, but certainly not least, the Star!

Going through boxes of Gift Wrap, ribbons and bows, my hubster found my long lost Designer's Guild Cards! Perfect timing, because I have a thank you card to send!

Arrive at work today and I am gifted these yummies, from friend and Coworker, Amanda.

Oreo Balls....a bite out of heaven!

How to make Oreo Balls:

She uses a Magic Bullet.

Put the oreos in the bullet. There is no real math here, just put the entire oreo in, put as many as you can fit. (I am sure you could use a food processor or Blender too.)

Once your cookies are all crushed up, transfer them to a mixing bowl. For every pack of cookies, and a block of cream cheese. She cuts the cream cheese into small squares so it mixes easier!

Once your oreos are of a consistency similar to cake, it is time to get messy! Make sure to grease up your hands, or wear gloves, or BOTH.

Rolls those bad boys into a nice size ball. (About 2 or 3 inches in diameter.)

Put them in the freezer to harden and cool.

In a pan melt down chocolate chips. This is her trick, do not use bakers chips, use real chocolate chips here!

Roll them into the melted chips and cool on wax paper.

Once the chocolate has hardened you have a delicious treat.

Serve cold! YUMTASTIC!

Also, this week, I ordered my Jonathon Adler pen, I LOVE IT. It is super cute, but mostly I love the way that it writes! I got mine from Amazon!

Daily Do it Yourself

2011-12-15T09:04:00.000-06:00

Thank you Jenna at Daily Do it Yourself for the Christmas Garland Feature! Check out her blog, here.

All sorts.

2011-12-07T15:25:00.001-06:00

I have all sorts of things to post about today:)

House of Fifty just released a new issue, inside was a superb list of christmas ideas. I think Wren's list to St. Nick can easily be completed after looking at it!

Reading the Magazine, I discovered Minted. Minted is a website that sells paper goods, photocards, etc. The designs are submitted in competitions from designers all over the world, the winners then have their product sold on minted's website. LOVE IT! They are doing a competition now for Save the Date cards and I plan to enter numerous cards. So far I have done one, and here it is! Please like it on their website, I will continue to post my entries so that you can vote when it is time!

also, our little one started pulling up on Monday, bad thing is, she does not know how to get down. I am sure this will result in many injuries!

I started a facebook page, please like me, here!

I think that is it.....for now:)

Marble.

2011-12-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

Saturday I had a haircut, and afterwards, I felt like I needed to get "out" for a bit. There is an antique store, Ferdinand Antique Emporium, about 15 minutes down the road, so I headed that way! I went there in hopes to find nighstands for our Master Bedroom. As I mentioned before, I need nightstands with storage. I found this beaut, but it did not solve my storage problems.

So I continued to look, I definitely found some possibilities, but completely out of my price range.....

Loved this, but have no need for it and no pocket book to support it.

(Don't mind Wren and I's reflection in the mirror.)

I also saw this.

and this..

none of which came home with me.

Then, the Pièce de résistance!

Solid Marble top, amazingly beautiful carvings, GASP! In love.

I snapped these pictures while in the store, and when the hubby came home I told him ALL about it. He could not believe that I came home empty handed. Back to the store he went, and brought it home for me. Oh I love him so much, I think he is a keeper:)

We snagged it for only $80bucks and it is in impeccable condition!

And here it is, back at home...FOREVER(in my best Sand Lot voice)!

Don't mind my messy house, I was sick all weekend:(

And when we got home from the store, we had a little package from Fedex....

Inside, these lovely glittery boots for Wren!

Thanks Heidi, you are the BEST!

Alternative Christmas Trees Take 2

2011-12-02T16:13:00.000-06:00

Last year I did a post on alternative christmas trees, here, and it was a hit! So, here it goes again:)

adore

brilliant

my favorite:)

DIY Tutorials

2011-12-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

Cork Board

Horizontal Stripes on Wall

My Blog List

2011-12-02T13:29:00.000-06:00

Ashley Ann Photography

My Little Happy Place

Absolutely Beautiful Things

Don't mind me

2011-12-02T09:35:00.001-06:00

Please do not mind my blog today...I am messing around with the layout!

Keeping you posted...(pun intended)

2011-11-30T13:35:00.001-06:00

These

and this

went up in our Master Bedroom this weekend..oh what a difference curtains can make in a room:)

It all cost me a wooping $20.97. That leaves $59.03 in my budget!

Items Left to get:

-2 Nighstands

-2 Lamps

-Wall Decor

Laurel Denise

2011-11-29T09:13:00.001-06:00

Did everyone have a good thanksgiving?!?! I know I did, but I did not get my cousins homemade rolls, and I am pretty dissapointed about it. For some reason I was totally lame and spent EVERY SINGLE DAY of my vacation vegging out and playing with my daughter, and did not do a single post! Sorry to you:( I had much to blog about, from my sweet potato casserole recipe, DELISH, to the new etsy shop I am opening, WOOPSY, did I write that?!?! I am SOOOO excited about the shop, but I am super busy creating products for the shop and the shop appearance before the reveal!.....a "little" hint......little, that's the hint! :)

Anyway...I ordered my 2012 planner today, and I am SO STOKED!

I found it when I hopped on Erin's blog, Design for Mankind. Apparently Erin, like myself, is an organization and paper junkie. I loved my 2011 Planner from Paper-Source, but I wanted something a bit larger. I am so excited to get it in the mail. Let the lists begin!

I got the blue one!

Speaking of lists......before Thanksgiving dinner, my Aunt got up to say the prayer. She pulled out a large peice of paper that was folded many times from her pocket....my cousin Amanda said "Wait, you wrote down the prayer?". My Aunt said, "Yes, I did not want to forget it." We all started laughing, and me and my cousins said, "I guess we know where we get it from!" Then my cousin Amanda asked, "Do you write lists for everything, lists everywhere? Then when you start to mark things off, do you have to rewrite the list so that it doesn't look messy?" My answer was, of course, YES! Thank goodness for my new planner to get me into shape for 2012!

Laurel Denise has many other great products as well!

Target and Gwen.

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Gwen Stefani now has BABY CLOTHES at TARGET! Woot. A huge THANK YOU, to my friend Lindsey at Lindsey Lu Photography for sharing this with me:) I was just in Target yesterday, bummer.

So Moving.

2011-11-17T11:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of reading Nella's story, and today I am sharing it with you. This story totally moved me. I laughed, I smiled and I balled my eyes out. Enjoy.

http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html

On a budget.

2011-11-15T08:55:00.000-06:00

This weekend I made a trip to JoAnn's and bought fabric for our bedroom, can not wait to show you what I have been working on, but not until the whole room is done! Now, we need nightstands. I am not sure which one to go with and I need your help! Remember BUDGET is key! I need to do the entire room for under $100.00 and I have spent about $20.00 on fabric so far, so $80.00 left!

Option # 1

These come unfinished and are not much to look at. I would paint them and probably use baskets on the bottom shelf for storage.

They are a total steal at $14.99 each.

2 Nighstands $29.98 + Paint $10.00 + Baskets $10.00 = $49.98

Option#2

Come finished and they are A LOT prettier.

They cost $39.99 each. I would just want to change out the knob. Possibly to something like this......

The knobs are $6.00 each.

2 nighstands $79.98 + 2 Knobs $12.00 = $91.98

Which leaves me over budget, and I still need some spray paint (for a mirror), window treatments, and 2 lamps (which I am planning a DIY project for).

Oh boy, what to do?!?!?!

Happy Monday.

2011-11-14T10:16:00.000-06:00

Katie Ridder.

2011-11-10T09:56:00.000-06:00

Oh Katie, how bold and beautiful you are!

Trick or Treat.

2011-10-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

Our little bumble bee:)

Happy Halloween.

Oh Jennifer.

2011-10-28T10:53:00.000-05:00

Architectural Digest got inside the home of Jennifer Aniston! To me, her home is just as confusing as she is:)

She is so cute!

......Is it just me, or does it remind you of a hotel more than a home?

I do adore the exterior though.

I've fallen

2011-10-26T16:29:00.001-05:00

Have you ever walked into a store and had to have everything?!?!?!?!?! Well, now you have, well at least I have, well not really. I didn't "walk" in but I "clicked" in and I am dying here! Furbish Studio of Raleigh, NC just had their grand opening, and thanks to Honey & Fitz attending the opening, I am able to share it with you.

Jaime Meares has totally outdone herself, this store is AMAZING. It reminds of Kelly Wearstler mixed with Betsey Johnson, two of my faves. GAH I have to have something from this store!

How brilliant is this pink door on this plain old building, marvelous!

and we enter......

I have been wanting a grey sofa forever and this just solidify's that!

A closer look at the SAWEET wing back and amazing wallpaper!

and for my favorite peice, drumroll please.............

oh that settee, oh that fabric, oh those pillows, in love:)

Happy Pinning.

2011-10-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

I am a trader, YUP, I said it. I have been spending more time on Pinterest than my Blog, I AM GUILTY. So at least I can share my guilty pleasure with you on my blog:) That makes it okay, right?!?!?!

We held our wedding, two years ago (my has time flown), in the small county of Indiana that we both grew up in and because of this our venue selection was very slim. We had the reception in a hotel in Santa Claus, Indiana and it was not the prettiest location. Pretty plain..... It needed some LOVE. As you know, I am an Interior Designer, so I pulled some strings to get some wallpaper to "temporarily" hang in the venue. Lucky for me I was tight with the Designer's Guild sales rep, best product EVER! So she donated some magenta and gold flocked damask wallpaper, GASP!

You can see it here in these wedding photos.

Anywho.... I saved it and I have been looking for something to do with it. I found these photos and LOVE this idea:)

Happy Girl!

2011-10-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

Heading my way!

AHHHH!!! I can NOT contain myself:)

Happy Hump day.

I had a dream...

2011-10-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

I actually had a dream last night that when I went to check on my blog that I had "34 comments". Hilarious that I am dreaming of my blog, and double hilarious that it actually had comments! Come'on readers, SHOW ME THE LOVE!

Architectural Digest recently got inside Ellen DeGeneres and Dortia DeRossi's Beverly Hills home!

Hello Rustic meets modern!

Amazing Andy Warhol peice!

hmmmmm.....wonder which side is Ellen's????

Sucked in by Hermes

2011-10-03T11:50:00.001-05:00

Today, I came across this post on the Cococozy blog and remembered the classic orange Hermes framed in a designer friend of mines foyer. When I saw the framed Hermes, I thought to myself, how PERFECT! Their scarves are so beautiful, but some are not exactly "wearable"....but to purchase one that matches your interior decor, and have it framed is simply GENIUS. This got me looking! I do not have the pocket book that supports an Hermes, but I can dream:)

What Hermes would I buy to hang on my wall?

Although this photo is blurry, for me, this ones wins hands down!

I imagine a simple white frame would be fitting:)

Oh, and by the way Coco, I imagine your scarf would be quite "pretty" framed in an all white room.

DIY Chair Upholstery

2011-09-28T16:42:00.000-05:00

If you are like me and LOVE shopping for antique/used chairs, this post will be very helpful to you. I scored 6 of these beauties from an antique store, they are super sturdy and the frames are in great condition but the fabric was horribly stained.

So...to work I went.

First things first, measure the seats. You will measure the widest part and the deepest part. Add 6-8 inches to your measurements to allow enough fabric to work with.

First you need to remove the seat.

There should be 4 screws, one in each corner, remove those and your seat will pop right out.

Then you need to remove the old fabric.

Turn over the seat to see the staples.

The right way to do things would be to remove ALL of the staples and pull the fabric free, but I just always cut it off. DO NOT follow my lead there!

Underneath will be batting and padding. My seats were still in great condition, so I did not mess with this. You can purchase what you would need at Hobby Lobby or a Home Improvement store if you wish to replace your padding/batting.

Next, lay your fabric out on top of the seat in the direction you wish. Pick a side and put one/two staples in the middle, do this on all four sides, pulling taught as you go.

After all four sides are done, work your way out from the middle to the corner on each side, pulling taught as you go.

Then work on your corners, be sure to pull any looseness out here! Once everything is stapled, trim away the excess fabric and WAH-LA! NOTE: Do NOT trim your fabric until you are done.

Breathtaking.

2011-09-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

I just can't get enough of her.

Hoot!

2011-08-23T13:26:00.001-05:00

These might be the coolest things my hubby has ever brought home and

I am sooooo pumped up!!

Now what to do with them........
Below are some ideas:)

OH BOY I am so excited:)

The Land of Fancy Soaps and Towels You Aren’t Allowed to Use

2011-08-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhh...The bathroom, or "wash room" as my college professor would hammer into our heads. The one room in my house that we have not touched. It is currently the color of a #2, how fitting, and lacks storage space horribly!!! Therefore it is very cluttered. I have no room to do anything, this morning as I was curling my hair (which is a task in itself because the outlet is on the opposite side of the room as the vanity) I dropped my curling iron onto the ground and peices went flying. A little surgery and it was good as new, but GEEZ I do not know how much longer I can deal with this! So this moring, exploring bathrooms is what I have been doing:)

I have always been a fan of a white bathroom and this one is fabulous!

I LOVE this vanity, and my hubby could totally make it! The yellow mirror on the dark walls is FAB as well!

This is my favorite modern bathroom by far! All of the modern fixtures with the eclectic touch totally ROCKS my SOCKS!

I love all of the white with the wood tones and that floor, OH that floor!!

This rug is to die for!! Must begin hunting for that!

Can I eat that?!?!?!

2011-08-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

the W.

2011-07-19T13:06:00.000-05:00

I have had an obsession with the Interiors of W hotels ever since I stayed in the Chicago location for my best friend's Bachelorette party. My obsession has just increased ten fold with these photos of the W hotel in Puerto Rico. I have been itching to go on vacay and this has not made it any better.

By: Architect and Designer Patricia Urquiola

Headboards.

2011-07-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

The bedroom is so many things to so many people. To me a bedroom is a place to relax, observe, and prepare.

-Relax and unwind from the day in a peaceful atmosphere and cozy bed while lying in my husbands arms, or sometimes cuddled to little Wren.

-Observe the tasks at hand for the day ahead and the things completed that day. I also love to observe the space and think of all the things I love about it and all of the things I can change about it.

-Prepare for the day ahead of me by getting ready physically and mentally.

My husband and I agree on one thing for sure......when it comes to a bedroom, it is not a place for television! One thing however, we can not agree on is a headboard. In brainstorming about headboards on Pinterest, I found oodles of ideas and inspiration. It is CRAZY how many things make a BAD$&* headboard (Excuse my french). But seriously.......

Small Spaces.

2011-07-08T13:56:00.001-05:00

In the last two weeks as we've put blood sweat and tears into our new house, I realize it's going to take a lot of organization to keep it looking good. Our place is tinier than our already tiny house in Indianapolis. It also doesn't have the convenience that our Indy home had, fenced in yard, laundry room, powder bath..... So a little elbow grease has brought this house a long way! I didn't even bother with before pictures because the house was so BAD, sooo bad! We replaced all of the flooring and painted everything top to bottom.

This has got me looking at other spaces that are making the most of what they have. Currently, these small spaces have my interest!

We have a very small vanity in our bathroom and no linen closet, so this is just what we need to solve our storage problem!

The added shelving in these kitchens is just what we need to solve our NO COUNTER SPACE problem!

We also have one room that functions as both a Dining Room and a Living Room. I love how the two of these rooms flow well as one space. All of the white in the spaces helps not to overpower it, and the pops of color and art on the walls really add some creativity and life to the small space!

Happy 4th Everyone!

2011-07-05T09:01:00.000-05:00

New Space.

2011-06-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

Over the past 6 months, me and my family have been living down under. No not in Australia, in my mothers basement. Finally, this weekend we are moving into our new place. Making the move to Southern Indiana was not an easy decision, but things are looking good for us. Although, I terribly miss all of my friends and the city life. There just isn't a lot to do when you are surrounded by corn fields. Luckily, I have this little face to keep me busy!

There are many things that excite me about getting our own place, and many things that will take some getting use to, AGAIN. My husband has been working hard to get the house ready for us, this has included tearing out all of the flooring, repairing the walls, painting the walls and the trim, and replacing the bathroom flooring. Only a couple coats of paint left, the new floors, and we move in! All in a days work, not hardly, we are really pushing hard to get things done so that we can move in this weekend.

I am so excited for a new place to decorate, but mostly I am excited abut Wren's nursery. I feel like I have been planning out her nursery for years. Now it is finally time! I have been working on things for the room, and most recently I made these, recycled from the tissue paper in her Shower gifts.

I have a couple of different ideas of what I will do with them, but you will have to wait and see:)

Fallingwater

2011-06-13T20:22:00.000-05:00

I know most everyone knows of Frank Lloyd Wright and his masterpeice Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, well I was fortunate enough to be contacted by a client to do her wedding invitations and she is getting married at this gorgeous architectural masterpeice. Fallingwater has a beautiful rustic barn on its grounds, and that is where Amy and Eric are tying the knot!

I can not wait to see wedding photos from this venue! Congratulations Amy and Eric!

Baby Wren.

2011-04-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

My best friend Lindsey, of Lindsey Lu Photography did Wren's newborn photos and I am in absolute AWWWW over them!!

Head over heels in love with her!

Right on Time.

2011-04-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

Friday, March 25th, the due date of my baby, my water broke! (Only 5% of women actually go into labor on their actual due date, funny that I would fall into that 5%).

I could use this as the excuse of why my blog has been lacking, and yet it is partially to blame, but mostly I just need to get my butt in gear. Being on maternity leave has been my excuse to be completely lazy and absorbed in my baby.

So back to March 25th, my water broke, but I was not in labor. I called the hospital and they told me to come in anyway. I called the hubby to come home from work and off we went! When I arrived at the hospital they determined, that in fact my water had broke, and they sent in the doctor. He recomended starting pitocin because we had a small window of time between when my water had broke and when infection would set in if the baby did not come out. Wanting to do an all natural birth, I declined. I walked the halls all evening, only to dilate to 3cm and then once again everything came to a halt. Saturday, March 26th at 10am, the doctor told me I really needed to start the pitocin, having exhausted all natural options, I finally agreed. At 6:06pm, I gave birth to an 8lb, 21inch beautiful baby girl! Having not known the sex of the baby, I can truly say it was the most amazing to words to hear my husband say "It's a Girl"!

Wren Camilla

Sarah and Eric's Big Day

2011-02-27T09:18:00.000-06:00

It is not every day that you are asked to do invitations for one of your best friends wedding, and it is not every day that one of your best friends get married! Especially two people that are this perfect for eachother!

I love you guys and I can not wait to be part of your big day!

xoxoxoxo

Design Watch: Kelly Wearstler Blog

2011-02-19T08:44:00.001-06:00

Interior Designer/Artist, Kelly Wearstler has entered into the blog world with, My Vibe My Life.

Recent posts include photos of her upcoming jewelry line and a sneak peak into her Design Studio.

In her Design Studio, she has placed rows of white laquer trays in which she creates inspiration for each of her projects.

Happy Heart Day

2011-02-15T07:53:00.000-06:00

1 box of chocolates for my hubby?

NOPE! Think again:)

Red Velvet Cake Balls on top of a red velvet cake! Yes....this is ALL CAKE.

It was super cute and tasted SUPER DELICIOUS:)

Of course.....I tell my husband to stay out of the fridge because his Valentine's present is in there and when I get home last night and get ready to put the fondant on the cake and add in the cake balls, there were 5 cake balls missing. "OOPSY" he said, "I thought those were leftover from your baby shower." I guess the little heart on one of the cake balls was not a dead giveaway. "They were delicious," he said. I guess I have to forgive him after my wonderful Valentine's Day massage. Visit bakerella to see where I got the idea for this red velvet cake masterpeice!

My 1st Baby Shower

2011-01-21T11:49:00.000-06:00

Of Course I could not decide on just 1 design:)

Since we do not know the sex of the baby, the shower colors are brown, blue, yellow, green, orange, red and turquoise. The thems is polka dots and stripes!

This years Christmas Card!

2011-01-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

Saunders' Baby Shower

2011-01-21T11:39:00.001-06:00

Lauren's Baby Shower

2011-01-21T11:34:00.000-06:00

Makynzie's Baptism

2011-01-21T11:30:00.000-06:00

Jinjie and James' Thank You Card

2011-01-21T11:25:00.000-06:00

Erle and Jennifers Casual Wedding Reception

2011-01-21T11:24:00.000-06:00

Kelli's Cirque du Bebe

2011-01-21T11:23:00.001-06:00

Lindsey's Winter Wonderland Shower

2011-01-21T11:16:00.000-06:00

Jill's Fairy Tale Baby Shower

2011-01-21T11:15:00.000-06:00

Cy's First Birthday

2011-01-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

Double Baby Shower

2011-01-21T11:07:00.000-06:00

Aimee's Reception Menu

2011-01-21T11:03:00.000-06:00

Baby Bump......

2011-01-20T22:28:00.001-06:00

Well for those of you who do not already know, my husband and I are expecting our first baby in just 9 weeks!!! AHHHH the excitement is really setting in and we can hardly wait. My mind has been wandering all over the place about plans for the nursery, so I thought it was time to get the ideas out there. We opted out of finding out the sex of the baby so there are 2 different plans!

-White Walls

-City Scape Mural

-Yellow and White Striped Wall/Ceiling

-Colorful Collage Art Wall

-Artsy Lighting

-Red and White Area Rug

-White Armoire with Black Interior

-Black Jenny Lind Crib

-Cow Hide Footstool

-White Eames Rocker

-Colors: Red, Yellow, Black&White

-Pink Rug with White Fur Rug

-Colorful Art Collage Wall

-Artsy Chandelier

-Assorted cluster of poms above crib

-white crib skirt

-Floral Giraffe Mural

-White Armoire with Aqua Interior

-Black Jenny Lind Crib

-Cow Hide Footstool

-White Eames Rocker

-Colors: Pink, Yellow, Aqua, Black&White