book love - kid made modern

Todd Oldham's new book Kid Made Modern is awesome! It is full of funky crafty ideas that you can do with your kids, and that you won't mind having posted around your house! Case in point- this mobile foam project pictured below. So easy, and SO cute! There are tons more ideas that bring color and life to your home, and give you and your little ones some fun time creating together. Examples include woven belts, cuff bracelets by recycling plastic water bottles, and crazy custom wall decals from contact paper. Link here to buy this book on Amazon, or go to your local library and borrow it (that's what I did).

martha stewart kitchens at home depot

My husband and I had a night out last week (date night rocks!) and since it didn't take us that long to eat and talk over our in-process house plans, we decided to stop in at Home Depot to take a look for anything that might inspire us. I know, so romantic, (and yet, for us and our dream of the new house coming true, it actually was!). I was really excited when I saw the display for the Martha Stewart kitchens because they embody several elements matching up with the whole vibe we want to go for in our future kitchen (white, airy, traditional done in a modern way...). The above image will probably be closer to what we go for than this image below, but the gray with white countertop is a great inspiration for our island. Seriously, just looking at these pictures makes me want jump up and down with excitement for the day that these snippets and glimpses become our real kitchen!

I loved the new Corian samples that looked a lot like marble, but I am definitely skeptical of going that route, since it seems like scratching could be a problem, as well as the risk of discoloration if something hot were to be set down. Also, smaller samples looked great in-store, but as you can see from the first picture I posted, the overall pattern of the Bedford Marble (see chips below) doesn't look very natural. I think the second picture showing the Sea Salt looks better. I liked the look of the Shoreline in person, too, and I saw a larger sample countertop. I guess it's only relevant if you want Corian- and I'm not sure that I do (we'll leave that to another post)- but at the very least it's great inspiration to see combinations, especially if you figure that the real thing (marble or quartz) in the same palette will look better.

I also really loved the hardware that was offered, which really had a balance of that traditional/modern thing I want to accomplish. I really love the look of these longer handles with the finial detail. I have the simple, sleek handles right now but they seem a little bit more modern than I would like in the new kitchen. I also would love to add the look of bin pulls on the drawers, for a bit of old school charm.

Finally, I absolutely loved the look of this kitchen, too. But it's just not what we're going for. But it's yellow! (Soooo cute.) But I promised my husband that I would reign in the wide range of my desires to actually have a plan. So I'm sticking to white. But I sure hope somebody out there chooses this one, though, and has me over for dinner so I can see it in person!

P.S. The cabinets didn't look up to par on quality, although maybe because that's the in-store doors that  have tons of peoples' mitts all over them, but still, we weren't super impressed. However, the looks offered in the glass doors were very charming, and there are so many options. If you are interested in any or all of these items, go to your local Home Depot, or click here for more Martha Stewart kitchen goodness.

snow day

 

Happy Snow Day to you!

Here's my little nutkin, all bundled up for the weather.

book love - charley harper board books

If you're like me, you have every board book in your house memorized- page for page. Although it's worth every minute that you can sit and spend that time with your child, it can kind of make your stomach turn to know how many dozens (hundreds?!) of times you've stared at the pages of some pretty lame stuff. If you are tired of the same old pictures of baby vocabulary labeled with bubble fonts, give your eyes a treat and get these Charley Harper board books to add to your collection.

The art is beautiful and geometric, and the colors are uplifting. The essential 123s and ABCs are elevated to a taste level that makes any design-savvy mom happy to take in, and your nutkin will still be mesmerized by the bright pictures and straightforward labels.

I do have a teeny tiny bone to pick with the fact that in one book the image is labeled as apes and in the other they are chimpanzees... so minor, I know, but when you've read a book 74 times these things are bound to start nagging at the back of your brain. Even still, these are definite favorites of mine!

batman and robin

This print had me smiling as soon as I saw it! It is brought to you (and definitely me) by Etsy seller Judy Kaufmann. Someday, when our new house exists and the art is up, you're going to see the esteemed spot that gets to present these super-buddies. Clark is going to love it. Second favorite: Frida.

purple bridal shower - simple!

 This summer I co-hosted a bridal shower for a bride who loves purple. We aren't from the social circles that host super-formal showers (especially because of the large #s of family and friends in the same area- our showers are usually about 30 to 40 women!) so we decided to keep it simple.

 

 I used live annuals to decorate with an array of purples, from lavender to magenta to deep violet, which was soooo pretty. (This picture shows how simple it was to make the containers- soup cans and snack cartons covered in cute craft paper!) In each small arrangement I stuck a sign that stated a wish that we had for the couple, i.e. "we wish you prosperity" or "we wish you romance." It was a small touch to make her know that we want to share more with her (and him) than just the gifts.

 I also decided to use the couple's wedding website as inspiration, since not many people even knew that they had one, and since I love to use type as decor. Simple tags attached to kisses were passed out, and small vases with fresh lavender and branches had the little sign popping out (attached to kabob sticks for height). So sorry about the bad pics! Way cuter in person, I think you can tell...

circle bib necklace

I have been wanting to make my own version of this adorable wooden-circle bib necklace from Martha Stewart for about a year. With my new-found energy to actually start AND finish my creative ideas (my mom once called me the queen of unfinished projects- sad), I did it, and I love the results. I think this necklace could go with a lot of different tops, and could definitely be appropriate in winter or summer- bonus points for versatility!

I used glass beads from a local craft shop, but you could definitely use the wooden ones like Martha. I did reduce the number of beads per circle, since my beads are smaller, but you can determine how many look best on yours by trial and error. I also didn't do as many circles since I didn't have that many beads, but a pretty ribbon will be perfect, and will make the length adjustable (depending on how long I leave the ribbon when I tie it). A super added bonus is that this only took me about 30 minutes and only cost about $10!