Trimming the tree...more Christmastime photos

When we got our Christmas tree we brought it in later that afternoon and decorated it that night. I love watching my kids put ornaments on the tree and marvel over the twinkly lights. I know they won't want to help with this tradition forever, so I try to take it in while it's still fun for everyone. 

Ben snapped a few of these pictures from outside our front window. I love seeing him use his creative talents.

Here are a few more shots of Aurelia in our baby santa outfit. Later I moved her nearer the tree and she stared at the lights and watched her brothers hang ornaments.

Growing up we had to take turns with the honor of putting the topper on the tree after all the other decorations are on. We started doing that with the boys this year...

Surprisingly enough, with a new baby and three kids total our house looks more festive than it ever has this time of year. We've got a fun mix of handmade, gifted, store bought and kid-made decorations  throughout the house. My only regret is not buying a matching stocking and holder when I got the boys theirs years ago. Target no longer carries the silver letters we put on each boy's stocking, nor the type of stocking we got them. They are currently out of stock of the holders that we hang them from, so I'm waiting for them to either restock or hopefully still carry them (or something similar) next year. It's not the end of the world but I just think it would be cute to have them match or at least coordinate. 

More on our Christmastime festivities to come...

Little Sister's Nursery

We've finally put the finishing touches on our little girl's nursery. I had so much fun putting together a girlie room! We painted a few months ago, which included painting our main living area as well. It took a couple days and the nursery stayed empty for a long time afterward, but we are thrilled with the result. Ben + my brother Cody also scraped the popcorn ceiling off in the nursery. It's something we'd love to do to the entire house but would be quite the undertaking. So we started with that room since it's small and would be empty for painting anyway. I love the way it makes the room look instantly brighter and bigger.

Here are a few pictures of the room before it's transformation. It started out as Malakai's nursery when we moved here, he was 9 months old. We have 3 bedrooms in our teeny house, and the 3rd was a guest room until we transformed it into a play room and then a nursery for Desmond. Nearly a year ago we moved Malakai into that room with Desmond so we could remove all toys (distractions) from where they would be sleeping and have a dedicated "play room" in Malakai's previous room. When we found out we were expecting, naturally the playroom would become baby #3's nursery.

{just after we moved in, March 2010}

{after we moved the boys to share the 3rd bedroom and turned this one into a playroom}

When we found out we'd be welcoming a baby girl I thought we would leave it green and add dark pink accents. I loved this green in our previous home, but it was a much bigger room with 2 windows and wood floors. I didn't love it as much in this house; with less lighting it didn't look as cool and light. The more I looked around for inspiration I started to change my mind. I fell in love with the idea of a light grey nursery with coral and peach accents. Somewhere along the way I decided to include arrows to represent their meaning in Psalm 127. 

Once we got the crib and started putting some pieces together I got more and more excited about the color scheme. I had a hard time finding both coral and peach pieces but was able to acquire several things through our baby shower, gifts, and DIY projects.

The teething rail guard is a must right off the bat because of all the horrendous teething marks the boys left on the crib. I made this simple no-sew version from some peachy fleece Ben's mom bought for me. It matches the peach on the quilt she made as well. I wanted to make a crib skirt but couldn't find the perfect fabric, or the time. I ran into a queen sized bed skirt we had on our guest bed years ago tucked away in the linen closet and made it work by clipping it to the crib support underneath the mattress, making it adjustable as well! It's not perfect, but it works to make a nice hidden storage area under the crib for sheets and other things.

Much of the decor came from the decorations at my baby shower. The pom poms above the crib, the bunting and scripture above the changing table, the letter P on the floating shelf, even the curtains which my mom sewed up from the table runners. The basket that I have the diapers in held a gift from my friend Carina. 

Liz also painted the gorgeous peonies (which were on the invites she had made for my shower) and made the wooden arrow sign above the shelves.  Malakai made the decorations underneath. 

I love the simplicity of our little nursery and the way the bright coral and peach colors really pop in contrast to the neutral grey walls and dark espresso furniture. I'd still like to add some softer peach accents, and I may in the future or as our needs in this room change.

Our crib and changing table/dresser have lasted us since Malakai was born 5 years ago. They've got some cosmetic wear and tear but we still love them. The glider is new and was a gift from my parents, we love it so far and I can't wait to rock sweet little sister in it soon! 

Big Dandy Designs Feature, Review, + GIVEAWAY!

Elizabeth of Big Dandy Designs is one my nearest and dearest friends. She is like a sister to me and I'm so excited to share her gorgeous artwork with you today! Read on to learn more about her and her creative process. 

Where are you located and where are you from?

I am originally from Veneta Oregon ( a tiny town you might miss on your way to the coast) and am now settled not too far away in an even tinier town called Alvadore. I tried the city and it just didn't impress me. Too much noise and not enough room for a garden.

{red radishes}

How did you come up with your shop name?

I had been tossing around ideas but as I was listening to my girls compare summer scrapes and bruises one morning I heard my youngest say "look at this big dandy!" I liked how it reflected the coolness and enormity of what she was talking about and thought it fit how I feel about what I do.

How long have you had your shop?

I technically opened in 2008 but really didn't have inventory or a direction. I sold originals exclusively and as my day time job changed I didn't have time to paint regularly. This February bumped up production and now sell archival prints which are far more affordable. 

{Pink Peony}

What inspires you?

I guess you could say I have two main styles I am drawn to:

The whimsy side is inspired by nature. Almost all of my artwork is of what plants and flowers grown in my own yard and garden.

The Arts and Crafts movement is also a very large part of the work I do. My husband and I have remodeled many homes over the years finally building our dream Bungalow home. 

What is your favorite item in your shop?

I guess it changes from season to season. Right now I am in love with the pine cones. They are from a picture I took of a tree on my last trip to Sunriver Oregon. Every painting from nature has a story for me and bring up great memories. 

{Pine Cones}

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies?

If I could, I would do everything! I love gardening, outdoor activities, reading, knitting, crafting, baking, decorating...the list could go on! But, I still have one child in school, a contractor husband whom I help on jobs whenever he needs me and a small hobby farm to keep up with. I'm a busy lady so I have to schedule what I call Big Dandy Days and treat it like a full time job. 

Share an interesting fact about yourself.

Hm, I am obsessed with documentaries and podcasts. Right now I am hooked on Ted Talks and anything to do with food though I indulge in an episode of What Not to Wear every once in a while. 

What do you hope your future holds?

I would love to be in several juried shows each year and, with a bit more practice, selling my work in oils as well. 

{Dahlias}

___________________________

Shandell's Review

I may be a tad bit obsessed with Liz's paintings. The first time I realized her artistic ability was when she handed out cards at church on Mother's Day and I saw her initials in the corner. When I asked she casually said that she did make them. I proceeded to tell everyone I came across that morning. If she wasn't going to brag, I was going to do it for her! I currently have a little bit of Big Dandy Designs in nearly every room of my house. I was pretty thrilled to get a few pieces to review for you all. 

{Ginko}

Big Dandy Designs' prints are printed with Epson Ultra Chrome pigment inks on Archival Velvet Fine Art Paper, which looks and feels just like the original watercolor! The paper and ink are made to keep each piece bright and clear for up to 200 years! 

{apple blossoms}

I love the varied styles she creates and the rich contrasts. My favorite thing about all her paintings is that she has such an eye for color, I never tire of looking at her work. 

{fall leaves}

Now that you see for yourself that Liz is immensely talented,  I'd encourage you to head on over to her blog, Bramblefield to read about the goings on at their place. She's crafty, she can cook, garden, and raise sheep! I honestly don't know if there's anything she can't do! Head over to her blog for all sorts of inspiration and the occasional free printable! 

_______________________

Giveaway!

Liz is generously offering a $20 shop credit to Big Dandy Designs. This means you get to pick out your favorite piece for your home + she'll send them your way. 

BONUS- if this giveaway reaches 20 entrants she is throwing in a 2nd prize of a $10 shop credit. That means if you share this post and it gets enough entrants (not 20 entries, but 20 individual people entering the giveaway) you could have twice the chances of winning. So please be sure to share this giveaway on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, word of mouth and any other way you see fit to make sure we get to those 20 entrants. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need help using the Rafflecopter widget? See my post for a tutorial here. 

UPDATE- if you are browsing on an iPad please verify that your comment went through, it should show up immediately. Feel free to message me by email or on Facebook should you have any trouble while I work to fix this issue. Thanks!

This giveaway begins on Friday January 10th, 2014 and will end by Friday January 17th, 12:00am PT. Contest open to US residents only. 

A winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter, the winner will be announced shortly after the contest ends and notified by email. . 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Can't wait for the giveaway? Check out the current sale going on at Big Dandy Designs…

DIY decor

While I wait on some laundry (yahoo!) I'm working on some prints today. I can't wait to hang these in Kai's room...

Ben + I sang this song over and over to Malakai when he was a baby. After all those sleepless nights, it's still a favorite in our house.

Robot Birthday Party

Ben + I decided that as long as Malakai is young enough not to ask for a specific theme for his birthday parties that we'd choose ones we liked. (EDIT: I should say he thoroughly enjoyed the robot theme now that he's old enough to notice). Last year was pirates and this year was between dinosaurs and robots, we went with robots. Of course we always choose a theme that is hard to find premade decorations for, but that means our party ends up one of a kind! Last year's pirates stuff was homemade and a collection of things found and purchased at quite a few different places. This year  pirates stuff is EVERYWHERE, oh well. With robots I found even less store bought things which posed a challenge for favors, but I think I pulled it together pretty well.

I started out with a set of free printables from this website. The original plan was to use these little guys all over everything. When it came time to print just days before the party it turned out that not everything was going to work the way I wanted. I couldn't find a 1" or 2" round craft punch for the cupcake toppers and the water bottle wraps wouldn't work on the cups like I had hoped. I went to picnik and created my own toppers and cup labels as well as a few other items.

I made this little sign to greet guests. This way everyone could just let themselves in and nobody had to stand watch at the door.

I went for an eclectic look using lots of white and primary colors. This also made my shopping a bit easier. I got these adorable party hats at Target and simply printed some robots onto sticker paper and we had instant robot party hats!

I did the same thing with some plain blue cups from the Dollar Tree and served cupcakes on the matching blue plates (but without the robot stickers).

For the cupcakes I just printed the toppers I made with picnik onto cardstock and then cut them with an oval cutter my mother-in-law had. I taped toothpicks to the back and they were ready to go!

I wasn't planning on adding any colored frosting to the cream cheese frosting I made for the funfetti cupcakes, but I had a bunch of blue left over from writing on Kai's cake that I decided to embellish some with 2's and confetti like squiggles.

The little robot guys among the cupcakes are actually bubbles! I found them on amazon.com and used my free 2 day shipping to get them here quick. I had enough to decorate with as well as include one in each favor bag.

For the favor bags I had a little too much fun. I started out looking in stores and online for cute little toys but didn't have much luck. So I went back to my printable robots and stuck them to various things to go with the theme. In addition to the robot bubbles I had made some playdough and simple sealed it up in babyfood jars I had been hanging on to for far too long. I painted the lids with chalkboard paint and then wrote on the tops with chalk ink. I had all of these things at my house already.

The inspiration for make a "dough-bot" came to me as I was putting them together. I was so proud of my cheesy play on words that I had to announce it to Ben as soon as I thought of it. He's so sweet for putting up with me sometimes. The best part is that at first Malakai pronounced the word robot as "dobot" so it was a sweet little touch from him as well.

I grabbed fruit snacks at Target to include at the last minute instead of candy and as I was stuffing the bag I got another random urge to play on words. When I realized that the bags said "Mott's for tots" I had to change it to fit our theme...intro more sticker paper...

I obviously didn't strive for perfection here. It was late at night and I just went to work at getting things DONE. I threw in a couple of robot stickers, topped it with the "thanks for coming" label and that was that.

Ben was tasked with making the robot centerpiece. I bought him a package of foam sheets at the Dollar Tree, borrowed googly eyes and pipe cleaners from his mom, and let him go to work with items we had around the house (and a origami box I made for the head). He did GOOD!

I made some zigzag streamers by cutting opposite sides down regular crepe paper streamers, alternating all the way down. Ben grabbed some balloons at the last minute (local people, Rite Aid is the cheapest to fill balloons at .25cent a piece!)

Ben's mom made this cut out robot and surprised us with it when we came over. 

I also used picnik to make the robot coloring sheets which were quite a hit with Malakai's guests.

Lastly, I embellished a cardboard box with some corrugated craft paper for the favor bags that each little guest got to take on their way out. The favor bags came in handy when Kai's little friends didn't want to leave the birthday presents behind. 

All in all I'm happy with the way it all turned out and am looking forward to decorating for next year already!

open house baby shower

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of co-hosting a baby shower for my dear friends Jamie + Jacob. We did a co-ed open  house at their home. It was so sweet to see them showing off the finished nursery to all of their guests through out the day.

The three of us (mama + the hostesses) each made a soup for the guests, there were also breads + cheeses, punch, and cupcakes!

I made signs for the food and the one above for the entrance. I had painted the frames black for our previous kitchen, but there's no room here. So I just painted chalkboard paint on the cardboard inserts they came with and wrote what I needed on each sign. I left the two large ones as part of my gift.

I also threw together the pom-poms the night before. I grabbed tissue paper I had that matched their nursery decor. Erin, the other hostess, brought streamers in the exact same color. Perfect.

{I didn't get a good shot without my reflection}

Erin had the idea of writing notes to the couple and the baby for a keepsake. She brought some decorative branches to hang them on and I made the cards. It turned out really well!

{Carina writing her note. She, Jamie, + I had all been roommates throughout college}

People came in about three waves throughout the day and gifts were opened about 3 different times as well. The open house format had me confused in theory, but in practice it worked really well. With the size of the guest list, it really helped make the gathering feel small + intimate. A traditional shower with all guests arriving at once would have been overwhelming, especially for Jamie.

{Jamie + Jacob with their guests}

 Jamie and her best friend from high school are due 2 days apart, so we had to get a photo of them together. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of me with Jamie, they're on Erin's camera. I'll have to post them once I get them from her. 

I was so glad that they were able to relax and enjoy the day. Although, we all had to tell Jamie to stop working/setting up/cleaning and relax several times. She's full on NESTING. Baby is due February 7th, so we could meet their little guy any day now!

{my favorite shot from the entire day}

my new obsession: chalkboard paint

Lately I've been painting quite a few things with chalkboard paint. It started in the kitchen, but I wanted to find ways to use up some of the leftovers, so I started to get a little creative. 

First I wanted to get rid of our unsightly white board on the fridge in the kitchen, but still wanted a spot to write notes without going through tons of paper. I love making lists.

I decided to paint a chalkboard on part of the wall. Technically it's the outside of our pantry. About a month ago I ordered the paint and some chalk ink markers and painted the wall.

Per the instructions on the bottle I painted one coat vertically, then an hour later painted a second coat horizontally. After that, I let it "cure" for 24 hours.

It turned out pretty great. I tried the "frog" tape again. It worked great on the top + bottom, but I have now vowed to never use it on an edge again. It just seeped under the tape and made a mess. It's way easier to just paint the edge free hand and clean any drips as I go.

The next day I had to "season" the chalkboard by rubbing the whole thing with the side of a piece of chalk. Afterwards, I tried out my chalk markers. I bought some lower priced ones on amazon (in the past I had success with the Chalk Ink brand) and was very disappointed.

The marker looked perfect, and works better than chalk because of the texture of my chalkboard, but sadly, it would NOT come off. Fortunately, Amazon let me return them since they didn't work as advertised. And I repainted my chalkboard this past weekend.

{messy lines, "seasoning", chalk ink fail, repainted board}

So, a month later I have a lovely chalkboard in my kitchen. Now I'm hoping to save my pennies for some better chalk markers, but for now I'm using standard chalk. 

{lists}

Afterward I had leftover paint in the tray. I have a really hard time wasting just about anything, so I looked for some things I could spruce up. I painted a magnet on the fridge, some gifts I have yet to give (I'll post on these after Christmas), and tags for presents. 

{brown gift paper + chalkboard paint}

{"short rounds" for our friends}

Anyone have other ideas for chalkboard paint?