dear london

identity

2011-08-18T01:12:00.001-05:00

(source)

warning: this post is a bit of a departure from my normal subjects on this blog.

this post is probably very very premature, as i've just started the study i'm going to reference. but already, god is doing amazing things in my soul. somehow, he has given me this opportunity to be surrounded by a group of women who are proving to be absolutely invaluable in their love and insight. we're going through wendy alsup's study, "by his wounds you are healed," and the introduction alone was enough to knock the wind out of me. where am i finding my identity? what defines me? where do i get my kicks? if it's not from christ, then i don't really get it. i don't get what grace is, i don't get what peace is, i don't get what my purpose is, and the kicker is that i don't really get what he has done for me.

my initial thought: "that's ludicrous!" i've been in the church all my life. i get that christ died, therefore taking on my sin and providing a way for me to be with him in heaven. (wow, even writing it so flippantly right now feels so grimy.) i've been walking around with this head knowledge for so long, and somehow my heart hasn't completely gotten it. i don't know that i'm capable of ever totally getting it actually, but if i can begin to grasp what grace really is, then i can begin to see christ clearly. and if the spirit can help me see christ and his saving grace clearly, then he will change me and give me a new lens in which to view my life, my roles, my identity. and the outflow will be what i've prayed for for so long. purity. pure motivations. pure attitudes. pure thoughts. pure actions. oh lord, i want to be changed!

i was enlightened to find out that even amongst this group of strong, spiritual women, i was not alone in feeling insecure in who i am. even admitting out loud that i'm insecure is a huge work of the spirit, because it's the opposite of what i always try to portray. i want to be hip christian lady with her crap together - polite toddler, baby in sling, gourmet dinner on the table, social life swingin', great marriage, eclectic taste, lover of beauty, church volunteer, all with a genuine, strong and obvious love for god. this is where i find my identity. this is who i want to be. yet, i'm insecure because i'm not finding the foundation of these roles in christ. i'm not defining my life as a follower of christ, i'm defining it through these particular roles i've given myself. he's working on me, and my impatience wants the work to be done. i want all of the things listed above, and i want it all to be because of god's doing, and i want it all right now please.

pretty sure my plan is not god's. he's working though. i can feel his love and his spirit, and i'm becoming so grateful for a god who sees christ when he looks at me rather than me. he's given me so many good things in my life, but it's all for naught if i'm finding my worth in those things rather than in his grace.

century old heirlooms

2011-08-05T23:56:00.000-05:00

my uncle sandy and aunt pam, pictured below, generously sent me an incredibly special and sentimental gift today that will be in our family for generations to come; as i absolutely plan to pass it down to london when she has a daughter.

the beginnings of this gift came several months ago, when my aunt pam emailed and told me that she and my uncle sandy were planning to send me some of my great grandmothers ("gaggy's") clothing for our new baby girl. since that email, i've been anticipating the package that arrived today! i thanked the mail lady, ushered the large box in, and quickly gathered my scissors and my camera. i deliberately began removing the layers of tissue paper that protected and separated the vintage dresses, bibs and bonnet that my aunt and uncle had had restored from gaggy's early childhood. she was valerie davenport french (1898-1986), and is one of the girls pictured below. if i had to guess, i'd say she's the blond on the far left. and i think it also quite possible that the dress she is in, may be one of the dresses i received. (although, that could simply be wishful thinking!) regardless, i'm completely giddy to own such endearing pieces of my family's history.

the package as i received it. i was a little worried about the condition of the box, as it looked a little beaten, but everything inside was perfect.

i needed better light, so i moved the box into the living room before emptying the contents.

inside this initial envelope were pictures of each item of clothing before and after it's restoration, along with a card from uncle sandy and aunt pam explaining the items.

and here they are!

bibs

bonnet

dress 1

dress 2

front of bodice

back of bodice

card from uncle sandy and aunt pam explaining the gift

in addition to the heirloom gifts, they also sent gifts from their recent trip to ireland. noah received an irish penny whistle (which he instantly loved!), and london received adorable baby shoes and a sweet lamb (that noah also took a liking to).

noah, enjoying his new whistle!

i can't say thank you enough for these incredible gifts. i am blessed to have such a rich family history and sentimental items to remember it by. thanks uncle sandy and aunt pam for entrusting me with these pieces!

bamboo cotton rocks

2011-07-20T23:02:00.000-05:00

i was absolutely giddy today when i walked into cotton babies and found that much of their bamboo cotton collection was on sale! score! i used to go in frequently to buy detergent for my diapers, and each time i liked to walk through their bamboo-cotton baby clothes section and just touch the soft little outfits that were generally out of my price range. today, tons of the bamboo cotton was 40% OFF! i couldn't believe it. so i picked up a few things for baby girl.

i want her to wear one of them home from the hospital...which should it be? they're all newborn or 0-3 month sizes (this is what i don't have much of), although they look massive in the pictures. here's what i got.

bright, cute, modern and so soft!

this is a unisex sleeper...the color is charcoal gray and white, although it looks black in this picture. i like the idea that i can use it if we have a third baby, no matter the gender.

this picture doesn't do this sleep gown justice. it's a lilac (an interesting lilac...not a pastelly one). this is the piece that wasn't on sale, but i loved it! i'll be packing this one for the hospital for sure.

and finally, this comfy little shirt and pants set. another good purple...good purples are hard to find, don't you think?

can't wait to see london in these soft as butter little outfits. 4 1/2 weeks to go!

diy: fabric mobiles

2011-07-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

bff, sarah, from lovely chaos, created this diy on fabric mobiles, and as soon as i saw it, i knew i wanted one for london's room.

so finally, i reeled in dear friend missy (although reeling her in was pretty easy as she loves projects!), and we got busy. well, as busy as we could with 5 kiddos to keep an eye on while working. after two work sessions and some time working on our own, we each finished our mobile.

we followed all of sarah's tips and suggestions. the only differences are that we used wire to connect the hoops, and we added one extra larger ring than she did, so ours are a bit bigger and took a bit more fabric. we estimated that we needed roughly 110 strips of fabric (however as you'll see at the bottom, i had tons left over).

we wired our rings first:

next, we ironed and cut all of our fabric strips:

then we began layering on the fabric strips using tacky glue. we started with the bottom ring and worked our way up:

and up (only one ring left to go in this picture):

and the final product...

here's mine:

here's missy's:

i had a lot of fabric left over; however, i think i should still add a bit more to the mobile to fill it out...make it look thicker. what do you think?

leftovers:

overall, i'm quite happy with my mobile, and i plan to hang it over london's cradle, and later in her room (when she gets one!).

thanks for the idea sarah, and thanks to missy for creating one with me!

every kid should have a play house

2011-07-14T22:41:00.001-05:00

i stopped in to city sprouts today with friends jenn and shawn, and of course wanted to buy a thousand things! i haven't been in the store for a very long time, and i remembered why today...too many amazing things, not enough cash flow!

one of their products i fell in love with was this play house. it's just made out of cardboard (that you can buy at the store) and decorate however you like. i'm a big fan of the patchwork roof and the way they outlined the stone exterior, windows and doors with yarn. noah and his little friends had a blast playing in it. i might have to be on the hunt for a HUGE cardboard box now!

a couple of weeks ago, shanna sent me this idea for a play house. it's completely adorable, and again, you can personalize it however you like. and if you use felt, you wouldn't even need to own a sewing machine, just a little fabric glue and some good scissors.

this site sells a pattern for this project.

london's baby shower

2011-07-10T00:47:00.001-05:00

i am so blessed to have incredible friends who saw fit to throw me a beautiful baby shower for our second child, whom we have recently and definitively decided to name london. dear friends shanna, erin and missy went above and beyond, and certainly made me feel like one loved lady.

the shower had a vintage tea party theme, and the decorations were so gloriously detailed it took a while to take it all in. an antique tea cart, all kinds of amazing china, flowers everywhere, multiple sweet banners, and a ceiling bouquet were just some of the touches....the list could go on. and the food - oh my, the food! not only was it delicious, but it was stunning! the cake shanna made was exquisite, the chicken salad tea sandwiches from erin were savory and yummy, and the scones with cream and jam by missy were beyond my wildest dreams of what scones could be.

i was also so blessed to have family and friends come in from out of town to help us celebrate, along with many local friends who came to show their support and love. i was (and continue to be) amazed at the generosity of our friends and family. we received so many thoughtful gifts.

thanks to missy and her sweet camera and editing skills for these gorgeous photos:

flowers

beautiful and yummy strawberry cake and melt-in-your-mouth petit fours

tagged sugar cookies

mmmmm...strawberry lemonade

lovely garnished glasses

petit fours, as amazing as they were beautiful

antique tea box full of various teas, along with cream and raw sugar cubes...be still my heart!

to die for (literally) vanilla bean and orange/white chocolate scones

cucumber sandwiches....adorable!

lovely pom pom and onesie decor hanging from wall to wall

picturesque china tea cups

ceiling pom pom display - love this and am planning a rendition of it in london's room

more glorious china

fireplace display with banner, paper flowers, tea cups, and one of the party invitations

the serving table in all of it's loveliness

my sweet friends and hostesses:

(from left to right) erin, shanna, me, and missy

such an incredible day that i will always hold dear in my heart.

thank you girls for your thoughtfulness, generosity and love. you are each such a blessing to me and my family.

alright now, come on baby girl...i'm ready!

pregnancy photos i can live with

2011-07-09T23:34:00.002-05:00

My sweet darling husband surprised me with the gift of a maternity photo session! We took pregnancy photos with Noah, and he didn't want London (yes, London!) to be left out. Although his sentiments and action behind this gift are incredibly thoughtful, the idea of a professional photo session in my current state brings on a world of dread! Firstly, and mainly because I'm a vain vain creature, and certainly not in the best shape of my life! Alas though, I agree, I wouldn't want my London to feel left out. This pregnancy is just as special and anticipated as the first.

To top my "not-feeling-so-hot-these-days" self image, I'm also extremely particular about photography. We've been so blessed to have friends with serious photo skills (we'll be working with Erica Rankin), so I don't have to worry at all about the quality of the pictures, just how I'll look in them! So, I've been trying to find some artsy maternity photos that hopefully will make me want to order prints rather than stash the finished CD far away.

In my search, I found many cheesy de`cheese of de`cheesiest pregnancy pictures, and goodness knows, I can't stand the cheese. So I think simple and heavily edited will be the way to go! Here are some ideas I've found that I think I could live with.

Photos like this seem to be favorites as I search. A close up of the belly with an intense highlighted edit.

(seen here.)

This one seems simple, and I like the idea of the flowing wrap that extends past the width of the picture. What would I use...a sheet?

(seen here.)

Noah has got to be in a few of the pictures. I like this one with just his arm, hand and my belly. Simple and sweet. I would want the lighting done a bit different...more washed out perhaps? And I would be wearing bottoms!

(seen here.)

If I was Posh Spice, I might have something like this done:

(seen here.)

or this:

from here.

And if I was Scary Spice, I might have something like this done (ha!):

(seen here.)

Something about this one is quirky and cute. Of course I would use one of my gorgeous Anthropologie tea cups, and I would want the editing to be done much differently. Not a fan of the oh-so-obvious Olan Mills background (oh man, i can be snobby sometimes. forgive me!).

(seen here.)

Maybe something like this with some of her tiny booties in my hand instead of an apple.

(seen here.)

I like the idea of a few of my favorite baby items photographed in an artsy way.

(seen here.)

This site wouldn't allow me to copy a picture onto my post, but I like the fourth and sixth photos down from the top. I like the angle of the camera on the fourth one. I think that the lens pointed down on me would be a more flattering shot versus peering up from beneath me. And on the sixth one, I like the close up of the belly, while using a heavy highlight in the editing process.

The second one down on this blog is interesting. I like the lighting and editing...it seems to have a vintage feel almost.

The first picture on this blog is quite sweet. The photographer has the husband in the shot too, but still a close up of their torsos. Again, with a heavy edit on the lighting.

If you have ANY ideas, please send them to me! We've got a couple weeks to go before the shoot.

dreaming of where i could dream

2011-06-27T00:02:00.003-05:00

it's kind of amazing and a little depressing how quickly ones taste can change in decor. at least mine. just when i thought i knew what i liked (straight lines, pottery-barnish type furnishings), and after we invested some actual money into bedroom furniture, i find that i've shifted away from the finished, matchy look.

in the end this really is all just too bad for me, because my husband is a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." and our bedroom set (yes, it's a "set"...sigh), is only four years old, and it certainly ain't broke. i'm sure we'll have it for a long time to come, but in the meantime, here are some designs that make me want to sell what i have and start over! (a girl can dream.)

i don't think i could be more in love with this bedroom. it is beautiful! may be i can find a headboard like this for the guest bed at least?

(source: decorology)

and this one is so sweet...i can see it as a girl's room or even a guest room.

(source: decorology)

i would never have enough confidence to put these bold colors together, but they completely work and are stunning!

(source: decorology)

this one is just sexy.

(source: decorology)

this room is pretty busy, but i'm drawn to it (everything except the zebra print ottoman that is).

(source: apartment therapy)

oh, and this one is so pretty! the wallpaper is such a fun vintage print.

(source: roomenvy)

i'll keep dreaming and living vicariously through the other rooms in our house!

tacky beach towels

2011-06-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

why is it that despite my overly picky taste, i own and use the tackiest beach towels known to man? really bright harsh colors with some sort of 80's beach scene sewn in them...oh they're bad! every summer for years i've thought how i'd like to invest in some new, not-quite-so-hidious towels, but it never seems to be a budgetary priority. one day i will make this happen!

may be i'll get something simple like these:

source

or cutsie like these:

source

actually, plush and modern sounds perfect:

source

reduce, reuse, recyle - t-shirts

2011-05-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

matt (my mr.) has a plethora of old, kind-of nasty, yellow pit stained undershirts. i've recently been replacing them with new ones, and so i'm left with this massive pile of the old. this picture is just what i took out of his drawer a few days ago. i have another huge bag stuffed in my closet.

it hurt my heart a little to think of just throwing out such a large stash, and since i have no idea how fast cotton material decomposes, i just couldn't do it. giving them away is not an option since they are slightly disgusting, so my search began.

i found some ridiculous ideas, like making a dress out of them (just dumb - who wants a dress that looks like your man's undershirt?), and some overtly obvious ideas, like using them for cleaning or waxing your car - i already have a stash of rags for those purposes. anyway, i did come across clever ideas, so if you have this same problem, here's what you can do:

-save a few for coloring your hair, or painting, or anything else messy you or your kids do

-use them for packing christmas ornaments away, or as packing material for shipping

-cut up small squares to keep for cleaning eyeglasses or polishing jewelry

and if you have a baby, these ideas are fantastic, and will probably be how i will end up using my t-shirt stash:

-cut up squares and use as reusable baby wipes for diapering or clean-up wipes at meal times. if you're already using cloth diapers (which we did for noah and will for baby girl), then you can just throw them in the wash together. i read a tip to double the material when making, so serious messes don't leak through so easily.

-t-shirt trash liners (aka, trash bags). those of us who use cloth diapers are probably trying to save money and the environment, so natalie from old made new, came up with this brilliant idea to line your cloth diaper pail with a t-shirt-created liner, rather than buying and wasting plastic liners. and again, just like the wipes, you can throw it in the wash with your diapers. so smart!

-and finally, along similar lines, natural violet gives a great tutorial on how to make your own cloth diapers from t-shirts. if you dare to be so ambitious, they are super cute!

source 1

source 2

friends with skillzzz

2011-05-24T00:52:00.001-05:00

i love to bake. and a lot of the time, my goodies turn out pretty decent. what i'm not good at though, is attention to detail.

i tell myself that i like organic, rustic looking cakes to give myself an out for the less than perfect result. or "as long as it tastes good, isn't that really what matters?" (which is such a lie since i firmly believe you eat with your eyes first!) i just become a lot more interested in the final product than the steps involved in getting there. i'm so impatient! i do, however have some friends who have much more perseverance than i do, and have come up with some beautiful creations. so lovely in fact, i have to share them.

this is missy, and she made that hunk-a-hunk of burning cake love right there. if i attempted such a feat, the 73 layers would have slid off of each other right onto the floor. hers however, turned out beautiful!

she also made this sweet circus cake for her little griffin's first birthday.

and this one she made because she thought it sounded amazing (which it does...dulce de leche cake!), and she added the paper flower on top for a little flare! isn't it so pretty?

friend shanna also makes amazing creations that i would never be able to mimic. she made these lovely detailed cupcakes for her daughter reese's third birthday. they look so professional!

and these pirate cakes she made for her son aidan's party. unbelievable!

and check out these romantic cookie trays from bff sarah. she made all of these little delights for my baby shower back in 2008. don't you love the way they're all displayed?

and one more lovely creation from the little man dearest to my heart, my noah. he decorated his own cupcake at his friend lee's birthday party. i think it just might be my favorite!

all of a sudden i have a sweet tooth...

ideas are a-flowin'!

2011-05-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

i mean really...

source

there are just so many sweet options! i really love the massive rustic mirror hanging behind the dresser in the room right above. it adds so much character to the space and is completely unexpected as it juxtaposes the stereotypical wall decor of a baby's room. oh the possibilities!

after spending some time searching girls' rooms online, i think i've finally found some items that could pull my vision together. here's what i've got so far.

this:

and this

and these!

and this gorgeous tie back to go with the lovely curtains:

and every baby's room needs a rug, right?

and of course a sweet blanket to go with simple bedding:

and just this one more thing for now:

this is so much fun! creating a room from scratch is just a darn good time. can't wait to meet the baby girl to fill the space and really give it life.

retro dresser and nightstand

2011-05-13T15:26:00.001-05:00

i found a retro dresser and nightstand for noah's new room! and for 50 bucks! total score. i can't decide whether to leave them this light wood color, or paint them something funky, or may be just like a gray? hmmmm...

now, if i can only find the right bed.

a boy's bed

2011-05-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

the search for the "big boy bed" is on! i've found several kinds of beds that i like for noah's room, but i can't figure out where to buy them! if my mr. wasn't so busy or my dad lived closer they could easily make one of these. they're so simple. we kind of need it asap too...if only there was an ikea closer!!! i know they have something similar to some of these. oh well!

room envy

home designing

rustic and romantic girl's room

2011-04-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

obviously, i've started the hunt for the new baby's room, as this is my second post this morning about nursery decor!

this is a strong contestant for the direction i might head in for my little girl's room. i love how eclectic and rustic and romantic it is. just beautiful.

Check out this link for more pictures.

if i were having a boy...

2011-04-09T09:15:00.001-05:00

...i'd want to decorate his room something like this! figures, on my search for baby girl nursery inspiration, i find a baby boy's room i'm in love with! maybe we'll just have to try for a third... ;)

and i might have to give matt a project after seeing this armchair turned rocker. how smart? i've been really disappointed in the glider we got when we had noah...i can't stand the way it looks, and the slider mechanisms often catch. i'd love to have a rocker that's as gorgeous as this one!

see tons more inspiration at oh dee doh.

couponing; the new way to shop (new to me at least)

2011-03-18T09:18:00.002-05:00

(photo source)

last week, my life changed! no really, it did. ok, well at least the way i shop changed. i took a coupon class. yes, yes i did. i channeled my mother-in-law's deal-finding ways, and signed myself up for this class that would put me right alongside those women who are constantly facebooking and twittering their "i bought 50 items for $0.23" shopping excursions. after taking this class, i now have one of those experiences under my belt, and feel as though i must shout it from the rooftops! actually, i can't shout too loudly yet, because i'm still figuring it all out, but here's the bulk of what i learned with a lot of details in-between.

stack your coupons. which means use multiple coupons on one item that is already on sale. revolutionary!

of course there is so much more to it, so i highly recommend taking a similar class, but if you live in the st. louis area, i am in the process of figuring out how to host a class at my house. let me know if you're interested in coming.

as a stay-at-homer, i've been convicted recently that part of my responsibility is to figure out how to get the most mileage out of our finances. i haven't always (ok, never) been great at doing this, so i'm pretty pumped about becoming a little better.

some handy resources: (i'm sure there are millions of others, but again, i'm new to this, and this is where i'm starting!)
Coupon Kadie
Money Saving Mom

old fashioned ice cream party

2010-08-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

my baby boy's 2nd birthday was on saturday and we had a party to celebrate! i was going for old fashioned ice cream shop party. the colors were orange and teal. homemade food and homemade decorations and lots of friends set the scene!

homemade sliders and mac and cheese; homemade vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream, accompanied by tons of toppings in mason jars; orange slices and cheese balls in glass jars on each table; homemade bunting hanging from the ceiling; playful balloons; photo garland of noah's 2nd year; lights above the yard; kids with ice cream faces and wet heads from swimming; and loving grandparents, all equal a really special and memorable birthday party.

i still can't believe i have a two year old!

baby girl shower

2010-08-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

friend, kristin is having a baby girl in october, so we had a little shower for her last weekend. I hung pink poms poms from the ceiling, set out my pretty china tea cups and made several pink little treats to munch. we had a lovely time and kristin received a lot of girlie gifts!

peach creamsicles

2010-08-13T23:09:00.001-05:00

after finding these adorable popsicle molds at ikea this summer, i committed to making noah lots of frozen treats. i've made various forms of berry and banana concoctions and a watermelon and lime mix (given to me by friend sandra), and just last night, i came across an orange creamsicle recipe. i felt an immediate impulse to make them because they sounded so delicious; but i didn't have any oranges or orange extract (which is apparently necessary). what i did have though, were lots and lots of peaches, so i decided to substitute. i blended together ripe peaches, milk, vanilla yogurt and honey.

i love how easy popsicles are to throw together. whenever we run out, i look in the fridg, see what i have and go with it. i especially love that noah thinks he's getting a real treat, and i know that i could actually serve them for breakfast!

Sewing Room

2010-08-09T22:58:00.000-05:00

has it really been since june that i last posted something?! good gracious, i'm a slacker! i'm going to try to be "back!"

in june, i took a trip with some girlfriends to ikea in chicago, and bought these new shelves, along with a few other organizational type things to help get all of my sewing gear in order. i feel so much better about the room now. a simple change, but it has helped so much!

duke charm

2010-05-24T09:01:00.002-05:00

i was telling friend shanna that my sis-in-law, marsa` did a fabulous job decorating for my brother's graduation party. she made the comment that all marsa` had to do was breathe on whatever she was doing, and it would come out great! i agreed.

the duke colors are white and royal blue, which would have initially posed a bit of difficulty for me, but marsa` tackled it with charm. she made royal blue pom poms and royal blue bunting and combined them with beautiful flowers and candles. wa-lah, it was gorgeous.

the happy couple.

UPDATE: go here for a tutorial on making pom poms and here for a tutorial on making bunting.

sweet tooth

2010-05-20T23:58:00.000-05:00

why do i keep finding these delicious recipes while i'm in the depths of project skinny??? surely there's a reason i can come up with to cheat and make these dishes!

these are congo bars. a combination of a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie!
(photo credit: bakerella)

this is my granny's chocolate cobbler. well, not my granny, but somebody's. really, whose granny it is, is so beside the point though, because look at that ridiculous amount of gooey chocolaty goodness. don't you just want to jump through the screen and stick your finger in that? looks so delicious!
(photo credit: tasty kitchen)

table-scape

2010-05-20T23:35:00.001-05:00

i need to have a party so that i can set up a table like this:

amazing!

(photo credit: once wed)

fabric blog finds

2010-05-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

i have discovered (through friends and random searches) some killer fabric and sewing blogs. thought i should share the love!

true up. don't you just love the banner?! this blog is such a gift. the author gives so many great ideas and tips on finding good fabric. one of my favorite posts is sale alert sunday.

grosgrain. this author's profile snippet was enough to hook me! she says she's, "an artsy craftsy, penny pinching, party planning, playdating, fashion finding, sci-fi loving, stay at home mommy who always keeps her sewing machine plugged in and loves all things charming." love her already!
i also really like several of her detailed tutorials, including this one on how to make a poppy boutonniere.

sew, mama, sew. this blog/shop has a little bit of everything. you can shop for fabric, patterns, and notions, you can learn from tons of tutorials, you can enter for giveaways, and so much more.

leila & ben. isn't the name enough? so cute! this blog is great...many inspiring posts! and i really love their store. they have patterns like this adorable little bolero jacket and this sweet cap.

katie did. i've been a fan of this blog for quite some time now. she mixes great ideas with the everyday happenings of her family. she's also a fantastic photographer so the pictures are amazing. i like the sewing section. really interesting, unique creations.

ok, that's all for now. thanks to these bloggers for posting such great stuff! i appreciate all of your hard work and am constantly inspired by your creations!

how did i not know about this?

2010-05-11T14:37:00.003-05:00

ikea has fabric!

and it's really cute.

and it's really affordable.

and if only we had one in saint louis.

(thanks to new friend, gevay, for enlightening me.)

need a serving tray?

2010-05-08T22:35:00.000-05:00

it is no secret that i love picture frames, and i've just come across a brilliant idea! i've actually been looking for a large serving tray to use when i carry our dinner and drinks outside, but haven't been able to find one i like. i saw this idea to turn a picture frame into a serving tray while looking through my grandma's sumter county newspaper. brilliant! basically, you just add a handle to each end of your frame. so easy! i did actually find some step-by-step instructions here.

i'm so doing this when i get home!

i want to make...

2010-05-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

this sexy hexy love quilt from amy butler. go here for a free pattern.

these felted stuffed animals from martha stewart. go here for a free pattern.

this lunch bag from martha stewart. go here for a free pattern.

this animal hat from martha stewart. go here for a free pattern.

if only there were more hours in the day!

frames are up

2010-04-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

i hung my frames! they look a little...void. hmmmmmm...what to do, what to do.

tale of two dresses

2010-04-27T15:51:00.004-05:00

i can sew a pillow or a burp cloth or a blanket or something else that is either shaped like a square or rectangle, but up until recently, i haven't know how to sew much else.

however, since my wonderful sewing tutor, meg, has come into my life, i have begun to broaden my scope! she taught me how to follow a pattern, and all of a sudden possibilities came a' flowin'! hello world of sewing!

this is the first dress i've tackled. i've learned a lot while making this garment, and i have to say, i'm proud of it. i still need to finish the closures on the straps and a few seams on the inside, but overall, this is it. speaking of closures, does anyone know where i can find cool, funky buttons? i'm having trouble. my usual suspects aren't delivering (aka, hobby lobby and michaels).

project number two is this preppy little number. this is a martha stewart idea that meg brought to me. i love it, and although this first baby will definitely fall into the preppy category, i plan to make some funkier versions in the future. i grabbed one of matt's old dress shirts, traced the pattern, and cut.

it was so simple, which was perfect for a novice like me!

i sewed up the sides, arms and shoulders, and i still need to finish the neck line, arm holes and hem. wish me luck! this will be my first go at using bias tape!

i heart garage sales

2010-04-26T09:39:00.001-05:00

i just love going to garage sales, and this weekend friend jenn and i did it up! 2 starbucks stops and 6 hours later, we both went home with some serious bargains. the last hour or so was even in the rain. jenn told one of the sellers that we were committed, and i think that said it all. we were all in, rain or shine. here is some of what i got:

heavy duty bunt pan: free

books for noah: $0.10-$0.50 each

homemade rolling bin (for noah's toys in the garage)came with two soccer balls: $5

xylophone: $0.25

antique silver collection: two tea pots, sugar and cream cups, soap dish, and several platters: $4

antique dresser: $20

five old frames (actually from the previous weekend's garage sale): $2

ornate picture frame: $2

candelabra (also from previous week's garage sale): $2

so many new projects to work on now!

what would you do with some of these items? i'm always looking for new ideas.

happy earth day

2010-04-22T15:04:00.003-05:00

happy earth day friends! mom junket came over today, and so it was a good excuse to make some goodies. we had earth day cake pops, and i found these dark chocolate balls at the sappington farmer's market. delicious!

yarning a branch

2010-04-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

i'm working on a project in noah's room. i've been wanting to do something with branches for a while now, and just as i had a really good stack of them built up, my hubby, unaware of my intentions, threw them away! i was a little heart broken, but i found a few more good ones and decided to make a "learning tree" for noah's room. i've already hung felt leaves on the branches, and i plan on adding various kinds of felt fruit to them as well. the tree will hang above his work table where sits his new globe and several other learning toys.

i'm working on the trunk right now. here's what i'm doing:

i'm using a thicker branch to serve as the trunk of the tree, and i'm wrapping it in yarn from the vanna white collection that i found at joann fabrics. i got the idea of wrapping branches in yarn from a dear genevieve episode, but i've decided not to wrap the actual branches of my little tree, as that would take me a lifetime.

i'll report back on the finished product!

a french first birthday

2010-04-19T09:14:00.002-05:00

here is lula mae...she's a beauty, and now, she's one!

lula's mom and dad, sarah and jay, threw her an adorable french inspired first birthday party.

sarah, always the creative inspiration for me, came up with so many sweet details that made this party special.

she created an image of her daughter, ordered custom material from spoonflower, and sewed these special bibs for each party attendant. she distinguished lula's bib by adding a pom pom binding to the edge. each guest got to take his/her home.

she also made these adorable party hats.

the party table had a basket of beach balls and bubbles for the kids, and a simple, beautiful and delicious cake. every bit of the food sarah made came from barefoot contessa, my absolute favorite chef!

other details included a custom banner that said, "bon anniversaire," which is of course happy birthday in french. it laid atop a petticoat skirt that sarah turned into a whimsical chandelier.

sarah decoupaged a small piece of her custom fabric to a cut of cardstock, then glued decorative string into the shape of "bon anniversaire lula" for a custom first birthday card.

here's to lula's first birthday and sarah's creativity!

book art, part II

2010-04-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

over the weekend, i visited sarah and captured a couple shots of her book art (mentioned in the previous blog). i love how she has folded the pages in super funky ways and how she has them haphazardly but collectively hanging on a wall. unique, beautiful and inexpensive decor. love it!

bonjour blogspot and book art

2010-04-12T15:10:00.058-05:00

hi there!

last year i started my original dear london blog on wordpress, but i'm switching back to blogspot. one simple reason...it's easier! i've discovered that i need to be a bit more computer savvy in order to get the kind of look i was hoping for through wordpress, so although i'm sure this blog will be a work in progress as well, it's easier to access (since my personal blog is on blogger too) and i feel like it's more user friendly. so here i am. i've switched!

i've been pretty absent from dear london for months now, but i'm back in the "create" mood, so i hope to keep up much better now.

if you're reading this, that means you've taken time to stop by, and i really appreciate it! i love comments, and i would love for you to "follow" me. it would make me feel special! just click the follow link below.

while i'm posting, i thought i would share this idea from anthropologie. this is one of their many amazing displays. i'm always inspired by the creative ways they use ordinary objects, like books!

photo credit: apartment therapy

my bestie, sarah, has used books all over her house as decor by folding the pages in various ways. she has hung some on walls and others sit on open book shelves. i don't have pictures of her specific creations, but here is an example of one of the most simple ways to transform a book:

photo credit: elle decoration

going green

2010-04-11T22:10:00.001-05:00

i'm doing it...we're doing it. we're going green! although, i've been much more conscience this past year about what's healthier and more environmentally sound for our family, i have felt a deep conviction about making the change just in this last month. i talked to my hubby and he's in, so we have started the slow transition to living a greener lifestyle.

so far we have switched out some of our bathing products to all organic (since our skin is our largest organ!), started using cloth napkins, instead of paper, started the exchange from toxic cleaners to organic, and we've begun buying more and more organic food. there are so many changes still to make, but i think one step at a time is the way to go for us. i have discovered that this ambition can be easily overwhelming if i try to change too much at one time.

helpful sources:

-green babies, sage moms is a book that was recommended to me by sarah. she said it's a fantastic handbook for how to make either small or large changes. i've got it on order, and i can't wait to read it!
-i also found this article that gives tons of practical information on what you can do to make your home greener for you and baby. i found it quite helpful!
-friend sandra just tipped me off to local harvest, a grocer here in st. louis that sells only local products. they also have a blog, the local harvest dish, that i have already fallen in love with, and a cafe that we have already visited. our food was delicious, and matt and i both felt really good about what we had eaten!
-another blog i've followed for a while is the hungry yogini. the author is an old student of mine from tampa, and i love her take on life and food.

it's so exciting to change things so drastically in our lives! i'm enjoying the transition, and i feel good about it. i could use some advice though. what are some things you do to live more environmentally conscience?

photo credit: here