frames are up

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

tale of two dresses

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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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