midcenturyhousewife

Enjoy your kids

2011-04-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm totally overwhelmed with cute kid ideas... So overwhelmed that I'm trying to come up with a good storage solution for all the printouts I'm finding. Stay tuned for that one...

In the meantime, here are others around the blogosphere that have caught my eye. There are such cool parents out there enjoying their kids!

A Spring scavenger hunt from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. Using an egg carton is genius!!

Image from I Am Momma Hear me Roar

Cardboard guitars from Make It and Love It via Ohdeedoh

Image from Make It and Love It

A nice way to structure the day with young ones from Say Yes to Hoboken

Image from Say Yes to Hoboken

Charming little Peter and the Wolf Puppet Kit from Sarah Jane Studios via DesignMom. I actually bought this as soon as I saw it on DesignMom. Just $5.50 for a pdf. I've got to say that it is even lovelier in print. I can't wait to put it together with my boys! I plan to download the play and have it on in the background.

Image from Sarah Jane Studios

April Showers

2011-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Marimekko umbrella from Umbrella .net

Another month is here. What happened to the first quarter of 2011?! It is going to be a very busy few months. Here's what is on my calendar for April:

April 1- April Fool's Day I plan to put this and this in the boys' lunches. My mom always used to do funny lunch things for us and I always looked forward to it, even if it meant that I would be getting carrot sticks instead of my Dips granola bar!
April 2- Remembering my grandfather's 86 wonderful years of life
April 8- My dad's birthday!
April 15- Probably the day I'll file my taxes
April 24- Easter brunch at Callie's

I'm also looking for some new wellies and think I'll go with the classic Hunter boot. But what color??
And trying to organize my out-of-control craft and party supplies

Planning ahead for:
Something Mothers' Day-ey
Birthdays for mom, sister and sweet little nephew (1!)
A Fathers' Day picnic (all decorations made out of security envelopes- super excited to share this soon!)
Sister's big wedding in July!

Furniture Lust

2011-03-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, I want this for my boys so much, but am not about to drop $1k on a chair for a wee one.

Available at Restoration Hardware, found via Ohdeedoh

But isn't it lovely??

New toys at Ikea!

2011-03-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Attention all pint-sized workpeople! Cruising Ikea last week, I saw these two new toys...

Cute felt toolbelt and tools $4.99 Totally going to stockpile some of these for birthday parties!

And workbench $79.99

New (to me) magazine: Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate

2011-03-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

So excited to find a new magazine, in Lowe's of all places! I was there to buy my grass seed for Easter, when I saw this adorable cover.

image from Hoffman Media, LLC

They had me at the Peeps! I'm definitely making this adorable cake for Easter. So sweet and so springy! Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate is great. In addition to the alluring cover, inside there are several styled parties highlighted. On the website you can download the invitations, fill in your info and print! It's not all my style, but there are lots of great ideas. This issue showed an Easter dinner, an egg dyeing party, a ladybug party for a little girl, an April Fool's Day party, and a Kentucky Derby party (there might have been more, even). It's not inexpensive (7.99/issue), but definitely worth it. Sending my subscription in now! And you can order back issues here! I have to have the Halloween one!

Enjoy your kids: Robots!

2011-03-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were looking for a good way to spend our "technology-free Sunday" together. I suggested making superhero capes, but apparently that is so 2010... Atticus suggested we make robots. I quickly got on board. First step... We needed supplies! We loaded up in the car and headed to Archie McPhee's. They've got all sorts of fun things in the back that are roboty. After a quick coffee break at Cafe Besalu (best pastry in town!), we continued on our robot supply search at McLendon Hardware. Then when we stopped at Nana's to pick up something she added to our stash. We got home around 2 and worked on robots until dinner. I love it when a project lasts all day long!

Hank was more interested in dressing up. And scowling.

We used screws to attach the different parts, so they should stay put for a bit. To make the silver body, we used aluminum foil and contact paper. Some tinsel in my holiday stash became "rock star hair". We stacked the boxes up and screwed them together. By keeping the opening part on the back, we can continue to add to it. Plenty of robot parts left for the next rainy day. There sure are plenty of them here!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Photo from Private Places via Apartment Therapy

Yesterday spring officially began. I guess you can sort of tell by the 3 degree raise in temperature and the slightly more sporadic rainshowers; I'm in serious need of some spring cheer!

Some ideas:

Adding Spring Color to Your Home roundup from Apartment Therapy. Or perhaps just some green

A new rug for just $18

Or a fresh blue for the wall

Or something new from ikea here, here and here

Images all from ikea.com

So far I've settled for a new pillow in yellow and orange with plans to recover a few other sofa pillows.

Yay for spring!

Hank's party is finally here!

2011-03-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hank turned 3 last week and his party finally arrived! Here are some details:

Theme: Lego guys
# of small guests: 3 + my 2 boys (5 kids, and 1 baby)
To snack on: cups of cheese and crackers, grapes and blueberries and m&ms and raisins and of course cupcakes!
To drink: Lemonade, limeade, lavender lemondade and water
Colors: all sorts of yellows, golds and oranges- sort of lego guy head colors
Activity: Build your own guy
Favors: Their guys, bubbles, play clay

Sources: boxes for take-home treats and striped favor cups for the guys bought at Packaging Specialties in Seattle
Striped and polka dot treat cups at Sweet Lulu
Plain treat cups at local party store
Lego parts, pick-a-brick at lego.com
Cupcakes from Trophy cupcake in Wallingford
Fringe streamers- handmade using crepe paper, idea from Oh Happy Day. Super easy and super cheap! $6.50 for all my streamers!

Celebrate the Boy!

2011-03-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot about the wonderful Celebrate the Boy series from made and made by rae (found this year via Say Yes to Hoboken). I've loved it in past years! There aren't enough craft projects for boys, but my guys really love them. Here are my favorite ideas this time around. It's going to be a busy crafting spring!

Superhero Cape and Powercuff from Southern Institute for Domestic Arts and Crafts. So easy! This would take about 5 minutes to make.

Monster tooth pillow from the Long Thread. Atticus is five. I've got at least a year to make this, right?

I think this cool boys' wallet would be cool for grown up boys, too!

Wouldn't this money cuff from A Lemon Squeezy Home be perfect for Hank to carry around his beloved lego guys?

Perfect for our spring clothes refresh! Spring jacket from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. (And if you want to feel like you're completely depriving your children of a well-designed playroom, check her's out here. What lucky kids!)

And, I think my favorite. Retro duffel bag from SaltwaterKids. Um, look at the fort kit on the bottom of that post. We're totally making this for a friend's birthday next weekend!

And from the past, the absolutely best, most comprehensive Star Wars roundup.

St. Patrick's Day Fun!

2011-03-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

St Patty's day is not exactly my favorite holiday. I'm not Irish, I don't like beer (or corned beef), but I love a party, so I'll play along. Here are some cute ideas I've gathered for this year. We'll see if we get around to any of them! (Um, can we all pretend that we don't notice that these are all food-related...)

Treats from Twig & Thistle (photo from Twig & Thistle)

Cute for the dinner table! From marthastewart.com

Adorable Lephrechaun Breakfast from http://www.onecharmingparty.com/

Rainbow cake at whisk kid via Ohdeedoh

Short break

2011-03-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

I took last week off as we said goodbye to my dear grandfather. He was almost 87 (1 week shy) and lived life the fullest of anyone I've known. My fondest memories include our season tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet, outings with him and my boys (who adored him), family gatherings at his lovely (mid-century) home and his love of excel spreadsheets. He was even once webmaster for his church's website. Not many octagenarians can claim that status! I feel lucky to have lived near him and to spend such quality time with him in his last few months and that my boys knew their great-grandfather. I loved him very much.

And, of course, he had impeccable style! This photo is of my grandparents at Pike Place market, probably late 1940's. Aren't they adorable?

Wedding Wednesday

2011-02-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Since I've been helping my sister plan her wedding, I've been introduced to the beautiful world of wedding blogs and it's a little addicting. I won't blog about what my sister is deciding on, but I'll try to do a weekly post on some fun wedding ideas. 'Cause, you never know... I could get married again someday!

Duchess Satin Noelle gown from JCrew
Emerald Fields Kisslock clutch and Bow-topped slingbacks from Anthropologies BHLDN
Floral boquet via Martha Stewart
Vera Wang Wedgewood Dinnerware, available here
Ampersand letterpress wedding suite by Mitchell and Dent, available here
Groom's suit from Banana Republic (sorry he's so small, not to say he's not just as important as the bride, just not as pretty with pretty sparkling accessories)

Hank's Party Details

2011-02-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

My baby (baby!!) is turning 3 in March. He loves Lego guys. The teeny ones. He carries them around by the handful or in his (brother's) Star Wars lunchbox or puts them in his pockets. So, I thought a guy party would be perfect. Here are my initial ideas:

Refreshments

Polka Dot Candy Cups In yellow, of course. Will fill some with fruit and some with snack mix
Cupcakes will come from Trophy. Yum! And yay Groupon for having the perfect deal at the right time! I'd rather know that the dessert will be superb rather than worry about making it myself.
I'm going to try to go easy on the drinks- this is where it gets expensive! Lemonade and water are what I'm thinking. Although alcohol for the adults braving the party isn't a horrible idea...

Guy Station

Lots of legs, heads, hats and bodies to build your own guy (from Lego)
BrickStix to decorate the guys
Cute little boxes to carry them home in (from Packaging Specialties, not pictured)

Invites
Invites from Pear Tree Greetings These turned out great. They were about $1 each and are really good quality. I also bought some stickers for the goody boxes and some return address labels with Hank's name on them (it's so confusing having different last names, can't just write from the Smith Family).

Decorations
I'm contemplating using some yellow paper lanterns I already have so as to evoke the round guy heads. I'm sure the 3 year olds will totally get it. No other grand ideas yet. Probably some balloons.

Other Ideas
I'm also looking for a Craigslist Train Table I can turn in to a Lego table for Hank's present and an activity at the party.
Invites to family and family friends have gone out, but I have no clue which "friends" to invite! Poor second child has never had a play date set up solely for him (he tags along on all of Atticus's). He loves his big brother so much that I've never looked further than the top bunk for a playmate! I don't want to invite the whole class (19), so I think I'll pick 5 or so kids he talks about the most.

Party is March 20. Look for details soon after! Hopefully, my brand new camera will function perfectly after last year's infamous photo failure. Hank's 2nd Birthday.

Happy Presidents Day!

2011-02-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

photo credit

Of course, my favorite president, stylistically speaking, is the iconic JFK. Does Jackie just look lovely? But when didn't she?

If you like... you'll love... and you'll really love...

2011-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you like this rug by Inigo Elizalde. Wool, handmade in Phillippines and $2,520.

Then you'll love...

This rug from homedecorators.com. Wool, handmade in India and under $500.

And you'll really love...

This rug from Overstock.com. Wool, handmade in New Zealand and under $200. A steal!

Tangled Party!

2011-02-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that my boys are all-boy. There's no way I can talk Hank in to this party. BUT. It is lovely, adorable and perfect for a little girl. I love it when moms actually plan a party that their kids love. I always ask my kids what party they'd like and then build around that. It's actually very easy to throw a classy Disney-themed party without a licensed item in sight! (Hank got Nemo last year and it was really adorable.)

This Tangled theme party is very inventive, not too matchy, matchy and really lovely to look at. Will someone throw me one? Details here, here and invite here. The invite was recently featured on Martha Stewart!

Where the heck have I been?

2011-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Last week I was too busy to post. My sister is GETTING MARRIED! And she's letting me help plan! I haven't had a lot of excuse to search through wedding blogs. Until now. And the flood gates are open. I'll try to control myself, but I'm very excited! I just love this engagement ring. Lovely etsy seller. Conflict-free diamonds. Very romantic and unique.

Posts this week will (hopefully) be decidedly un-wedding-like. I will keep the details under wraps until the big day! Look forward to:

- A really amazing little girl birthday party (When does Katie turn 4?)
- A $50 living room makeover (mine!)
- If you love...
- ~~Valentine's ideas~~ oops. Guess I'm a little too late on this one!

Happy Monday!

Wow! This is gorgeous and perfect and lovely...

2011-01-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

If I had tons of money and tons of time, I would style tables like this and invite friends over to eat. This Snow White table is genius, via Sweet Tooth (a dessert/design blog!!).

There's so much to love here. The wallpaper. The candied apples with sticks. The heart button on the cake. Buy my favorite is the tiny reindeer. If I ever have a little girl, I'm going to secretly foster a deep love of snow white in her from birth and then suggest a party like this when she's about 5.

While we're talking about Hank...

2011-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

For his birthday I'd love to make him a dollhouse for all his beloved Lego Guys. There might even be a head-changing station!

Cruising Craigslist I found this...

Adorable! 1979 vintage. Comes with furniture. But they're asking $200 and I was thinking more of a DIY sort of project.

This one would be cool to redecorate...

But it's five feet tall. Might not fit so well in my midcentury house (generously 850 square feet).

This one is way cool, but $150

This one is perfect and manly and everything...

but is in Bremerton.

Oh, but wouldn't his little guys be happiest in this?

Of course, it's $329.

I'll keep looking, but stay tuned for a project! I hope I can make this happen...

Next Party: Henry turns 3

2011-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:00

My baby is turning 3! Three is huge- he'll be a real person who has to pay to get in to movies and everything!

Last year I had an elaborate Nemo-themed party for him. The invitations were all hand cut. There was a giant Nemo on the wall. I did a lot of work. (and then lost all the pictures- stupid camera card!)

So this year I thought I might take it easy and just do something small. I announced this at a football party last weekend and people were shocked! These same people who witnessed me cutting out all the Nemo invitations and they couldn't believe I wouldn't be doing anything.

March is actually a great time to throw a party because there's not much else going on (versus Atticus's birthday in mid-December). And I've thrown Atticus a party every year. Hank has gotten the short end of the stick as the second child does- huh? baby book? And I really love throwing parties.

Ok, I've talked myself in to it.

Now, what to plan?

Working ideas:
-Star Wars at the Pacific Science Center, then cake at home
-Lego guy party. This kid is crazy for lego guys. He loves them! This might involve a trip to the lego store, or perhaps just something here at home
-Superhero party (though this has been a bit overdone lately)

I just promise that this time I won't go over budget, over board or over crazy. No, really, I promise! Stay tuned.

Yum!

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

The hot chocolate sticks here are 1) adorable 2) look delicious 3) the personalized silver spoons are perfect for the following occasions:

Valentine's Day

Get well soon

Congratulations

Baby gender reveal

If you like... you'll love... and you'll really love...

2011-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

If you like this lovely sofa from Design Within Reach...

Florence Knoll Sofa from Design Within Reach- $8,824

You'll love this sofa from Room and Board...

Wells Sofa from Room and Board- $2,200

And you'll really love this sofa from Urban Outfitters...

Night and Day Convertible Sofa by Urban Outfitters- $589

Can you tell I'm still in a Mad Men missing haze? I would watch that show for the sofas alone, even if everything else wasn't absolutely perfect (and it is). If I EVER have an office big enough for a sofa (hey, I'm happy to have an office with a door and a window- I shouldn't hope), it will be something lovely like this.

Pantone Chip Cookies

2011-01-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, just wow! I totally want to make these. What would be the proper occasion? Painting party? To just package adorably and give to your fashionable friends? Found via Design*Sponge

New Blogs I heart

2011-01-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

I love just cruising around and finding design blogs that are new to me. Here's what I've found and a fav post for each:

Happy Mundane
Fav post- I'm absolutely in love with this living room. Yellow and blue are huge right now and I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I'm thinking of using this as a template for my new living room... That rug!

Image originally from Lonny Magazine

atelier abigail ahern

Fav post- Is there any chance those light pink/purple sofas would work for a house filled with boys and a man? Because I would LOVE them... I could also love them in a light blue, a mustard or bright green...

From the Right Bank

Fav post- That. Green. Sofa.

chezerbey

Just knowing a space like this exists in Seattle gives me hope! I love looking at the renovation process. So satisfying to just take 10 minutes to review something that took a year! You should really look at the house tour. It is truly lovely. I could move in, not change a thing and be perfectly comfortable.

Image from houzz

Sources: Gift Wrap

2011-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Local Sources (Seattle)

Packaging Specialties- Wow. If you need to wrap a gift, please go here first. Every sort of box you can image, lovely ribbon, gorgeous wrap. Again, it's not always cheap, but you won't be disappointed with the selection! They also have a good assortment of cellophane bags for a good price and small little bags and boxes that are perfect for party favors!

Paper Source- Their paper is the best. Sorry, but it is. Rich color. Nice and thick. Just plain yummy. And not too expensive. I used it for all of my holiday gifts this year. Their ribbon is nice and not too expensive, too! A note with thick paper, though- It's a little unforgiving when it comes to perfect creases.

The ribbon room at Nancy's Sewing Basket is not cheap but it is divine. Be sure to go with a budget in mind and be prepared to spend lots of time drooling! They have some lovely vintage ribbons. I have been known to buy a yard here and a yard there of $20/yard ribbon. Yikes!

Online sources

http://www.mjtrim.com/ has some great ribbons at really reasonable prices. Check out these velvet ribbons!

Fantastico

Paper Mart has ribbons and great bags and boxes!

Happy wrapping!

Enjoy your kids: Crafts with kids

2011-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

I like to keep little projects ready for whenever we need them. That way when the kids are restless, I can just pull something out! No searching, waiting, etc. I will definitely be adding this project to my list!

Made by Joel has the cutest ideas and he often has FREE downloads so you can try the project out yourself. Printed and filed!

Sources: Craft Supplies

2011-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

Image from martha crafts blog

Sometimes you find that perfect project and the supplies are nowhere to be found. There are some great online sources.

http://www.createforless.com/ has some great things (you have to search a bit). Check out their great selection of pipe cleaners!

http://www.happytape.com/ for Japanese masking tape. I haven't jumped on the bandwagon of this fad, but they really are lovely.

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ Twine, millinery, scrabble tiles (much cheaper than buying the game for them, trust me!), seriously tons of stuff! You have to search around quite a bit, but it's hiding in there!

Tiny masking tape at http://www.ssww.com/!

http://www.ornamentea.com/ has these gorgeous felt balls and lots of little bottles and very cool items!

Of course, ordering online means that you've planned ahead. Not usually the case for me! My favorite local sources are: Paper Source (in Bellevue), Paper Zone (sodo), Impress (U Village, Bellevue Square, near Southcenter) and Michaels and Joanns are always the old standbys.

I miss Don...

2011-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Sigh. Swoon. I miss the booze and the smoking and the advertising and the set and the skinny ties. How on earth will I live when this show goes off the air?

The show makes me want to dress all worky for work (even though there are people in sweats at my office). Here's some inspiration for work looks:

Pencil skirt at Banana. Yum! She even looks like she really wants to be holding an office cigarette!

Three piece suit from Banana.

And look at this "resort collection" from Target! Definitely some work finds there.

From Zara

I'll have to put together some looks from my closet for inspiration. It's so easy to start the year out with good intentions for dressing like a grownup, but come mid-January I am often back to my old ways!

Making Life Easier- Calendars

2011-01-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's nice to have a wall calendar. You note important events and glance at the whole month every few days to stay on track.

I always think bigger is better... so I use the Stendig calendar. I love the design, of course, and I love that you can get it each year (always at Crate and Barrel). I suppose I don't like change! Here's my calendar for January:

I put little party hats on birthdays and use an 'h' for holidays. I also write notes on the days, use special stickers for Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc, and make general notes in the top area. A really, really adorable idea with the Stendig is to take a picture of your baby each month sitting/laying on top of the month to see how much she grows. This never quite worked out with my kids, but I wish it had!

Other great calendar sources: Paper Source, Etsy, blogs or make your own! Here are others I'm using this year:

I particularly love this little January calendar.

I got to my desk at work and a friend suprised me with this cutie!

As much as I love electronic calendars, my daily organizing is done with a good old black moleskin.

Sleek, soft and classic!

Luke, I am your painter

2011-01-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this mural, I decided to take the Star Wars plunge and paint Luke Skywalker on the boys' bedroom wall. I did this quite awhile ago, but hadn't yet put up the promised lightsaber. Last week, cruising the Target toy aisle I find this. On sale, 1/2 off. Perfect! My inner 5 year old boy is in love with this lightsaber. It can be on the wall or taken off for playing. It has 8 different colors and a REMOTE CONTROL! You can lay in bed and change Luke's lightsaber. So cool!

Here he is, Luke in all of his glory. I've promised to reprise the painting after we move (but on canvas next time, not the wall!).

A few of the colors (although my resident SW fan swears that Luke would never use a red lightsaber!

Purple is my favorite, of course.

And who wouldn't love vintage Star Wars curtains and these sheets!

I will have to clean, I mean style, the rest of the room and take some pictures. I found a pair of really cool dressers at Goodwill that are perfect. Although I tried not to make it too themey, it is tough when they have so much SW stuff to begin with! They love it, though and it is their room, not mine. Although I'm not sure I would mind Luke on my wall. I sort of have a crush on him now! (Sorry Han!)

Make your own (adorable) birthday candles!

2011-01-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Still into the obsessive, perfectly put together birthday party (I am...). These homemade candles from the Martha crafts blog are perfect! Use the same cookie cutter for the candles and some cookies and you'll have an adorable dessert table.

Making Life Easier: Sending cards

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

photo credit

My grandfather never ever forgets an important day. Birthday, anniversary, holiday cards- all come like clockwork (he has a list and buys all his cards at the beginning of the month, addresses and includes the date to mail in the corner, underneath where the stamp goes- brilliant!). A college friend's grandmother has been sending me cards on every holiday for the past 15 years (I only met her once, but I love Bonnnie!). Taking the time to put something in the real mail is a lost art. Sending cards for birthdays, anniversaries, Arbor Day... is something I always mean to do. It just doesn't always happen. Sometimes/often I even have the card all ready and for some reason it never gets in the mail (I have holiday cards from the past 2 years that never made it to my dear friends). So this year I am setting up cards to be sent automatically from Tiny Prints.

I can personalize each card, enter the address and Tiny Prints will mail it on any date I choose. It's not perfect, but it's workable. Now, the only problem is sitting down and entering all of them! I started, I promise!

Thank you's from Atticus's "Haunted Jewel Castle" 5th birthday party.

Though, you might want to keep in mind you might have, say, an anniversary card that goes to a couple who has split, people move, etc. You can change your order so that you don't make any embarrassing missteps!

Snow!

2011-01-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

It seems to be snowing everywhere. There are currently 49 states that have snow (those darn Floridians escaped!). I really don't like snow because it is so hilly here and I get trapped up on my little perch- no grocery store, restaurant, people who aren't less than 3 feet tall in safe/non-icy walking distance. Our snow is coming down hard and accumulating tonight, but will be gone before we wake up. So, I went out and put some in the freezer for us to enjoy tomorrow. Maybe we'll make these super cute tiny snowmen (we'll have to work fast!).

If you like, you'll love... and really love...

2011-01-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you like

Calvin Klein Khaki Collection Bergen Wine Glass $25 each

You'll love...

Crate and Barrel Edge Flute $11.95 each

And you'll REALLY love...

Ikea Mjod Beer Stein 6 for $9.99

I'm a huge fan of footed stemware, but it can be expensive! I absolutely love the Calvin Klein wine glass, but I have the Ikea steins and use them all the time! Great for parties (think mimosa) or just using as water glasses. And when one breaks, no biggie!

Ikea love

2011-01-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

My current favs at Ikea. Tempted to go to the sale this weekend... but. am. resisting. Maybe. If you see me wondering the aisles with that glazed over ikea stare, please remind me that I do NOT need any: plastic organizers, felt food, obscure kitchen gadgets or 1/2 of the things in my cart. Make me put them back!

These cute little cars were not there on my last trip, but I think they'd be adorable

with all of our automoblox. And 1/3 the cost! (First seen on babble.)

Ikea mug + milk frother + hot cocoa = very happy little kids

I've always wanted to buy tons of these slippers and keep them on hand for visitors.

Maybe someday when I have more than 850 square feet and an actual guest room!

Making Life a Little Easier

2011-01-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

My life is pretty scheduled. I work full time, but have managed my hours to be home with the kids two weekdays. So, when the kids aren't with me, I'm working or sleeping! I really only have Saturdays to clean, shop, run errands and rest! The running around part was driving me crazy. I'm a single mom most of the time and always run out of something on a day that I'm home with a spirited 5 year old and a very active almost 3 year old. Have you ever been to the grocery store at 5 pm with two cranky kids? It's a NIGHTMARE!!

Enter: Amazon Fresh

image credit

It has changed my life! Saturday nights while my sweet ones are sleeping, with a glass of wine in hand I plan the meal for the week, update my automatic order and my groceries are delivered before I wake up Monday morning! I have things like bananas, milk and bread automatically delivered. I can add items up until Sunday night at midnight. The best part about grocery shopping online? When you forget the butter, it's just a click away, not all the way across the store!

It is actually less expensive than going to the store because the temptation of impulse purchases is almost nil. And, if you forgot that you need a gift for yet another kiddo's birthday, add it to the order. I purchased all of the plates, food and drinks for my last party via Amazon. They are my heroes!

The customer service has been great. Every few orders they send a little something- flowers, a cookie cutter or something like that. When I ordered a lip balm that ended up not being in stock, they sent a similar one for no charge!

NOTE: I was not in any way paid by AmazonFresh to gush about them. I just love them and love supporting a local company.

Unfortunately, they only deliver in Seattle for now. But to make your life easier, try delivery from Safeway (I go with Amazon for their variety, lower threshold for free delivery and I don't have to be around when groceries are delivered- but I've tried Safeway and it works just fine!)

2011

2011-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

image from marthastewart

New Year, New Resolutions!

I realize I haven't blogged in NINE MONTHS. But I miss having a place to link all my favorite lovely things to! 2010 was a long year... 2011 will be a bit crazy, too, but I hope to fit some blogging in! Like a fool, I make resolutions every year. Here are mine for 2011:

Start blogging again
Do what I can to make my life easier
Enjoy my kids; they will only be little for a bit!
Be active
Find a new house and make it a home

I'll link my progress to this post!

Mustache mirror!!

2010-03-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Jamie commented in this post that I should take these mustaches and make a little mirror for my kids. What a great idea! These rub-ons worked perfectly on mirrors! I got a few mirrors at the dollar store and let Atticus pick out which mustaches we should use. One of these is on it's way to Jamie for her little girl. Thanks for the idea! Would love a pic of Katie using her mirror!

It is hard to capture a great pic of Atticus in the mirror with a mustache, but he loves playing with it. Lots of giggles as he looks at his silly self. A tip if you try this... Tell the wee one to close one eye. Makes it much easier to see oneself properly!

Preview- Hanks' birthday party

2010-03-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

My baby turns 2 today. Invites for his party next week are pictured above. I took an image of the famous clownfish from online, blew it up to the size I needed, cut off the head (sorry, Nemo!) and hand cut out the invites. Many pieces to this one... the card itself, the orange fish part, the two white stripe bits. I love that they are all a tiny bit different and very handmade.

Other plans: Giant vinyl nemo for a "pin the fin" game, balloon boat racing, light snacks, yummy cake. Voila! A party!!

Party rules

2010-02-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Image from etsy

There are a few rules I live by when planning and hosting a party. And a few I should live by. Here there are...

A true party must have balloons and hats and chocolate cake (this from Atticus- is he my son or what?)
PLAN ahead. Seriously. Like months and months ahead. When Atti's bday finished up (in December), I started thinking about Hank (March).
Know your audience- While I would love a beautiful party themed with, say, quirky moustaches or a single color throughout, my two-year-old son will be blown away by a giant Nemo on the wall.
The age you are turning dictates the number of kids at the party.
There is nothing wrong with ordering out the food.
Clean absolutely everything you would like to clean the night BEFORE the party. I promise you will not have time the day of.
Take a shower before you do anything else that day. You don't want to look awful in the pictures. Trust me.
Do not try to throw a party without help. Especially if you have small children.
The invite sets the tone. Really, an evite will not do.
Something is always better than nothing. If you can't get a big party together, throw something small and special. Sometimes all it takes is a big chocolate cake, a lit candle and a festive spirit to properly celebrate.

Yummy Paper

2010-02-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

I've been searching out special papers for my sister's shower. I found Hambly Screenprinted papers and I'm in love!!

Look at these moustache rub ons!

I had to buy this bicycle paper...

And this birdcage paper

I think there were a few more, but I don't want to look like a crazy person who buys lots of random paper. Because I'm not. I SWEAR!

Besides, sometimes having lots of random beautiful paper comes in handy!

Parties on the mind!

2010-02-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

photo at Martha Stewart

I've been busy scheming and am in full party/decorating mode! First will be Hank's Nemo party in March, Easter and a baby shower in April, all the while helping design my sister's nursery. I'm in idea overload! Lots of party-heavy posts coming this week...

First, my favorite blogs for party inspiration... Some are completely unrealistic, but lovely to look at!

Amy Atlas
Birthday Girl- I totally want to copy her inspiration boards!
Ritzy Bee
Party Perfect
Hostess with the Mostess

And, of course.... Martha Stewart

Enjoy the eye candy!!

Spontaneous Vday Brunch

2010-02-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

I decided about a week ago to host a Vday playdate/brunch for my boys and couple of their friends. I didn't want to go out of control (who, me?), so I limited myself to only purchasing food. All the decorations had to be made from things I already had on hand. I did end up spending $2 on the hearts I hung from the ceiling. But I had all the other paper in my stash. I made these little mailboxes. So cute!! The kids were all excited to take them home and play with them. Now I need to remember to make some 'mail' to put in Hank and Atti's!

Preschool Valentines

2010-02-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

For the boys, I'm making these adorable Valentines.

Here are the crayons we've made!

Valentine's Day "Decorating"

2010-02-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

I have traditionally turned my nose up at Valentine's Day. I think it is a holiday with a lot of potential for disappointment. Not to mention the abundance of yucky roses at $50/dozen, expensive cheap chocolate and impossible dinner reservations. But, I'm softening. I still don't want any cheesy gifts or an expensive dinner out. It IS a holiday, though and I really love celebrating holidays. I did a teeny tiny bit of decorating today. Who doesn't love little hearts?

Pass-through Redo

2010-02-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I need a little mini makeover. This was a mini-mini makeover. I was exhausted, and felt like my house was out of control! I decided to take one surface that I see ALL THE TIME and clean it up. The pass-through window from my kitchen to living room is a magnet for junk. Anything I don't want the kids to reach ends up there as I walk by.

Here's the before:

On this ledge are my jewelry box (why?), disinfecting wipes, a creepy vase I got at Goodwill (for Halloween), 3 little figures I'll probably use for my sister's nursery, a pincushon, a pic of my and my sisters, my glasses, a paint sample, etc., etc. You get the idea!

Here's the after:

I kept the creepy vase because I LOVE it. Weird, I know. I also let the giraffe stick around, but added a little heart because it is almost Valentine's Day. From my shelves I added the adorable owl pitcher my sister gave me for Christmas, a little orange vase that belonged to my grandmother, a red vase, and my Jonathan Adler vase (best appreciated from the kitchen in this little group!

Y voila! 10 minutes to clean up and reorganize a bit. When Vday is over, I'll take out the red vase and the giraffe and add this turquoise vase I'm hiding right now.

Next up! Bathroom...

New bedroom!

2010-01-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to make a little lemonade here... My roof is/was leaking (in the process of fixing it!!) and there was extensive damage to my bedroom. I've been sleeping in my living room since Thanksgiving. So, instead of dwelling on how disruptive and expensive and generally yucky this has been, I'm looking at the positive. I'm finally going to get to decorate my bedroom a little! Since my wall is all torn up, I definitely need to paint. And I'm thinking I'll replace the carpet, too. I'd love to make a few of these or the corner of my room, above my bed, though probably not in pink.

from ohdeedoh

My biggest challenge is picking colors that look good with my built-in. It is a beautiful honey-color-stained wood. Very midcentury. I'd like to keep it, so very cool and dark colors are out. I'll paint the walls white, but might go purple for the wall behind my bed. I love purple!!!

plum perfect fire and ice angelina

all from Benjamin Moore

I can't decide if I should go girly (the only spot in my house where boys aren't allowed! LOL) or sanctuary/spa-like. Vintage? Modern? My multiple personalities are fighting!

Suggestions welcome!

Valentines

2010-01-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

Looking for some good ideas for Valentines for the boys' school exchange. Last year I bought a pdf on etsy and loved having something unique! The year before, I made these.

Here are some contenders for this year:

from BunnyCakesBlog on etsy

From tinyprints

Also from tinyprints

From Martha Stewart

Hank will be two.

2010-01-07T16:59:00.001-08:00

If it weren't for his newfound independent streak and his answer of "No!" to everything, I probably wouldn't believe it. But, March 15, my little baby will indeed be 2. I'm struggling with his party theme. I kind of wanted to do a "mustache" party (similar to this yellow party), but that might be a bit too weird. Then I thought about superheroes, but it feels like that's been done a ton and might be best to keep for when one of the boys is a bit older. Any ideas out there? He's two, so I still get to choose! Perhaps for the last time...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

December was rough- leaky roof, laptop incident, minor car accident, sickness, birthdays, holidays, etc., etc.! I didn't get a chance to post much!

I love the peace and calm of January after an always-chaotic (and delightfully celebratory) December. Things I'm particularly looking forward to in the coming months of 2010:

-a special January birthday for my sweetie
-helping design my sister's nursery (yay!!)
-Valentine's for the preschool set
-a birthday party for Hank. 2!

I try to avoid it, but I'm making some New Year's resolutions. In addition to being generally a better person, eating better, blah, blah, blah, my design and party-related resolutions include:

a makeover for the boys' room. My challenge includes designing around my son's FAVORITE blanket (see above). It is a quilt my mom make three decades ago and wouldn't be my first choice for a color palette. But I love a challenge! And the greens are great!
being realistic about my children's birthday parties. I love planning them, but always end up rushing around at the end making sure everything is perfect. And it never is. And I'm always sorta disappointed. You'd think I'd learn! (My guess is this will be on next year's list as well.)
finally committing to painting my house (inside). I've lived here for almost 4 years and have aimed to paint each of those years. While I've been deciding on colors, the walls just get grimier and grimier. No flat paint with these kids!
Turning my disaster bedroom construction site into a lovely new restful sanctuary!

What are your design/hosting resolutions?

A letter to myself- Open mid-November, 2010

2009-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Emily 2010,

Every year you say that this year will be the "perfect" Christmas: clever, handmade gifts for all, delicious cookies, gorgeous tree, prefectly-wrapped presents under that tree. Every year something trips it up. There will very likely be a trip to the emergency room, a car accident, 10 days of snow or anything else that might make the holidays less than you are hoping for.

This is ok.

You will still have a wonderful holiday with people you love.

Try to remember this as you are frantically preparing this year's festivities. Some tips I wish I would've stuck to:

Handmade gifts are done by the 15th or you put them down 'til next year.
Sugar cookies are a pain to make with kids- make sure you have help!
Remember to take pictures. You have none from 2009.
Really, you don't have to try to make gifts for the neighbors. It will just stress you out.
If you take the trouble to prepare Christmas cards- SEND THEM OUT.
Just. Relax.

Sincerely,
Emily 2009 (your older, wiser self)

Last minute craft ideas

2009-12-18T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've been busy with Atticus's 4th bday- details soon! And with being sick. Sick sucks!

Here are a few last-minute crafts you can hammer out if your just sitting around twiddling your thumbs.

Lots of good ideas here from Wise Craft (Seattleite!)

Cute ornaments here via ohdeedoh.

This or this at How About Orange.

Happy crafting!

Gift Wrapping: Pom poms!

2009-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Now that you've bought all your gifts... (If you still need ideas, check out my gift guides!) Let's move on to wrapping. I believe that receiving a beautifully-wrapped gift is like getting 2 gifts... the style and the substance!

I saw a GREAT wrapping idea on Bugs and Fishes, as printed in Woman's Day. Pom poms! I'm totally going to try this for my wrapping this year. It looks pretty easy, but we'll see!

Gift Guide: Men

2009-12-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

I find men really hard to shop for. I usually end up going for clothes (which I'm sure they don't really appreciate), experiences (tickets, etc- which are fun) or techie gadgets (which are fun, but can be expensive).

For the men who cook in your life
Adopt an olive tree, $105 at Nudo As seen on the kitchn. You get to choose where the tree is located (in Italy), then you get all the extra virgin olive oil from the tree in the Spring, and 3 infused olive oils in the Fall.

For architectophiles (is that a word?)
Guggenheim or Frank Lloyd Wright Lego sets, $39-$99 at Lego.

For technophiles

These laptop sleeves, EUR125, at Hard Graft, are really gorgeous and manly. A very crafy person might even be able to recreate it.

For the men who like to take pictures
Holga 35 mm Camera, $48, at Urban Outfitters

Elf Door!

2009-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

I have just the right amount of room next to my front door for this adorable elf door. Seen on ohdeedoh (via Craft Gossip, originally from Family Fun). Wouldn't it be fun to leave cookies for the elves as wel as Santa? I mean, they do all the work, right?

Gift Guide: For all the women in your life

2009-12-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some gifts for all the ladies in your life!

A spa treatment. Any spa treatment. A facial, a massage, anything. Something with juniper, grapefruit, anything tasty smelling. Seriously, my BFFs gave me a spa weekend for my 30th and I STILL melt whenever I think about it. Thank you again you guys!!!!

Cashmere Sweater, various. I like this one, $168, available at Nordstrom

Loving Frank, $10 at Amazon. A compelling, mostly true story about Frank Lloyd Wright and his lover. Shocking and amazing!

Heart charm, $65 in silver, $350 in 14K, Bittersweets NY. (browse charms to find the heart- and look at everything else while you're there. Gorgeous stuff). I think that this is so romantic! A heart charm that is shaped by a real heart.

Wish I lived in NYC...

2009-12-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

I would go to this...

Feather Tree

2009-12-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

I really want to try this in red... Looks a little tricky, though.

That martha... BEST projects that are almost impossible to easily or successfully execute.

Spruce things up for the holidays!

2009-12-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

Easy ways to make small changes with big impact...

... in the kitchen
Put on a pot of cinnamon! Put a TON of cinnamon (buy it in bulk to save yourself some money!). Put it in a pot of water on your stove and simmer. Just don't forget to turn it off at the end of the day or before you leave your house. And check to make sure it doesn't boil down. Your house will smell de-LICOUS.

... in the bathroom
this hand towel ($14.95) and this soap ($4).

... in the living room
a cozy red throw by Lacoste ($79.99 at macy's). Gotta love the little alligator!

... on your doorstep
nothing is better than a wreath! Saw fresh ones at Costco for about $15

Advent 'calendar'

2009-12-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Still inspired by this post, I decided to make an advent 'calendar' for my boys to open up.

First, I came up with a list of things to do each day (paying attention to the already busy calendar we have for the month).

Then, I printed each out (just using tables in Word- century gothic font).

And I printed out numbers on Avery labels.

I didn't want to buy much for the project, so I used envelopes I had in my stash.

Arranged them on the table.

Assembled the envelopes and stuck them on the wall.

I think it looks great next to the Stendig!

Book you must buy: Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham

2009-12-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

As seen on Ohdeedoh, Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham is a must buy! It looks amazing with projects inspired by Alexander Girard, Charles & Ray Eames and more! Definitely on my holiday wish list as of right now!! Available at amazon for $15.61.

Todd Oldham is amazing. He's the only thing tolerable about La-Z-Boy, has contributed to Target's design for the masses and, according to Amazon, is now a contributing editor to ReadyMade magazine. Brilliant!

Gift Guide: For your crafty friends

2009-11-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

Felted Measuring Tape, $18, on etsy. Perfect for sewers/crafters!

Japanese Masking Tape, $12 at Design Within Reach

Pet Projects by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, $17.95 from Purl Soho (as seen on The Purl Bee) I don't knit and don't have any pets, but I want this book! So cute.

Pick some fun fabrics and buy a yard or two of each. Sure to spark your crafter's creativity! A good etsy list is here at Crafting a Green World. Or a gift certificate here for her to design her own fabric!

Gift Guide: For your mom, sister or anyone who likes to eat and drink

2009-11-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

Adopt an olive tree, $105 at Nudo As seen on the kitchn. You get to choose where the tree is located (in Italy), then you get all the extra virgin olive oil from the tree in the Spring, and 3 infused olive oils in the Fall.

Vino carafe and glasses, $2.95-$6.95 at Crate and Barrel. These are a great set! Add a nice bottle of wine and you're set.

I Am Not a Paper Cup, $20 at Amazon. I know these have been around awhile, but I think they are really well designed and beautiful.

Image from rawepicurean.com

Gourmet Sea Salts, various at The Meadow. Choose a few from here or head to Whole Foods and pick some interesting ones. Buy some interesting bottles, maybe find some good recipes and you've got a great gift!

Back from break!

2009-11-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

I took most of last week off to take it easy and enjoy the holiday! Now that I'm back, holiday prep is in full swing. This week's to do list includes:

Finish up shopping (ok, "finish" up is being a little kind to myself. I'm not half way yet, but I'm getting there! And we could all use a little kindness, especially from ourselves)
Turn 32
Take the holiday pic of the kids for our cards (which are addressed and otherwise ready to go!)
Make gifts for coworkers and friends
Meet with roofers about repairing my extensive roof damage :(
Work on preparations for Atticus's fourth birthday party

Look forward this week to posts about gift guides for your favorite people!

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

Ornament Roundup

2009-11-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Each Thanksgiving, my mom buys the same ornament for me, my two sisters and herself. She's been doing this since about when I left for college. So now, we have (an undisclosed amount of) ornaments that are all the same/similar. I think it's a really sweet tradition so that our trees all have reminders of "home". I started doing this for Atticus on his second Christmas (hey- give me a break for #1, he was only 11 days old!). I try to pick something meaningful for the year. Year 1 was a seahorse because his favorite book at the time was Secret Seahorse. Year 2 was a really fun/cute metal airplane ornament from Pottery Barn. Last year was a snowman ornament (which was actually perfect since we had a lot of snow around Christmas!). This year I'm on the hunt for a monkey ornament because both of my boys love their stuffed monkeys! I have a separate box that these ornaments go in (the ones that are in my collection go on the tree) and then, when the boys are ready, they'll get their boxes of ornaments, complete with a guide of each ornament, year and any little notes about that year.

As I've hunted around, I've found some great (non-monkey) ones. Check them out! Many are inspired by midcentury design.

These diorama ornaments made by Terri at giddy giddy (via Ohdeedoh) are adorable. I particularly love the ones with the Little People!

These classic ones from Design Sponge. I made a bunch a couple of years ago that I bring out every year. Would love to make a giant one for my front window!

Made from ping pong balls!

LOVE these retro felt ornaments available on etsy

CB2 has some great, modern/retro ones as well.

Ray gun spaceage glass ornaments (discovered via Atomic Addiction)

I think these are the ones I'm going to get.

Midcentury Housewife's Wish List

2009-11-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

Not only is Christmas right around the corner, but I'm lucky enough to also have been born in December! So, I'm sure people will be showering me with gifts the whole month! Here's what they should buy me... (and a great list to start with shopping for all the stylish ladies you know!)

Images courtesy of (clockwise, starting in upper right) piperlime, not martha, apple, paper source, origins, amazon

A wall calendar for my office. Either this one or this one.
A new laptop. ANY laptop would be better than my well worn Toshiba. Dare I take the plunge?
Amazon's Kindle
Pretty ribbons (my favorite source is Nancy's Sewing Basket's ribbon room)
My favorite lotion from Origins
Cupcakes from Trophy
New wellies (like these or these)
Trip to SLC for the Alt Design Summit & Sundance

Children's Party: Neverland Theme!

2009-11-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

Image via mer mag

This lovely children's party at mer mag is just magical (as seen at ohdeedoh). How Atticus would've loved this for his birthday!! You must click through to see the images from this gorgeous party!

Advent Ideas

2009-11-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

Image from jordanferney.blogspot.com

Gorgeous advent idea from Oh Happy Day. I love the idea of an activity each night of December to get you in the spirit. Some of Jordan's suggestions:

Go iceskating

Address and mail Christmas cards

Make Christmas cookies for friends

Make hot chocolate

See complete list here.

Party for a four year old

2009-11-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Image from alpha mom

I figure this is the last year I get to heavily influence my son's birthday party choice. I absolutely love celebrating my sons' birthdays. Planning, crafting, baking, staying up until the wee hours of the morning finishing up the little details. I love it all! I'm especially mindful about making Atticus's birthday very special and separate from the holidays. He was born December 14, pretty close to the big day!

This year we will have a construction/tool themed party. I've found inspiration for here (via ) and here (both via Party Perfect).

Party invites are these adorable mini toolboxes. (Which are almost done, but missing the darn handles that I can't find!)
I've purchased plastic hats for the kids from Oriental Trading Co.
I hope to have some great building activity.
I'm also hoping to make some really special cookies (you know, those really fancy decorated kind)

Stay tuned! Party is in early December!

MS Living: December Issue

2009-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

image from marthastewart.com

I heart the new Martha Stewart Living issue! It feels like they've gotten their grooves back! I especially liked the felt corsages (pictured above), lovely giftwrapping ideas and these adorable yuletide treat boxes (pictured below). I want to go buy a bunch of little birds and nest and go glitter crazy! How amazing would those birdies look in a bright blue or hot pink?

Homemade Holiday Gifts

2009-11-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

Image from target.com

Christmas is just around the corner! I love the holidays and confess that I've already started listening to Christmas music. Next task: Gifts! I've been poking around looking for some good ideas for homemade gifts. Here's a few gems I've found:

For everyone
Handmade holidays from Sew, Mama, Sew! has tons of great ideas. It's organized by theme, with a new theme each day. I like the foam birthday cake, manicure kit cover, the one hour softie, and elf slippers. They also have archives from 2007 and 2008 handmade holidays.

The Purl Bee has great ideas for knitters (some sewing ideas, too).

For teachers, coworkers and neighbors (or stockings!)
Pocket tissue holder from Skip to My Lou. (A whole bunch of ideas from that site here.)
Hot chocolate on a stick, from Giver's Log

For kids
Shadow puppet theater from Giver's Log

Still looking for good ideas for the men in our lives. Much harder to craft for them!

Holiday To Do List

2009-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

I downloaded a great list from Giver's Log that spells out exactly how to get Christmas done in time!

Here's what I have left to do:

Make gifts for friends/coworkers
Finish holiday letter (title: 2009 by the numbers- includes number of tantrums, trips to ER, etc.)
Decide on holiday picture
Finish calendars for family
Purchase gifts
Make stockings for boys and me. We need new ones!

I better get busy!

Halloween Postmortem- The house

2009-11-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, last post on Halloween, I promise!

Just a few shots of how I decorated the house this year.

The Front Porch

Inside

A silhouette of Hank! Favorite wreath!

New creepy critters! Idea from Value Village.

Trophies for party. Idea from Halloween Forum.

Halloween Postmortem- The Kids

2009-11-15T22:48:00.000-08:00

Atticus is 3 3/4, so I let him choose his costume. At first, he wanted to be a vampire. I was excited that he chose something so traditional! Then, he changed his mind and wanted to be Peter Pan. And he wanted to carry his shadow. I love this boy! We already had a Peter Pan-ish jacket. I added green tights, an appropriate hat, belt, mustard shoe covers, and, of course, his shadow.

For Henry (20 months), I chose bat. It went along perfectly with a vampire (sigh). I bought a black sweatsuit and added bat wings and ears to it. Thanks to mom for doing the sewing!

Here are some shots taken at a park nearby. (Photos taken by Jeff Benitz)

Halloween Postmortem- The Party

2009-11-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

The Halloween party went well, but I'm too old for nighttime parties. I think this was my last! In a few years (when the wee ones are old enough to enjoy it!), I'll come back with a family party. Until then, I'll just decorate, enjoy the season, scare trick-or-treaters and watch zombie movies to celebrate.

Theme: Thriller

Menu: Martha's Ladies Fingers, bread and veiny cheeses, gravestone brownies, blue corn chips, yummy chive chevre dip (thanks Callie!), black grapes (frozen to look creepy), sangria (thanks Beth!) and beer.

Highlights: Photo area (flashlights and frame as props), backyard area for overflow, creepy portrait wall, creepy forest animals, costume contest (and trophies).

Fresh Start

2009-11-14T22:49:00.000-08:00

midcenturyhousewife is starting fresh! New logo! New level of commitment! Old boring posts deleted!

Thanks to those of you who have been checking in and seeing my really boring clock and "stay tuned" message.

In the coming weeks I'll be blogging about:
Halloween Postmortem
Project ideas for holiday gifts
Crafty Saturdays
Upcoming party for Atticus

I hope you enjoy the changes I've made!