A play kitchen for our boy.

After stumbling upon so many cute DIY play kitchens on Pinterest, (seriously just punch in DIY play kitchen) I was inspired to make one for our sweet boy as a Christmas gift. He isn't at the imaginative play age yet where a kitchen would be the most beneficial, however he is really into gathering items and open drawers. He loves exploring things, especially things with cupboards and little hidden spots. Our plan was to finish before Christmas. I was so inspired that we finished much earlier. Of course I was not alone. My sweet husband did most of the hammering, drilling and cutting. I gathered the hardware and supplies needed. It was a wonderful project. I'm not going to post a tutorial as I didn't really take a bunch of step by step photographs, however if you have a question feel free to post and I will respond. 

Total cost with the side table, paint, hardware, fabric and the back piece was about 70$. 

This was the before. A 15$ side table. 

I used homemade chalk paint. I went with the ratio of 1c paint 2tbl plaster of Paris. Again look on Pinterest for awesome tutorials. The benefit of chalk paint is I didn't have to sand or do a lot of prep - it's thick and goes on nicely.

Deciding on placement. 

Finished! We still have to finish the taps. But that will get done eventually. 

Loves!

Amber 

Nature Table

 

Autumn begins in just a few days. I can already feel our busy summer schedule slowing down. I look forward to the days ahead where we can once more wear layers and enjoy warm bowls of soup. After a summer spent outdoors I felt surprisingly disconnected from nature. Perhaps it was all of the concrete water parks or the many drives to get to our outdoor adventures. Yesterday we slowed things down and took a nature walk. Ethan helped me collect leaves and wild flowers (dandelions and clover) to help decorate our first nature table. This time of year feels so different from years past. Ethan is now almost 17 months and is starting to understand much more about the world around him. I feel intoxicated at the thought of introducing him to autumn!

 

We moved

A year ago. We moved almost a year ago into a townhouse. We had been renting at the old house for a few years and decided with the baby coming it would be best to buy something more permanent and babe friendly. Our new home is small but cozy. At times I can't help but miss having a big back yard to garden in and a clothes line to hang fresh linens on. Everything with sacrifice, right? We've decided that we'll stay in this place for a few years and then hopefully buy something bigger. Something earthier where I can maybe have chickens. This morning is a rainy one and I couldn't help but marvel at the way the light spills into this house. We are lucky to have large windows so rarely do we turn lights on.

 Emily our sweet kitty has adjusted to the new home.

I love my large window cil. I've never had much success growing plants indoors until we moved here. The window acts as a fabulous greenhouse.

My terrarium makes me happy. It's so sweet and cheery. And easy to maintain.

Happy Monday! 

Slow Sundays

Sundays. We look forward to them all week long. We don't generally make plans. Instead we let the day guide itself. One day I dream of sleeping in again on Sundays. For now we are happy to be up at 6 am with our sweet babe.

Our Sunday. 

 

Loves! 

Coming Home

A little while ago I decided to make the jump from blogger to a larger blogging platform (where I decided to pay for a monthly blogging service). I was excited about the move and ready for a more professional blog to compliment my new Etsy business. I found myself at first blogging often but after awhile my pace stalled. I just felt busy or uninspired. The last week or so I have really thought as to why I would feel this way. I enjoy blogging - although I have been a bit absent since my son was born (babies are distracting!). It finally hit me. That blog didn't suit me. It didn't have these memories and posts. It was too structured and streamlined. I felt like my photography had to be of a certain standard and my posts had to be of this unobtainable quality. After some thought I am happy to return to the blogger platform.

It feels as though I'm putting on a cozy pair of yoga pants with a cup of tea in hand.

Here's to documenting more memories. And keeping things a little less structured. 

Something New

From scratch. From the earth. From my kitchen. From my hands.

Always from my heart.

Do you ever feel a surge of creativity but have no outlet? Or perhaps many outlets but not enough time? I often think how complex this life is. My mind always wanders to the deeper more meaningful places where I wonder about the big questions such as, "why are we here, really, why am I here?" Thankfully I do find as I get older and less romantic about life it is easy to find the answers when I look at my son's face.

Ahhh, yes. Of course. This is why. 

Alright now.. come back down from your tangent.

What I'm trying to articulate is that there are so many things I want to do in this life. So many more skills to learn and experiences to drink in. The busier life gets the more I am reminded to take it slow. Make it simple. Don't over think it. When I do something I need to make it count and put my whole heart into it.

I really do think the world would be filled with so much more peace and love if we all just stopped and took some time to reconnect with our hands and create something. Not only create something but really appreciate the art of it.

Loves!

Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  

 

Linking up with Mothering with Mindfulness  

and

Soulemama

 

Finding our Rhythm.

Finding our rhythm. My little sweet babe is 6 months now. How our worlds have changed. We are still up all night. In bed early. And smiling the whole way through it. I love his sweet baby smell. His soft skin. His fine hair. His personality explodes more and more every day. We know what he doesn't like, what he likes - and what he loves. Right now his favorite thing in the whole world is our sweet pug Charlotte. He loves to giggle and coo at her. He's also quite into his reflection in the mirror. We moved into our own little nest last July - we bought a townhouse. It has been so lovely to sink our toes down into this home - to know we will be here for awhile. Growing, changing - life is wonderful. Not always perfect, or easy - but this life is wonderful.

And then there was him.

He. My sweet. My life. I was pregnant for.ev.er. 42 weeks and 2 days. He came via emergency cesarean (after a planned home birth) and after about 39 hours of labor (and two inductions). Oh and there was back labor. But he is here! And we love him. I love his squishy face and dimples and soft skin. His bum is adorable and I have been known to give it a pinch and nibble after he has his evening bath. He has become my entire life. Although the beginning was tricky and at times I feel in over my head - I wouldn't change a thing.

Now to get back into the swing of blogging. Here is hoping!

A little obsessed.

I am certain that my constant desire to sew, sew, sew lately is to distract me from our sweet babe - who is set to come any day now. Last night while I couldn't sleep I spent many an hour swooning over fabric on Etsy. I feel an amazing tinge of excitement when I connect with a piece of fabric that inspires me.

Here is what I'm coveting,

The theme is linen. 

 

All of these fabrics are from UniqueShiny. Check them out and swoon with me. 

Lots of loves and a very happy Monday to you!

 

Quilting Love.

A little while ago I posted about a quilt that I was starting work on using this tutorial from a cuppa and a catch up.  I loved how easy and fun the process looked. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) when I began the quilt my sewing machine went kaput. I visited a locally owned sewing machine shop and fell madly in love with a very pricy but beautiful sewing machine. Before I knew it the machine (thankfully last years model so it was discounted) was on my kitchen table and ready to quilt. I still shudder thinking about the cost of the machine, however I try to see it as an investment for me and my family. I am a gal that loves to get her sew on. I made the quilt using various fabrics from my local Fabricland - nothing too fancy just nice quilters cotton. I also made the binding on the quilt (my first time ever doing this) - and I am sold on forever more making my own binding. The binding is soft (because it's made from the same cotton used in the quilt) - and it is much more homey looking then store bought. Sure making binding is labor intensive, however I think it's worth the results when you think about how much work you put into the quilt itself. As for what I learned during the making of this quilt? I really dislike sinthetic polyester batting or lining. I've only ever used cotton batting and this time I chose polyester. I can tell by feeling the quilt it just isn't the same - I also had problems with the batting shifting and morphing into weird shapes when I was quilting. Oh well lesson learned. On the back (or front, whichever way you look at it) of the quilt I made three Dresden Plate's using this tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew! I've used that tutorial before for Dresden's and I really love the way the quilt blocks turn out.

Gosh I'm sad to see this little throw quilt go - the bright spring fabrics make me so happy! The quilt is going to a good home though - it's all ready for my Mother in Law's birthday this early May.







Up next on my sewing to-do list is this interesting looking playmat tutorial from Amy Gibson of Stitchery Dickory Dock via the Moda Bakeshop. I think the play mat will be perfect for our little babe (who is set to arrive any day now!).

I ordered some fabulous fabric off Etsy a little while ago (which was mostly Moda fabric by coincidence) and I spent today cutting out oodles and oodles of circles by hand for the play mat.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! We have fun plans tonight for my beau's birthday - staying in with a bit of barbequing and I made a yummy cheesecake which I'm sure will be devoured.

Loves!