Party Planning

from one charming party.

We are moving, so the last thing I need to obsess about is party planning. There are so many great sites with beautiful tablescapes and decorations, that it makes me want to plan and have a party. I get so excited to see coordinated colors and yummy food, all organized and pretty.

Here are a few other sites that I found.

from glorioustreats.

From Craftydog.com.

from bird's party.

Now, doesn't that make you want to have a party? Which is your favorite? What is the best themed party that you have ever been to?

Finding Fabric for Free

I stumbled upon this amazing organization:

Intro to FabMo from FabMo on Vimeo.

FabMo--Our volunteer organization diverts discontinued high quality designer materials from the waste stream. Our local FabMo effort is currently redirecting at least 25 tons or 300 cubic yards per year. These exquisite textiles are generally not available anywhere else and are well appreciated by teachers, students, artisans and craftspeople. There are many colors, patterns, weights and sizes (majority are a yard or less), plus trims, leathers & carpet samples. We also frequently have wallpapers, sample books, hardware, tassels, and more.

If you don't live in N CA, maybe you can ask local designers, fabric companies, furniture stores for scraps that they are throwing away for your next project!!

And if you live in Bath, UK....you might want to check out the Scrap Store. (Great for home projects, however, they do not allow the use of their materials for making things you might sell.)

Great Kids Music

I have been really enjoying singing lots of kids songs while Soleil is playing about. We have been playing Tate's songs that we listened to when he was home all day, and he has been enjoying hearing them again.

This is Tate's favorite.

Everything Laurie Berkner does is cute! This is really good for dancing to, and when you want something up beat.And this is new one that we bought this week. It might be my favorite!!!! It is so good musically and soft and serene.
Another favorite. This is another calm and sweet one.

Yard Sale/Boot Sale/Table Top Sale... we love them all.

We found this really cool marble run for 4.50. It made for a great Sunday afternoon!
And later on Tate's whiteboard....

Reverse Applique Onesie

This was sooo easy. I found a tutorial for it here.

I got the long sleeved onesie/babygro at M&S here in England. They are thicker than other onesies so they can be worn as part of an outfit, rather than just under things.

1. Draw a design in light pencil, chalk, disappearing ink, or anything that can be washed out easily.

2. Turn your onesie inside out. Take a pretty piece of fabric and place it with the right side against the onesie front (wrong side up). Pin into place.

3. Stitch around design using embroidery thread. It doesn't have to be perfect, just follow your drawing and knot off at the end.

4. Take little, sharp scissors and cut the tshirt on the inside line of the stitching, but leave pretty fabric underneath.

You are done!!

This is a great project to make while you are watching the last episode of LOST that your husband refuses to delete off the DVR.

My Desk

This is the pile next to my bedside. I was updating an inspiration notebook that I started Spring 2009. It has pics from magazines of:

Fashion

Home Decor

Gift Ideas

Color Combinations

I was using my japanese masking tape (which I LOVE!) to tape stuff in.

And yes, to the left is my High School Musical Notebook that I have been using to take notes about schools and houses for the move. I have to re-cover it before I head into a real estate/principal's office!!

Currently, I am obsessing about the move.

Smaller, older house with lots of character closer to the artsy, urban center and the schools (Spanish Immersion or Open schools) I want for Tate.

OR

Big huge house in the suburbs with neighborhood schools where Tate is 1.5 yrs ahead his grade due to the UK starting school early.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CHOOSE!! What would you pick?

Easy Egg Casserole

I found this is in a magazine and altered it to make it more kid friendly.

Easy Egg Casserole

adapted from Meredith Deeds--Cookingclub.com

2 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

1 TBS unsalted butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

12 oz ham, chopped or torn into pieces

8 oz shredded cheddar

2 TBS flour

8 eggs

3 cups milk

salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Boil potatoes over med-high, then reduce heat to med and simmer for 15-20 min until potatoes are tender. Drain and cool.

2. Melt butter over medium heat and cook onion until soft. (you can also add red bell pepper.)

3. Heat oven to 350F/180C. Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. With pairing knife, remove skin from potatoes and slice 1/4 inch thick.

4. Toss cheese in flour.

5. Layer twice in this order: potatoes, cheese, onion (optional), ham.

6. Whisk eggs and add in milk and salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

7. Bake 50-55 minutes until browned and bubbly. Center will set as casserole cools. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

V Day and Quick Baby Lunch

Preferably the night before, take butternut squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Add olive oil and salt and pepper and brown sugar and put in a container like this. Shake up. Either bake on a baking dish right then, OR you have it ready to go to bake later in the week. I roasted the squash and Soleil ate the soft little chunks and I had it as a side dish with my lunch. Easy!
Satisfied customer.
The night before Valentine's day, we decorated for Tate when he woke up.
And when he returned from school, we had this waiting for him! (Paul had to try it out while watching some kind of sports on TV.)

Some Hearts from Scupley

Can you see the flower texture? This is a little pendant I made from bakeable clay. It turned out pretty cute, though it flips around on my neck. I may have to add proper jump rings and use a necklace rather than embroidery thread.
It made me happy, though.And here is Soleil "helping" with making a quilt.

All about Tate

This weekend, it was all about having Tate to myself. We were a team, the two of us for 5 years. And while we love our little Soleil, it has changed things in the house. Of course, I feel guilty even saying that, but Tate and I needed time to hang out and Paul and Soleil stayed at home during her naps. (Which meant some tv/computer/hang out in underwear time for daddy, which he was thrilled about.)

As I mentioned in the last post, we went to the cafe.

And practiced some spanish while drawing.After a welly walk.Tate's first lost tooth. This is his sister's pillow that she received from friends of ours, but she let him borrow it until I can make him one:)

On Sunday, we went to the Chinese New Year Events and ran into many of our friends. We had such a great time.

I do not want to leave Bath.

Springtime and Clothing

We saw this movie for Movie Night. I LOVED IT. A warning though....I didn't see that it was PG, though, and I did have a little boy afraid in a few parts.

It is set during WWII and a mother is left with her 3 children and 2 cousins in the English Countryside, waiting for their dad and uncle to return. It is a light hearted movie, with the war just being a minor backdrop, and many a lesson to be learned from Nanny McPhee about behaving.

One of the best parts about this movie was how colorful it was. And my favorite part of that was Maggie Gyllenhaal's clothes. It made me want to go out and find pretty, girly, durable day dresses and cardigans. Then again, I feel this way every spring.

Here is my favorite outfit, and this was the only photo of it that I could find. Love the shoes, too. (Notice, she has her coat inside out, which leads me to my favorite moment in the movie...)

The favorite part of the movie is when she answers the door to meet Nanny McPhee for the first time and keeps insisting (with smile on her face) that she doesn't need a nanny. That everything is fine. When she is clearly having a meltdown moment. (I've been there!)

I looked online for similar outfits, but couldn't find a lot of dresses that fit this description.

H&M, only about $20. LOVE IT!

And if I am really desperate, I may have to try and make one.
And another sweet dress I came across. This can be found on etsy under "airmail dress".

Tate and I got away this weekend for a mama and son date. We went to Dick Willows Farm Shop and Cafe and had a great time. He found a sunflower hat that he wanted to buy for sister. Oh, and notice that he has his pajamas on UNDER his clothes. He does this most weekends, and as soon as he is home, peels off the top layer like a slothy superhero to return to his PJ state.

Behind w/ the V Day Crafts

I think this year it will be minimal with the Valentines Day decor. I am accepting this. I did, however, carve out a few moments to make a card.Have you seen Monsters Inc? Don't you think she looks like Boo?

Sleep Deprived but still Creating.

My little Sunny Sunshine is finally sleeping in her crib, but wakes up at least 4 times a night for some milk. Yes, yes I know...I am indulging her, but OMG have you seen her? She is the cutest thing and such a little snuggle bug, it is hard to deny her. We will be on Operation Sleep-thru-the-night this weekend, but until then, ignore the bags under my eyes and stupidity.

I managed to clean my craft room recently. It took 3 days and it is the size of a really teeny bedroom. At Christmas time I had just shoved stuff in every nook and cranny that I could find, just to get it out of the way, and it had caught up with me. So I decided that I couldn't make anything else until it was clean. Here was Stage 1 of clearing it all out.Ok so now that it is clean, I have started to make a quilt (for someone special that I can't mention or I will ruin the surprise...).

And lastly, flowers inside the house make the biggest difference, don't you think? Every time I see these, it makes me smile!

What have I been up to?

Updating and adding to this...Wrapping this...Making this (part of what was inside the package): crayon roll from The Creative Family by Amanda Soule.Helping Tate do this... using Japanese Masking tape to decorate.Eating this....Cuddling this...

happy new year 2011

House is somewhat clean, babe is sleeping.... ahhhh. Even the little guy is outside playing. Ok, more like performing what he calls "High School Musical 11" on the steps in the garden, but still in his little imaginative world. I love it.

Yesterday I was so tired it hurt. But I went into my craft room to make a gift for a friend (needed it by Monday!) and it was so therapeutic. My husband asks why I don't hit the pillow the moment my babe falls asleep, and I say to him, I need a little alone time to create for my own soul. I mean, if you worked any other job around the clock, and slept in the hours that you didn't work, how fun would that be? I need to create to keep going when I am up rocking in the chair from 1a-3a.