Elsa Bags

Get Excited

2012-02-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

Have you heard

there's going to be a big party next week

& you're all invited? It's true! You should totally come. Shelby of the famed Soel Boutique & Jane of the famed See Jane Blog are putting this fun event together & they are hot stuff. So if you like tasty treats- yummy drinks & photo booths- you really must come. Plus there will be door prizes to the first 50 guests & they will also be doing giveaways all evening- you're bound to win something! Also I will be teaching you how to make yarn balls- so you would be crazy not to come!

So come- bring your man - don't bring your man- definitely bring your girlfriend(s)

It would be really great to meet you ~ check out the bloggers participating below.

♥ sponsored by ♥

soel * see jane blog * milkglass and honey * becky kimball * armelle * freshly picked * elsa bags * cotton & curls * modern palm * annily green * fifth and hazel * sycamore street press zupas * {collected} * gatehouse no.1 mer mag * the Alison show * the house of Smith's * Studio 5

*ps. Soel Boutique is also offering 20% off one item in the store during the event! Have you seen the clothing in her store? Such good stuff!

Our Week In Hearts

2012-02-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

Some going ons here at the Choules- Paul- Ulibarri home. Yes we have 3 different last names around here. We are hip like that.

we had a sugar cookie making party

we were in charge of the cookies-

my mom made all the dough- me & the little ones made all the cookies-

lots & lots of cookies

my "sort of" ikat cookie

friday nights

some V- Day staches

what we found on our wall-

seriously how did we miss this

reyn totally falling asleep while watching HOBH-

he obviously doesn't understand english yet

a visit from susan & her off spring-

made some heart necklace

this girl turned 4 on Friday!

this guy turned 14 on saturday!

& he's all of the sudden taller than me what!!!!

DIY ~ Pom Pom Heart Wreath

2012-02-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

So I may have been going through pom pom making withdrawals- did you know I made over 300 pom poms during the Christmas holidays? It's true- I may have become a little addicted.

The goods

heart wreath

yarn- this wreath took 3 skeins

{I chose a red that had a sparkly piece of yarn running through it- I'm also addicted to shiny things}

pom pom maker

{you can use your fingers but you will never regret buying one of these- I promise}

fabric

scissors

short straight pins

1 ~ cut your fabric about 2 inches wide- the length needs to

be as long as possible but if you need to cut 2 or 3 strips that's fine also

{you can add to what you are doing at any time by pinning the new fabric down}

2 ~ pin the end of the fabric down at an angle on the heart

{you'll be wrapping the fabric around the wreath on an angle}

3 ~ wrap the fabric around the wreath until you are finished-

you'll have to manipulate the fabric around the angles of the heart- make sure to pin the end of the fabric down or any pieces you had to add to the wreath

4 ~ start making your pom poms!

5 ~ tie your pom poms around your wreath

{another option is to use a hot glue gun instead- probably faster}

make sure to tie the pom pom in a double knot-

you can see where I pinned the ends of the fabric just below

the pom pom to keep the fabric in place

half way done!

this is how your back will look- such a mess!

5 ~ I like to twist all the ends around- kind of like twisting hair- pin the yarn down as you go

{I suppose you can just cut them as well- but I'm too scared the knots will fall out}

6 ~ cut off some yarn & tie it around the center of the top

of your heart making sure to make a loop- this is to hang your heart with

adorn with a cute deer if you want & if you can't decide

what deer you like best let them take turns!

elsa

* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ Polka Dots & Gold Sparkly Heart Double Sided Garland

2012-02-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Ok folks this one is beyond easy! I wanted a garland that looked as good on the back as it did on the front- so I used glue instead of sewing it together.

All You Need Is - sorry I got ahead of myself & started before taking a picture

2 different kinds of paper {I used card stock from michaels}

heart punch {also bought at michaels}

string {I used yellow bakers twine}

glue

1 ~ start by punching out your hearts-

I bought a heart with a scalloped edge for a more vintage-y look

{I did 14 plain gold & 12 polka dot gold- remember these are double sided}

2 ~ measure your string & then fold it in

half so you have a center point to start with

3 ~ spread glue all over one of your hearts -

{use your little helper if you have one - that way you can spare your hands}

4 ~ set the center of your string in the center of your heart

making sure the string sits straight across your heart

5 ~ add your top heart-

if your heart is scalloped- make sure the edges match up

6 ~ set a book on top of your hearts &

apply a little pressure for about 10- 20 seconds to help set the glue

7 ~ use your book as a measuring guide if you like it's width-

I set my book at the side of my first finished heart then repeated steps 3~ 4 ~ 5 then 6

on the other side of the book

{the string is under the book- remember to pull the string taught so all your hearts are even}

since you started the garland with the first heart in the middle of your string- make sure

you finish 6 heart on the right side of your middle heart & 6 hearts on the left side of your middle heart

that's it- so simple & so quick!

* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ Crochet Heart Valentines

2012-02-03T00:10:00.000-08:00

Last year we made these adorable crochet garlands found on Design Sponge for DIY club. My friend Emily showed us how. I didn't know how to crochet nor did any of the other girls. Once you got the pattern down- it wasn't too hard. If you already know how to crochet this DIY will be easy peasy- if you don't check out you tube to figure out terminology.

Molly's are teeny tiny because she used fine crochet thread -

I used yarn so they are a bit bigger- aren't these are so adorable

I crocheted the hearts then sewed some onto clips &

others onto headbands for my girls friends- then put them onto sparkly

card stock to make the Valentines- p.s. little girls love everything sparkly

What You'll Need
yarn {isn't vanna pretty}
fun paper
heart hole punch
elastic or headband bought at the store
hair clips
thread {can match the yarn on your heart or the elastc}
sewing needle
scissors
crochet hook & exacto knife- Not pictured- cause I forgot...

paper- yarn & hole punch bought at michaels crafts
clips bought here

1 ~ First crochet your hearts- directions here

2 ~ measure your child's head & assume everyones child has

the same size head as her

3 ~ sew your elastic together by overlapping

1/4 of an inch

4 ~ sew your elastic to the back of your heart-

using the heart to hide the part of the elastic you just sewed together

pretty cute eh?

when sewing your heart to a clip- make sure you hold

the clip open so that you're just sewing through the bottom part of the clip

cute even on nap head hair!

5 ~ now use your heart hole punch &
punch out your hearts

6 ~ write whatever you would like on the back- I had elsa write her name & I wrote idas

7 ~ for your paper hearts that will hold the heart clips- mark with a
pen where you want to cut little slits on the back
of your paper heart-

use your exacto to cut the slits

8 ~ with the headband just wrap it around the heart

& tape the excess to the back

now make a ton more! the hearts really are therapeutic

to make -your girls or your boys girl friends will love them!

*now to figure out what to make for the boys! I'm thinking these from see jane blog would be fun
*** check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ Valentine Origami Ball Full of Love Coupons & Sweet Nothings

2012-02-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

My oldest son Kaleb use to make these origami paper balls all the time when he was younger. One year I had him make one for my mom for mothers day & we filled it with words of love for her instead of giving her a card. I thought this would be a fun gift for your significant other for Valentines Day.

To make it totally sexy/ way awesomer I'm using animal print paper! Animal print that you can feel- seriously the print is raised & really soft! Cheesy? You bet!

Items Needed
paper
1 lightish weight paper for the origami ball
1-4 pieces of fun paper- I ended up using super sparkly red & super sparkly gold
hole punch {I used a tiny heart & star hole punch}
pen

I'm going to make this easy on me & send you to origami-instructions.com to make the ball or as they call it the balloon.

here's a step by step collage of the origami ball I made-

animal print makes it a little hard to see some of the steps so seriously refer to this...

So fun to make right?

Now grab your fun paper & start hole punching away-

they're so sparkly!

write your love coupons & your words describing your man on the back of your

teeny tiny hearts & stars or whatever you end up using-

no pervs- I didn't write anything too sexy for you readers to see

fill your ball & you're finished-
now go set it on his pillow next to some sexy lingerie or
his favorite candy bar- if lingerie is not your thing

* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ Bakers Twine Heart Garland

2012-01-31T23:57:00.000-08:00

I saw this darling earring tutorial the other day on Pitter & Glink & decided I wanted to make a little bigger version & make the little hearts into a garland.

What not another garland tutorial! Really why not? I'm stating here & now that garlands will never go out of style. Sure certain styles might get a little old but let's face it- garlands are adorable & they get the decorating done! So on that note here's ANOTHER garland tutorial....

What You'll Need & Step 1
flower wire
tacky glue
bakers twine I'm using all different colors {or a heavy-ish embroidery thread}
pliers
{& I guess you'll need scissors if you don't like using your teeth}

1 ~ cut your wires the same length - mine are about 6 inches long

{I cut 6 but ended up making 7 hearts}

2 ~ squeeze a little glue onto a piece of paper

{not too much because tacky glue dries pretty quickly}

3 ~ spread the glue onto your wire about half way down

{you'll leave about a 1/2 inch of both of the ends glue & twine free for now}

4 ~ roll the twine around the wire re-gluing & re-twining until

you hit the end- remember to leave a 1/2 inch free of glue & twine

this is me leaving a 1/2 inch free

5 ~ bend your wire in the middle to start forming your heart

6 ~ I measured with my finger where I wanted the tops to bend so I
could get all of the hearts to be about the same size

{yes I do this a lot- these old creasy fingers are good for something...}

7 ~ use pliers to manipulate the wires to be straight next to

each other for the next part

8 ~ add more glue

9 ~ wrap the twine around the 2 ends to cover the wire

& hook the pieces together

10 ~ squeeze some glue onto the outside of the heart

spread the glue around with your finger

11 ~ start wrapping the twine around in all different directions

making sure to pull tightly while you're wrapping

make sure the twine is touching glue where ever it wraps -

add glue as needed

12 ~ pick a strong area on the twine & tie a knot around it -

use pliers or something to help you pull the twine through

the tight spots

make sure to pull the knot tight & then do it again to make

it a double knot

13 ~ cut the extra twine off

14 ~ put a dab of glue on the knot to keep it super secure-

now do this again 5- 6 more times!

take a look at your work & smile cause they are super cute!

then frown cause you feel like you need one more to make it super duper cute

{yep I said super duper}

15 ~ measure your garland twine- {I made mine about 1 1/2 yards long}

then measured 4 1/2 inches between each heart tying the garland twine

onto the tops of the hearts tops

{I was only going to tie the garland twine to one of the heart tops but ended up

tying it to both tops- sorry not pictured}

* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ Love on a Wire

2012-01-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

Remember this & this? Well I wanted to do something along those lines but a little different for Valentines Day. I really did liked using flower wire better for this project - but if you are doing letters like they did here with your kids- I think pipe cleaner is the way to go. I also used Michael Millers heart fabric instead of yarn to spread the love just a little more. Yep super cheesy...

Supplies

cutting board

craft glue

paper

pliers {I used cheap jewelry ones I had on hand}

pencil

ruler

flower wire

fabric

rotary cutter or scissors {mine had the pinking blade

on it from another project so I just left it on}

fyi-pinking sheers help with fraying

1 ~ write out what you want your project to say - I wrote I Love Us

{you can print out a font from your computer if you don't have as lovely of

handwriting as I do- haha- or write it if you are lazy like me}

2 ~ I wanted my ends curly so I started with this

{you won't see the ends- so this part isn't necessary}

3 ~ use the writing on your paper as a guide for your letters

{yes I'm fully aware the "L" looks more like an "S"- I fixed this at the end}

I accidentally bent the end of the "e" so much that it broke so I

ended up wrapping it around the "U"

which ended up as a happy accident - I ended up bringing

the "Us" down to be below the "Love"

4 ~ cut your fabric into 1/2 inch strips

{mine were about 18 inches long- but the length doesn't matter

the glue will cover the parts you piece together}

I cut a little too many! I think I ended up using about 7 strips

5 ~ squeeze some glue onto your fabric about half way down the

length of your strip

I just used my finger to spread it around

6 ~ start wrapping! here's were I needed to put more glue on

{when you get to where the wire crosses another wire make sure you wrap the fabric

around both wires to connect them together}

like this!

{this is me connecting the "e" wires}

7 ~ trim any parts that look more like a mummy than a letter by cutting a little slit

{I cut slits on both sides of the "L"}

8 ~ add a little glue

9 ~ smooth the fabric out with your finger

10 ~ the best part of the base of this being wire is being able to

manipulate the way you want your words to look- so manipulate away! Hopefully

the "L" looks more like an L now

ps. I'll be doing a Valentines tutorial all week long so stay tuned!
* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

DIY ~ How to Sew a Heart on Your Sweater

2012-01-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

You know how you sometimes buy that sweater because it's on super sale & it's hot pink & it's really cute & it's hot pink & it kind of looks vintage-y & it's got the perfect v-neck & it's hot pink!!! Then 2 years later you're looking through your closet & you see said sweater & it still has the tags on it. What! Now the only problem is- besides the pretty color- it's seems kind of boring... So with Valentines around the corner why not put a ♥ on It!

What you will need

sweater

scissors

paper

pencil

fusible interfacing

scrap of fun fabric- preferably cotton weight

{not pictured- seam ripper}

1~ cut out your heart- I cheated & used a paper heart stamp cut out

{if you are going to draw your heart, it's a good idea to fold your paper in half & draw half a

heart then cut the half heart out & open the paper to get two even sides to your heart- although an uneven

heart would also be pretty cute}

2 ~ trace your heart onto your fun fabric. you won't see the marker so use

black sharpie if you want- then cut it out

3 ~ set the heart on top of your fusible interfacing & cut out duplicate heart

{make sure shiny side of fusible interfacing is touching wrong side of your fabric- use directions that

come with your fusible interfacing if you need to}

4 ~ Iron together- using medium heat- this will keep your edges from fraying as

well as keeping your heart from from wrinkling

5 ~ pin it to your sweater - one pin in the center will work

{go look in a mirror to see where you like it best- yes this is a different paper heart.

I had my friend Amy take this picture while she was over for a play date}

6 ~ turn your sweater inside out & push on the heart so you can see the

outline of your heart

7 ~ place your fused heart fabric side down using the outline of the heart on the

other side as reference for where to put it

8 ~ use a pencil & draw little dots around the heart

9 ~ unpin the heart on the other side

{pencil mark doesn't need to be too dark}

10 ~ pin your heart on starting with a center pin- using the

pencil marks as a guide

11 ~ sew it on!

{I sewed my seam close to the edge of the heart & sewed around the heart twice}

12 ~ turn your sweater right side out. take your seam ripper & carefully

put a hole in your sweater

{being careful not to go through your cotton heart}

can you see the yellow polka dots peeking through- now you have a hole

ready for your scissors to start cutting away

13 ~ cut as close to the seam as possible going around the entire heart

wha la- cute eh?

here's a mirror pic so you can see the cute polka dots a little better- I flipped the pic so

you all didn't get confused by the heart being on the wrong side-

{no I don't think you are dumb- I just didn't want you to be confused}

* check out some of my other Valentines Day diy's here, here, here, here, here

Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Kind of excited for Wes' new movie

Happy New Year!

2012-01-08T23:18:00.001-08:00

Just a little late on this post but super excited about this up coming year! I don't think I'll be setting any resolutions but I do have a ton of stuff I would like to accomplish this year- I just don't want the pressure to HAVE to do them- maybe that way they will actually get done. One thing I do want the pressure of getting done is a few tutorials I've had on my mind for years. So stayed tuned for those- cause they may actually happen!

Here are a few instagram pics from the past weeks. NYE at our house & a few other happenings.

couldn't resist the hot pink balloons from zurchers

early countdown with the kids = extra fun/ loud noise

ida destroying our 0

dance off -husband cheating

made a new years sign out of pipe cleaner & yarn. I started wrapping the sign with yarn about an hr before the party started & finished with help from my friend megan she also does lashes in NYC

pipe cleaner tutorial found here- I used three pipe cleaners together

to make my happy new year thicker. I got a tip from another person to use

floral wire instead of pipe cleaner- since pipe cleaners doesn't come very long &

floral wire can be cut to whatever length you need it to be- next time...

this happened one night when my bestie chris came to pick me up for dinner- I changed...

we celebrated 5 years!!!!

this is what happens to some people when you get married in your 30's! 3 kids under 3 1/2 ...

ever wonder where we got the name reyn from? this is reyn soffe we like him a lot- did I mention he's married to the megan who helped with the HNY's sign- we like her a lot also

Christmas Round Our House 2011

2011-12-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm already sad Christmas is almost over. I'm still making new Christmas decorations! Why? Who knows! Sometimes I like to change things up around the house. This year I made or bought a few handmade items to add to our christmas decor.

christmas shelves- land of misfit toys- santa's galore- mix of vintage

we decided to go gold again this year with unbreakable ornaments

we also got a new tree topper at the beehive bazaar

my new friend courtney made this {isn't it gorgeous} as well as the blue house above & the santa shoe filled with vintage goodness

christmas tree collection & stockings- minus reyns {not going to get to it this year}

*** Also if you love christmas music as much as I do- check out this cover of Rockin Around The Christmas tree my brother in law Benton Paul & his wife Jen - I ♥ it soooo much!

How To Make a Pom Pom Garland

2011-12-20T00:10:00.000-08:00

Haven't you been dying to make a pom pom garland? No? We'll I'm going to teach you all anyhow! It's easy- it doesn't take too much time & the end result is super cute & since I'm sure you're super bored this week- since you have absolutely everything finished for this coming Sunday- you're dying to make something new right?

supplies-

scissors {preferably small}

yarn {I used vanna whites gold glamour}

pom pom maker {you can buy them at your local fabric store}

needle {with a big enough eye for yarn & a dull point}

follow the directions on the back of your pom pom maker to make your pom poms {you can also use your fingers but you won't be sorry buying the pom pom maker- it really does make the pom poms close to perfect that you only have to trim them a little in the end- use a coupon!}
make about 9 to 11 depending on how long you want your garland to be {having an odd number gives you a center pom pom- even though I was too lazy to fix mine in my picture...}
trim all your pom poms so they are beautifully round or oval {depending on what you prefer}
measure the length of your yarn {however long you want your garland to be- I did mine about 3 1/2 yards with 11 pom poms}
thread your garland string & go through the middle of each pom pom
take a tape measure {I used a book} to place your pom poms on your garland evenly- starting from the middle going out
hot glue your pom poms in place making sure you hit the middle so they don't move- if they move they could fall apart

Wallah! You're finished & now you have the garland you've always wanted- use it to hang your christmas cards on or to make your room or your kids room a little more festive- use non christmas colors & leave it up all year! The decoration possibilities are endless.

So How's Everyone?

2011-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

I've been the worst blogger lately! I blame the insane amount of pom poms I have been making. I ended up making 6 wreaths for my local shows- yes I said 6! Each wreath had approximately 66 pom poms. So that's 6 x 66 = 396 pom poms! Let's just say I'm a little over pom poms & I still have one more wreath to make- but it's top secret who it's for....

I haven't even shown you the pom pom trees I made. Super cute & kind of fun. Baby pom poms are so much quicker to make than the big ones.

DIY: How to Make Bottle Brush Christmas Trees

2011-12-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make bottle brush Christmas trees for years- so when a few of my girlfriends put together a craft night to make them I was in! I decided to put together a little tutorial for any of you out there who would like to make your own. It's really easy- but beware- it is a bit time consuming. If you can get together with some friends it helps with costs & makes the night so much more fun!

1) start by buying some village accessory trees- we found Home depot had the best deals but your local fabric or craft store will have them as well

2) grab a pot- fill it with water & bleach {follow direction on the bleach bottle for the water to bleach ratio then add a bit more} I left mine in over night

3) let them dry standing up- otherwise the brush will smoosh

4) buy some dye- we used fushia- kelly green & blue rit dye

make sure you use gloves! I actually used gloves but then put my hand in just a little to far... they were short gloves!

5) set them out to dry again- this time have a fan blowing on them so you can get started with decorating ASAP. they'll turn out darker the longer you leave them in- lighter if you put them in for just a few seconds

6) decorate the trees with glitter or fake snow-we used Martha Stewarts glittering glue to glue the bling on. spread it onto the trees & then roll your trees in the glitter or snow.

you can see the pretty-ness happening already!

7) cut up your beads & hot glue them onto your trees {we used colorful mardi gras beads from the party store zurchers - martha stewart pearl colored beads & holiday gold & silver colored garland beads from joann's}

8) make sure you have your big gulp of diet coke/diet dr. pepper even if it's 10 pm...

9) add some deer or whatever & Ta-Da! {these trees have gold glitter on them- it's hard to see in this picture but they're really pretty}

I used wax paper snow on the trees below- just an FYI the glue didn't really keep the snow on very well so I ended up spreading the hot glue on the trees a little bit at a time- then rolled the tree in the snow

Reusable Christmas Tags- Dandee designs

2011-12-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

I have so many friends who have a tradition of giving a want- need- wear- read items to their spouses & kids for Christmas. How cool are these Want -Need -Wear -Read wooden reusable tags from Dandee Designs. I love the idea of anything reusable. We may have to start this tradition around here only I'll have to make the last one a listen...

I'm also loving this cross stitch pattern kit you can buy & everything else in Danyelle's shop!

Extending My Sale Until Wednesday November 30th!!!!

2011-11-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

Go here to shop & make sure to enter blackfriday20 at check out!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Elsa Bags Black Friday Sale ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

2011-11-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

Come over to my shop ASAP cause everything is 20% off for Black Friday till Cyber Monday!

Nail & String Letters

2011-11-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this DIY over at JK JK? Jen {my amazing sister in law} was inspired by the string letters over at her local Anthropologie. Such a great way to spice up your kitchen! Go here to get the step by step & how too(s).

I've always loved nail & string art. I have this flower string art in my hallway that I bought at one of my favorite local antique stores Retro Rose quite a few years ago.

here's a close up- so much string!

Wreaths now in the Shop!

2011-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Lot's of wreaths in my Etsy shop. Check them out- oh & you get FREE SHIPPING!

Pom Poms Galore

2011-11-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Have you been wondering where I've been? Well I've been up to my _______ in POM POMS! I decided I needed something new to make for my shop & some up coming shows. So I decided to make pom pom wreaths. As tedious as making pom pom after pom pom is- the end result is so pretty & fluffy you just want to
~~feel it up~~ cuddle with it.

oh & I guess I've been busy with this little guy

I also made this- inspired by this & It only took about 10 minutes

my friend tia & I attempted to go here opening day- the line to get in was about a mile long! needless to say we didn't get in...

* all images from my Instagram feed

Etsy Love/ Elly MacKay

2011-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

These photo's by Elly MacKay are amazing! Perfect for any room. She makes her images by painting them & then cutting the painting into layers. Then she layers the pieces & sets them up in a miniature theater after which she fiddles with the lights & filters & then photographs them! Say what! That just sounds like so much work! Seriously- that work has payed off. How beautiful are these pictures.

Design Sponge Book Tour @ Anthropologie

2011-11-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

I went to a craft/ book signing party with some girlfriends & baby Reyn last night for Grace of Design Sponge. She's the tiniest/ nicest gal. Seriously she's like miniature! I love that she's living her dreams- with her blog & her book. Her really pretty book.

annie- me & our babes-

Reyn really liked Grace's urber shiny hair.

* there were ton of babes & 4 babies there & boy were they so well natured. (not so much the babes)
** thanks susan for the photo's

Halloween!

2011-11-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. I get a little sad knowing the cold/snow is coming soon but the changing colors of the fall leaves makes up for it. I'm also super excited about the holidays. Halloween is one of my favorites. Since my tweenager hasn't wanted to trick or treat with me for a couple of years this year was a little more fun with an excited 2 & 3 1/2 year old to trick or treat with. Here are a few of our Halloween pics this year- courtesy of my instagram stream-

mostly painted pumpkins using some black spray paint & tape & some

using puffy paint found around our house. (yes I had puffy paint!)

next door neighbors house- using leaves they scooped up off the road - creative kids

flo the waitress- baby bear w/ the crossing guards & a fairy princess

cat ballerina making her own whiskers

baby bear rolling over

Gloves That You Can Type In?

2011-10-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Say it's - 20º outside & your phone with a touch screen rings. Do you answer? It's sooo cold out- maybe you don't cause really who wants to take their gloves off & chance your fingers falling off. Not me- but what if it's your mom or your pregnant wife? Well guess what- you don't have to make that decision anymore! Not with these gloves from Muji.

"A conductive material is interwoven into the thumb and forefinger so that these gloves make light work of touchscreen technology whatever the weather."

Oh how I love Muji! They come up with some pretty rad goods. One of my all time

favs is this ↴ NYC in a bag. The rats came out to visit for Halloween this year!

Halloween Decor

2011-10-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to some awesome Halloween goods I've seen around the web

one of my fav's- a frankenstein pillow from annilygreen

forest scene pumpkin by sweet paul

skull soap from aubrey elizabeth apothecary

spider & bat decals from cano designs

paper machè owls from black bird folk art

felt halloween woolies from vicky

Matchy Matchy

2011-10-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Loving the The Portland Collections line from Pendleton.

* I really like this models hair color- it maybe time for a change...

Fab Love

2011-10-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Fab. com really is pretty fabulous. It's great that I finally have a discount site with really cool modern goods to go to. The art prints are one of my favorite things they sell. I especially like the print below that incorporates the Brooklyn- Williamsburg and the Manhattan Bridges.

I also think these Trash Inspired Porcelain Vases are pretty rad.

* if you're not a member of fab.com yet- use this invite- it's free to sign up- but be forewarned you will want to spend- spend- spend!

Les M Design Studio

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

I love how Designers Céline Merhand & Anaïs Morel of Les M Design Studio cater to comfort. Every piece of furniture or house ware makes me feel warm & cozy inside.

Cocon

enveloppes

collerette

It's Getting Cold Here Fast

2011-10-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's 43º today - I can't stop feeling cold. Really wishing I had all of these Beacon & Esmond Mills Blankets from Three Potato Four stat.

p.s. last week we were swimming...

Goodbye Summer Goodbye Steve

2011-10-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

I hate to say goodbye to summer- but oh how I love the changing colors of fall.

I'm sure you've all heard about the passing of Steve Jobs. I'm writing this post on a computer created by him! Jobs really made a huge improvement in our technilogical world. He was truly an inspiration. I love this quote my brother in law Benton sent in an email today.

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone

else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which

is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your

own inner voice. And most important, have the

courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Everything else is secondary.”

-Steve Jobs

image we heart it

Pancake Pillows

2011-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid these would make me hungry everytime I looked at them.

♻ Damien

9 Famous Sweaters

2011-09-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

"That's a COSBYYYY SWEATAAH, a COSBBY SWEATAAH!"

Anyone know what that line is from?

♻ the near sighted owl

Let's Take It Back To The Start

2011-09-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

Willie Nelson singing Coldplay- yes please! This film and soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a more sustainable food system & if you've ever seen Food Inc. you'll appreciate Chipotle even more.

* thanks Jen ton for sharing

Scratch Maps

2011-09-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of marking on a map where you've been. I've been lucky enough to travel quite a bit in my life- mostly through my career & would love one of these Where I've Been Scratch Maps from Fred Flare. Maybe I would put it up in my living room just to brag a little...

p.s Husband's would be way more brag worthy- the guy has traveled just about everywhere.

Awesome!

2011-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I could camp everyday if I had one of these VW Van tents.

* found via geek alerts

New In the Shop/ Mustache Pillows

2011-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

What's that? You want a mustache pillow in plaid? No- you would rather have one in houndstooth? Great go here or here to get one!

Etsy Love/Roma Winkel

2011-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've been a super fan of the multi talented Roxy for sometime now & now you can buy her art work on plates- I want them all! If you want to get to know the super rad Roxy a little better you can visit two of my favorite blogs ever- Roma Winkel & her blog dedicated to men & tomboys called Mansvolk.

Reyn's Birth Story

2011-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yes this is yet another birth story. Don't read any further if you're rolling your eyes cause that probably means you are the type of person who hates babies & if you hate babies than you definitely don't want to read about another birth story. Especially about our cute baby Reyn. You can't go to too many blogs without reading about one- these days can you {Within a 2 mile radius of where I live 11 babies will be born this year!} Yikes!

6 days after reyn was born he was smiling!

Untitled from nicole Choules on Vimeo.

It all started when I reluctantly told my husband that I was pregnant with our 3rd child {together}. Right after I told him I went to the gym. He was sitting on the couch right before I went to the gym- & he was still on the couch when I came home staring blankly in front of him. You see we had just had two little girls. One in 2008 & the other in 2009. It was 2010 at this time & we were married December 30th of 2006. Not a lot of sexy time without a bump if you know what I'm saying. We had decided to have one more child- just not quite yet. Needless to say he was a little bummed- but don't worry he came around.

elsa & ida with daddy- they are16 months apart

Pregnancy in your late 30's just isn't even close to what it's like in your early 20's. I'm lucky to be one of those girls who doesn't get sick the entire 9 plus months- but I do gain a ton of weight. {55 lbs with this one!} So by the time week 35- 40 comes around I'm feeling huge & pretty miserable. I was lucky enough to have my sister Michele in town my due date week. Well maybe not that lucky. My mom & her made me do a ton of running around with them. That week we had a lot of "last meals before baby comes" at all of my favorite restaurants so life wasn't so terrible except that Michele & my Mom definitely jinxed me by telling me everyday that I wasn't allowed to have my baby yet- we still have to do this & that.

Just to be clear- these were not getting ready for baby this & thats. The this & that's going on where going to lots of antique stores & fabric stores so I could make these awesome union jack pillows Michele designed. Michele is an amazing designer, not so much sewer. So I made one for her & one for my moms. We used antique doilies & lacy table runners. linen fabric for the base of the pillow & velvet ribbon on Michele's & a really nice grosgrain ribbon for my moms. By the time we finished {It took us 2 super really late nights} needless to say my ankles were the size of my thighs...

they look way better in person

We also celebrated my little Ida's 2nd birthday. Four days before Reyn was born. She was soooo cute opening her presents. So gracious for everything she received- saying "I yuv it" to everything. She can't quite say her L's.

ida in her new birthday tunic I made her & her cute toms

After finally finishing the pillows & the baby a day over due- we decided to go to dinner & a movie. This time with husband in tow. I'm pretty sure I laughed the kid out of me cause during the second half I started feeling my contractions a lot so I started timing them & they were 6 minutes apart for the rest of the movie. On the ride home they were consistently 3-5 minutes apart. I guess it's time to start thinking about going to the hospital... Sometimes this is the hard part. Trying to decide whether or not it's time. I wasn't in any pain- but from what I had read- my contractions being so close & not letting up meant I was starting labor. Plus my friend Holly had her baby in her car last year. She didn't realize she was in active labor because her contractions weren't very painful. I wasn't about to take that chance so I went & took a shower- called my Mom to let her know I was going in for sure & to have her & my sister come over to stay with the girls. I got my things together & Adam & I drove to the hospital. It was 12:30 in the morning.

Unfortunately my midwife Diane had left town the day before to attend her son's wedding- fortunately all of her fellow midwives are pretty great also. The nurses sat me down to check on my contractions & to listen to babies heart beat. All was good & I was for sure in active labor so Sandae {the midwife on call} had me start walking around the hospital to get kung fu baby moving down & to get my dilation going. I was only at a 3. It was around 2:00 now. I walked for about an hour or so until I started feeling the pain that a little more true active labor brings on. The nurse brought me back to my room & asked me if I wanted my epidural now. I was only dilated to a 4 or so- so I wasn't sure I should say yes. I felt my next contraction & decided that this would be a great time to have that epidural after all. Adam & I decided it was time to call our moms in. They both really wanted to be at the birth & I really loved having the support of both of them being there. Mom on the video camera duty {yes I film my births from below} Jann on leg duty with Adam.

Around 3:30 in the morning the nurse told us all that we should try & get some sleep. One of our moms on the chair- the other on the couch & Adam on the floor. I didn't sleep at all. I was way to anxious to see this baby. Around 6:30 I decided I wanted to watch some television so Adam & our moms helped me turn onto my left side so I could see the television better. After this everyone was up & chatting & pretty much having a party when Jann noticed that my contractions looked really far apart on the monitor {we had the volume off & of course my numb self couldn't feel that happening} Sandae came in to check things out. All of the sudden my contractions were 10 minutes apart & my baby had turned to posterior! WTH! She turned me over to my right side & then crossed my left leg over my body far enough so that I was half way on my stomach. She wanted me to go on pitocin to kick up my contractions. The last time I went on pitocin- for my second child- it made the muscles in my shoulders & neck hurt so bad that I wasn't too excited about this idea but I wanted this baby out & I wanted this baby safe so I said yes. Within an hour & 1/2 my baby was turned I was dilated to a 10 ready to go. YAY! 4 pushes later & Thomas Reynford Paul was born at 9:41a.m. This was my shortest labor- yet my most tiring. All 3 of my other children's labor started after a nights sleep.

don't mind the double chin...

sister michele

I watched the whole thing with a mirror. I did this with all of my children. I know this grosses some of you out but being able to see my baby's birth is one of the most amazing/craziest things to see- ever. As soon as Reyn came out- Sandae put him on my chest & I kid you not- he raised his head & looked around before snuggling up to me.

The feelings you have after this is too hard to explain. Even when it's your 4th child. Nothing in the world is so wonderful & so hard at the same time. Ok maybe sometimes marriage...

9 weeks old

reyn today- 2 1/2 months old

I couldn't ask for a better baby {knock on wood} Every time I look down at him while he's feeding he has the biggest smile & it kills me. Sucking on his hand is his favorite thing to do lately. He still loves sleeping in his straight jacket. His mommy is his favorite person but his daddy is definitely a close second. YaY for babies!

The Grow With Me Moccasin Giveaway

2011-09-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Susan's blog lately? She's giving away a full year of moccasins! I'm always sooo sad when my baby's grows out of my favorite little shoes for them. Now's your chance to get a pair for each growth spurt your little one has. That's 9 pair of the cutest moccies out there! Go here to enter- but don't win please...

* also you can help her win a business grant -go here to vote for Freshly Picked!

Unlocking Neutral in a Mini Van

2011-08-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

I Love having an attached garage. Especially during the cold snowy months & in the summer when it's 95 degrees outside. I don't love having a garage when I go to start my car & my van {that barely fits} battery is dead. I'll be honest this wasn't the first time I've left the keys turned a little in the ignition- but it is the first time I didn't have time to put our extra battery we have on hand {for this very reason} on it for an hour. You see we needed to get to my friends parents house to go swimming. These are the last days of summer & we are doing everything we can to pretend fall is not creeping up on us. So thinking I can just put the car in neutral & back out- I call my trusty sister in law that lives down the street to come help me jump start the van.

dashboard of a toyota sienna- pretty typical- do you see the square with the line in it at the bottom- right above the P?

Turns out you can't just put a dead car in neutral these days. So while my SIL is looking through the manuel trying- without success- to find out how to do this I call a Toyota dealership here in town. They send me straight to the service guys & after hearing a couple of the guys talking & not having an answer I hear a 3rd guy chime in with " look for the little square above the P- pop it out with a screw driver or something & then push the button inside & that will unlock the neutral lock" "ok great!" we never would of figured this out on our own. So I'm passing my new- probably none useful knowledge to all of you. Just in case the 3rd guy in the service department isn't there the day you need him-
Your welcome.

here's a close up

* p.s. Reyn got into the pool for the first time & loved it- maybe not as much as his hand though
I'm so glad we didn't just go back inside & call the whole day off.

New In the Shop/ Tote Bags

2011-08-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

Come by the shop. I have some new totes that are pretty fun! Plus there's FREE SHIPPING on all bags!

World Maps/ These Are Things

2011-08-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

I love world maps & the maps from These are Things modern take on world maps are fantastic.
Guess what? They are on Fab.com for 2 more days $10- $70 off! hmmm what color to choose- I love them all.

p.s Reyn's birth story coming next week. What's that you say? Another birth story! Careful- I've got 3 more where that came from...

Hong Kong Love

2011-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've seen this video before but I kind of forgot about it- but thanks to Home DSGN I get to show you this amazing apartment in Hong Kong- 344 square feet that transfers into 24 rooms- seriously cool.

Paper Love/ Paper RIfle Co.

2011-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

If you're a super fan of Paper Rifle Co. check out Fab.com today to hit a smoking sale. If you haven't signed up for Fab.com yet then you're probably saving a lot of money- but missing out on tons of cool & amazing goods for sale- up to 70% off! Things like furniture & wall art & jewelry & so much more. If you want to join- use this link here & i'll help you join & you'll help me earn money so I can buy me some cool paper. See how I'm using you all in this post? It's ok- once you join you can use all of your friends/ readers too!

The Kinderwagon Hop

2011-08-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've never bought a double stroller before. Mainly because the thought of trying to maneuver one seems quite daunting. Seriously how do you fit the sucker through the door? Came across The Kinderwagon Hop on Facebook.com via The Baby Guy- he's giving one away. He helped test ride this awesome stroller & says it's just what everyone needs. It has stadium like seating which is genius & I'm hoping to win one. HaHa. Even if I don't- I hope one of you do!

How To Tie A Bow Tie

2011-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this rad video on How To Tie A Bow Tie from Launderette? Click play below so you can say you have!

How to Tie a Bow Tie from Keith Paugh on Vimeo.

Post Partum Check Off

2011-08-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

When I had my first baby 13 1/2 years ago I had no idea how painful It would be after giving birth. No one bothered to mention it. I didn't know I would bleed for so long. I didn't know how painful stitches were & how painful it would be to just sit down & hold my baby. I admit that I was pretty clueless when it came to babies. I was never one of those girls who babysat when I was younger or who asked to hold family members babies when I was older. I was in my early 20's when I had my first baby& wasn't even close to being ready to start a family. My marriage was rocky & you couldn't really have a big (or little) bump in my profession. Needless to say when my little Kaleb came out to meet us- I was in LOVE & life as I knew it would never be the same.

Since I just had my 4th baby I thought I would put together a list of necessities for making your life after labor a little easier for all you new mommies out there. So here it is- my post partum check off list.

Maxi pads- You'll probably bleed for 1- 2 weeks {maybe more} If you think you could manage reusable pads these Lunapads are great to try. .

Nursing pads- if you're breastfeeding- nursing pads are essential. Leaking milk will definitely play into your day. I've tried a lot of brands & my favorite nursing pads are from Johnson & Johnson They are super absorbent & they are shaped like your breast. My second favorite is Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads. Unfortunately my left breast {I call it my porn boob} has way more milk than my right & leaks like crazy so the Johnson & Johnson just work better for me. {FYI- the J & J nursing pads are kind of thick- so you may feel like you're back in middle school padding your first training bra}

Nursing Bra- This is the first time I've had a nursing bra {& I'm on my 4th kid!} & I love it- but I'm not entirely convinced you need one. I only have one- so I still just lift my other ones up to nurse. This is the one I bought because it was on super sale. I would suggest going into the store & trying one on though.

Topical Cream for your Nipples- one of my favorite words... Trust me you'll want to have some on hand or you'll probably give up breastfeeding all together cause it really does hurt for those first few weeks. {don't give up- you'll barely feel your baby on there after a while} I use Lansinoh. I only seem to need it for a few weeks so I just grab the sample they give you at the hospital.

Tucks Medicated Pads- oooh gross! Well whether you have hemorrhoids are not- tucks medicated pads have witch hazel in them which helps soothes your sutured area as well as those pesky hemorrhoids. {it's really nothing to be embarrassed about- but I usually tuck mine away in a drawer- no pun intended}

Compression Band- if you're anything like me & basically walk into the hospital looking 11 months pregnant & walk out looking 9 than you may want to have a compression band on hand. Wearing a compression band around your waist will help your tummy go down faster. Even after a week I felt like there was hope in getting my waist back again. Try the Belly bandit it works really well- & if you want a sexy version haha try this one. I also have heard good things about the Bellfit.

Towels- It's very common to have night sweats after giving birth. Having a large towel to lay on & a smaller towel to put on your pillow really helps keep your sheets dry & cleaner longer. Cause really who has time to wash!

** All of the items above can be bought pretty much anywhere- I like buying my diapers in bulk from Diapers.com so I just end up adding all the other goods to my order- then I don't have to attempt an outing with 3 under 3...

Copper Love/ Anthropologie

2011-08-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Loving pretty much everything about this dining room- especially the Redsmith copper chairs.

Bag- Bags - Bags!

2011-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

1 down 17 to go....

Come see me & the famous Susan at Craft Lake City in the Salt Lake City this Saturday August 13th at the Gallivan Center 2- 10pm.

Etsy Love/ Toro Legno

2011-08-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

How awesome is this bookshelf/ cutting board from Toro Legno on Etsy. Hidden in the butt is the cutting board!

Pin Up Girl

2011-07-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

* p.s. the beamers for sale- the girl's not

*SOLD*

Junk Drawer Art

2011-07-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Jason Mecier creates art out of junk. Nothing terribly new in the art world except that he has celebrity's send him their junk from their drawers & he creates pictures of them from the junk! Pretty rad huh!

amy sedaris

tina fey

parker posey

* thank you Phoenix Ostermann {an amazing artist herself}-via Laughing Squid

Invention Love/ Love Mattress

2011-07-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

What do you think of this love mattress on Dornob.com? I think it's genius- only I'm not a cuddler {well maybe for a couple of minutes after...} but I think it would be perfect for sleeping even if you're by yourself. I've dreamt my whole life of having a mattress with a hole in it for my arms or shoulders to fit in while sleeping on my side. SIDE SLITS even better!

♻ from apartment therapy
* if you like being cozy with your lover- check out the loveseat for lovers chair

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-07-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have to say I have pretty much the best mom ever. Generous- kind- & all around just a really good person. I don't have a sibling who wouldn't agree- every one of my friends thinks so as well. This year my mom has perfected the cupcake. Specifically the chocolate cupcake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. Sound delish? My butt & thighs certainly think so!

* photo from last year- I failed to take a picture this year {that's what happens when you're adult to kid ratio is off} We did go to the same place with pretty much the same people - so add a year to all of us & 30 plus lbs to me & you would basically have the same photo this year...

Favorite Fabric Friday

2011-07-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Heather Ross- Far Far Away III- soooo adorable.

* I'll definitely be making the girls some dresses out of these

Ruins Love/ Power Plant

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

Inside the cooling tower of an old power plant.

image
♻ architizer blog

Modern Love/ House

2011-07-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

I love me some good modern architecture & The Kew House 3 by Vibe Design really gets my blood pumping.

*go to Vibe Design to see more amazing architecture
** I don't know why I chose all the night pictures- I just thought they looked really cool

Birthdays

2011-07-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ice cream sandwich cookie bar + flying lanterns = rad 5 yr old birthday party!

elsa & me- in the middle

elsa

* first two photos taken from Susan's & Annie's blogs- the last two are mine

"Mom Is That A Straight Jacket?"

2011-07-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is what Kaleb asked me when he saw Reyn in the contraption pictured below. It made me laugh cause it really kind of is. It's also saved me completely when it comes to night time sleeping. Reyn is Houdini when it comes to swaddling him in a blanket. He can get out no matter how tight I wrap him- but this handmade swaddler (made by Jessie Huish of Beehive Babies) is genious. I have a kiddopotamus swaddler & while it's pretty great also- I prefer Jessie's because it's not stretch fabric. With the stretch fabric he can still move around a ton - so he ends up waking himself up quite often. So while it may look like I'm sending my baby to the nut house- I still absolutely LOVE this swaddler- I can't believe this is the first time I've used one of these before. I don't know how I've ever lived without one!

*Anyone have a favorite item you couldn't live without for your newborn?

Etsy Love/ Jessedirk

2011-07-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm back- Maybe not fully but for today at least...

I am loving these Modern furniture pieces designed & made by Jessica Johnson. What a talented lady. The colors are fabulous & the wood finish is beautiful. You can also pick what color stain you would like. So many options.

this would be perfect for my girls- modern child table set

modern child storage unit

modern picnic table

Happy 4th ⚑⚑⚑

2011-07-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

Fireworks poolside

* photo taken with my iphone

Best father's day gift ever? I think so- until he's a teenager...

2011-06-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

Have you wondered where I've been? I didn't think so- but just in case you were curious- we had a very busy weekend bringing our little Kung- fu baby into the world- just in time for fathers day! What a lucky dad Adam is & what a lucky wife I am to have such a wonderful husband.

Thomas Reynford Paul {Reyn}
Born June 18th* 9:41 a.m.* 8.3 lbs* 20 1/2 inches long

Elsa took to Reyn right away- when anyone comes over she tells them "That's my brother- I named him Reyn" Ida not so much. She'll come up to him & basically say hi baby then ignore him the rest of the day. Kaleb's super cute. Whenever he's not on the computer or reading so he can play on the computer- he wants to hold him. He's so stoked to have another boy in the family.

big bro love

elsa- the second time she came into the hospital- she couldn't get enough

Etsy Love/ Winding

2011-06-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love themselves a hunky strong merman with a stache? There's no denying that Marvin the merman made by Winding on Etsy is cool- super suave & could keep any mermaid satisfied...

wouldn't mind me a little kate & will as well

or these bathing beauty's

Summer Shoe Love

2011-06-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I'm wanting some new summer shoes BAD- one of my favorite online stores never fails to make me want- want- want- any one of these osborns will do!

multibrite loafer

dust to dust loafer

floral ballerina flat

prism slip on

Oh Baby

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby's 2! Ida is soooo different from Elsa it's amazing. She can be sweet one minute & unbelievably spicy the next. We never know what to expect with this little creature but when she wants to snuggle I'm first in line. Happy Birthday beautiful girl.

playing with bubbles

* too many pictures? ya but she's such a cutie-how could I not...

Catching My Dreams

2011-06-13T09:10:00.001-07:00

Ah man these days I am having the craziest dreams. Only 4 more days till my dreams get even more wilder - when this baby decides he's just not quite ready to get out of his comfy little water sac. {I keep thinking this little kung-fu artist is going to come out soon but I know I'm going to be late- it's just how I roll}

I need this wall of dreamcatchers that artist Alexandra from gjurasicpark made to help me out. How pretty are those colors.

& for my day dreams- this dreamcatcher necklace from the darling boutique will do!

DIY Braided Beaded Necklace

2011-06-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I just came across this DIY on Creature Comforts blog looking back through some of her amazing archives. I love how simple & beautiful it is + it's turquoise! oh how I love turquoise.

DIY by ECAB {eighteenth century agrarian business}

Architecture Love/ Pinterest Love

2011-06-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I found this amazing architect site thanks to my sister Lisa. I say Ugh- because I can't break away! The homes & buildings on Home DSGN are amazing! If you haven't heard of Pinterest than you have probably just been introduced to the world wide web. {I'm amazed you were able to find my blog...} I had friends trying to convince me again & again to join the pinning craze- but it wasn't until I went to AZ & my sister Michele sat me down & wouldn't let me get off the couch until I signed up. Let's just say my arce fell asleep from not moving for a few hours & pinning everything in site that I loved.

Point of bringing up Pinterest & Home DSGN- Home DSGN is keeping me up all night pinning like a mad women tonight- I CAN'T STOP! So maybe don't go to their website & It's probably in your best interest not to sign up for Pinterest because you're just going to start waisting even more time on that computer of yours...

here is a little taste of the architecture on Home DSGN- so YUMMY!

lefevre beach house by longhi architects

house made of glass & concrete in sicily by architrend architecture

paddington x2 house by mck architects

*p.s if you love to waist time & you want an invite to Pinterest {yes you have to be invited} leave a comment below or just email me & i'll send you one asap--- nbaglady@gmail.com

New In the Shop/ Tanks & Tee's & Onesies

2011-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've been busy! Come ~~check out~~ buy some of my goods- they are perfect for summer!

wolf head track tanks

wolf head acid wash tee

silver wolf head ribbed tank

hedgehog taking a bicycle ride

mustache balloon tanks

what's your favorite way to travel

onesies

track tank ways to travel

gold peacock love

nautical striped youth tee shirts

Etsy Love/ Robots

2011-06-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know I love pretty much anything robot & I think these robot prints from John W. Golden are perfect for any childs room. {he has boy & girl robots!}

The Anxiety of Waiting for Kung- Fu Baby

2011-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I have so much anxiety right now waiting for baby number 4. I know I still have a little less than 3 weeks away but I'm already getting all those feelings you get in the last week of pregnancy. I can't sleep because of all the contractions I'm having & the anxiety of the actual moment coming on really is making me crazy. I know what you're thinking- This is your 3rd baby in 4 years & you're still freaking out! Shouldn't you be use to it by now- I know I'm pathetic but every single baby is different. They have their own schedule & they come out in different ways. {you should know that I've never had a baby early- let alone on time}

Kaleb {10 days late} was a little scary- only because everyone ran in (after I just got comfy with my epidural) saying my blood pressure dropped & this baby had to come out. Luckily when they checked me I had dilated to a 10 & he was out within a 1/2 hr.

With Elsa {3 days late} everything seemed pretty good. I was induced sitting on the bed with pitocin & an epidural. Contractions were on- only she was brow first & wasn't dropping down- she just kept contracting into my tail bone- no matter how many people put their hands up inside me trying to help she wouldn't drop. I ended up having a C- section. ugh!

With Ida {{3 days late & first time with a midwife} all was good. I walked around for hours getting that little gal to drop & get ready to come out the birth canal. She was a champ & came out after 4 pushes. Easiest labor ever. {I had a vbac & yes an epidural} yay!

With Kung-Fu baby I have no idea what the outcome will be. I pray every night that I will be ready & know exactly that my contractions are real & not braxton hicks. (I feel like ballet has caused me to have a very high tolerance for pain which makes me extra nervous that I'm not feeling the right kind of contractions...) I know more stupid thoughts.

moving on----

There is nothing I like better than feeling this little guy move inside of me {except when I have to pee}. He's really is a little kung-fu artist. I video taped Ida when she was in me & thought there was no way I could miss out video taping this little guy. I hope this doesn't creep you out!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone's celebrating their loved ones who have died for our country & your loved ones who have moved on to the heavens above.

I just wanted to share a few pictures from a church activity we did a couple of weeks ago. There is a woman in my church that spends $200 of her own money on bread & tuna & peanut butter & jelly & sandwich sacks to make 500 sandwiches once every month to help feed the homeless. She is an amazing woman without doing this. She raises 4 children on her own (her husband died of melanoma cancer over 4 years ago) while keeping a full time job as an Architect. I'm one of the leaders in Young Women's at my church & I decided this would be an amazing opportunity for the girls to learn about charity. We even asked them to donate their own money to help pay for the goods & they did so without a single complaint. BTW this was a 2 day project- making over 500 sandwiches on a Tuesday & passing out all the food on a Wednesday.

assembly line making tuna fish sandwiches

the leaders making the tuna fish- it took 18 of those huge cans- a massively huge bottle of mayo-

& some mustard- my right arm had a really good work out...

all the peanut butter & tuna sandwiches

over 400 people waiting for food- other people brought soup & dessert & coffee

all the lovely ladies

Style Love/ The Goodhood Store

2011-05-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Don't these pants from The Goodhood Store look amazingly comfortable? They also seem like a perfect pant for a postpartum boody.

wood wood fiona pants - perks & mini pam sad trousers

** Please keep in mind that I in no way feel that this model is big in any way. The pants just look really roomy & cozy is all!

Making a Mini Skirt Not so Mini

2011-05-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

I was at Old Navy the other day & found this mini skirt. While it's just a little too short for this old lady I couldn't pass up on the material- it's a light linen & looks kind of vintage & I couldn't pass up on the price {9.99 with 30% off} so I decided to buy 2 & sew them together to become a not so mini skirt anymore. I bought one in my size {or the size I hope to be once again after kung-fu baby pops out} for the top & one a size bigger for the bottom.

here are my 2 skirts- one is a size 8 & one is a size 10

start by taking your bigger/ bottom skirt apart- like if you have pockets on your skirt you may want to take them off

next cut the elastic off the top of the bottom skirt- i used scissors for this part- also take out the pleats if you have any {you'll want as much material as possible when sewing the 2 skirts together}

after I took the pleats out it was super wrinkled- so iron at this point if your material is wrinkled as well

to make sure the top of the material of the part you just cut the elastic off of is cut evenly- fold the skirt over in half so it's a little smaller- use your ruler & cut it straight- I find it easier to cut if you use a rotary cutter

{if you don't own a rotary cutter & mat- go buy one NOW- it will change your life}

then open the material so you can make sure the center is straight- if it isn't just take your ruler & rotary cutter & straighten it out

surge or zig zag the top of the bottom skirt so it won't fray

when you're ready to pin the 2 pieces together you may have a bit more material than you thought- just baste stitch the top of the material you just surged or zig zag stitched & pull to make a gather that will fit the length of the bottom of the top skirt

when pinning the 2 pieces together- start with matching the seams on both sides & then match the top of the smaller skirts hem to the top of your bottom piece.

I chose to pin it together inside out because I thought it was easier to match them together

this is what it should look like after you pin it together on the other side

when sewing the 2 skirts together- follow the line that is already there- if you pinned it inside out- but are sewing from the other side- make sure you're very carful not to sew over the head of the pins

if you have some little holes in the material from taking the pockets off & the pleats out- just scratch the material carefully with your nail

Now go outside with your significant other- cuddle & listen to the U2 concert going on in the stadium 3 miles away & finally be ok with selling your tickets cause it really does sound like you're practically there!

** tutorial written last night.

Next wear it to the play date today that turned into a baby shower for kung- fu baby! {I really do have the best girlfriends ever} i'll update this picture when I find someone to take a picture in it with a belly-less body- I picture it being worn high waisted- which is why I left it so long. For a shorter version you would just take a few inches off the top of the bottom skirt before sewing it together.

I had to throw in a picture of the amazing presents I received- & my friends who are way too generous I can't even believe it!

victoria & nina

amy- only 5 more weeks! in the background-victoria & andelyne

karisa- holly- kristin- jessica- amy s- tia

* this is my first sewing tutorial- I hope it helps you out! ...