What to Wear Home

When I found out I was pregnant with Micah one of the first things I purchased for him was his going home outfit.  It was a sweet little one-piece sleeper with vintage Tigger and Pooh on it.  I loved it instantly.

Apparently it was asking too much for that to happen again!  I searched and I searched, yet nothing caught my eye and I was not falling in love with any outfits for Kasen.  It’s not that we didn’t receive tons of adorable and love-worthy outfits as gifts.  We did.  I love them and am STILL working on all my thank you notes.  I just wanted the going home outfit to be something I or we (Aaron and I) picked out lovingly, hand-selected.

Finally, inspiration struck when we did DIY onesies at my Baseball Baby Shower (pics still pending!)  I knew I wanted to ‘hand-make’ Kasen a onesie he could wear home saying, “No Place Like Home.”  I didn’t get a chance to make anything at the shower, but I received a really cute onesie with a monkey holding a baseball bat, and I thought, what a fun play on words and I could have the cute image to boot!

Big problem; the iron-on letters would not fit around the design.  I was so sad, and so quickly running out of time.  I looked and looked for another onesie, preferably with color to put the letters on.  It was not happening!

So, what to do the night before we leave for the hospital?  Pull out the plain, white Gerber onesie and hope there was still a cute decal in the booklet we used at the shower!

Here is what I came up with for Kasen’s going home outfit (and with help from my mom who ironed for me!)

I really like how it turned out.  I decided to add the initials at the last minute to the bottom; Kasen Cross Tiger.  Obviously, with an actual cross representing the C.  I plan on pairing the onesie with some simple gray pants.

I think he will look pretty darn cute!

What are your thoughts?  Experiences with your own going home outfits?

Gracefully~~Heather

Pretty Planter Rehab

I have a problem while I clean/organize; I get caught up in the things I am organizing and so tend to move slowly.  Does anyone else share this dreadful downfall?

I’ve tried to work on it over the years, but I am coming to accept the fact that I will more likely take longer to get an organizing task done because I tinker, putter, reminisce, or just plain dawdle.  Hi.  I’m Heather and I get side-tracked while organizing.

Well, while my mom was here helping us get the house in order, it happened again.  I was working on my disaster of a office/craft/writing area and I got an idea for a project to help beautify the space.  It was simple (in my head), and would only take a little detour from the organizing.  It was all in an effort to make the organization more appealing.

Here is what I started with:

An old tin planter that once housed an artificial plant

Not so pretty inside

It had been functioning as a pen/pencil holder for quite some time.  I had a similar thought for its use as I was organizing the craft supplies.  Here is its rehab journey:

The first layer of paint was a little leftover gray paint from touching up the nursery. I let that coat dry, and then brushed on the French Vanilla color you see above. Literally a little dab did it. I brushed this color on lightly as I wanted some gray to show through.

Finished painting and letting it dry on my fancy holder, a Pepsi 2-liter

From Old and Ugly to Fresh and Pretty

Pretty Outside and Inside

I applied the flocked scrapbook paper to the inside of the planter before I painted, using hot glue.  It’s not perfect as the planter wasn’t perfectly round, but it looks so much nicer.  I went with two patterns in the same color scheme to keep it playful.  After the paint dried I used a fine grit sand block and gently sanded along the vine patterns and the edges.  I wanted some of the original color to come through for the aged effect.  I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, for a free project as I had all the supplies on hand.

It now beautifully holds my colored-pencils and markers for craft projects

I think it’s much prettier now sitting on the top of the craft shelf, and it keeps the pencils and markers at easy reach instead of in boxes.

So my planter has had a pretty rehab stint.  Now if I can move a little quicker through the rest of my clutter I’ll be one happy girl.  I just have to pause and catch my breath, rest, and get my feet up every 30 minutes or so thanks to this growing little baby boy who is bouncing around inside.

Oh well, one thing at a time!

Have you rehabbed any everyday item lately?

Gracefully~~Heather

DIY Paint Chip Easter Egg Garlands

*There is a children’s Sunday School lesson tip using this craft at the end of the post!*

I’m a little late getting all my Easter decorations out this year, but I leave them up all Spring, so I’m okay with that.  Normally, I add one or two new store-bought decorations with each new holiday or season.  Not this time!  I came across this fabulous and brilliant DIY craft on Pinterest and knew I had to give it a shot.  After swinging by the original post and tutorial by Steph over at Modern Parents Messy Kids, I set out to gather my supplies.

I had to go to Lowe’s to get the paint for Kasen’s nursery, and while I perused the grays and silvers, I managed to grab a “few” extra Olympic paint chip samples, in a variety of Spring hues.  I did feel a bit of guilt over the number taken, but Micah picked up stray samples others had rudely discarded on the floor, and we turned them in to the cashier, so I think he worked off the “amount.”  I also bought paint and a staple gun, so not feeling too bad for them.

Here are all the supplies I used for the Easter Egg Garlands:

Cost:$3, only because I had to buy some yarn, although it will also be used in another Pinterest DIY project I’ll be working on.

I did use the provided egg template from Modern Parents Messy Kids, for the first few small eggs I cut out.  I ended up using an egg I cut from the paint chip for the rest of the small eggs since the paper was a bit thicker and easier to trace.  I suggest printing the egg template on cardstock if available, or free-hand.  I’m not that brave!  I used an egg Micah created at his sitter’s for the large egg template.

Trace on the back of the paint chips to eliminate marks on the eggs

I was able to get 3-4 eggs out of the sample using the small egg template.  This does include some of the paint name on 1 of the eggs you’ll cut, so if you don’t want the print, I would only trace 2 per sample.  Of course this is for the specific Olympic paint sample.  I was able to get 1 egg per sample with the large template.

Punch two holes in the top of the eggs.  A smaller hole punch can be used.  I had to borrow one from the church, standard single punch, and it was the perfect size to easily push the yarn through each egg when stringing.  I tied a small knot on the end I was feeding through the holes, which made it easy to handle and prevented fraying.  I really like how the colorful yarn looks!

This was a time consuming project for me, from hand-tracing the eggs, cutting them out 3-4 samples at a time, punching them 2-3 eggs at a time, and stringing them together.  It took me a few hours, but I created 5 garlands of about 20 eggs each. I also had to help take care of a attention-craving two-year old, which did not leave my hands free the whole time!

Check out the results!

DIY- Spring Styrofoam Art

Ever had a project idea that took you forever to get around to?  I have had several, and thanks to Pinterest, I now way too many to be reasonable.

I actually came across a DIY project for easy, inexpensive art at my cousin’s house way back in 2009 and stored it in my mental to-do list.

Guess what?  I finally did it myself (DIM!)

I completed this project before I got my awesome DSLR, so I didn’t have any step-by-step photos, but I have some great afters.

Pretty in Pink Projects

I was finally pinned on Pinterest!  Check that one of the ole bucket list! (Seriously, it was on a list; I set my sights high!) After being inspired by a project I saw on Pinterest, I decided to put my own spin on it.  You can see my original post and first take on the Expectant Mom’s Hospital Survival Kit here. Below you will find my latest take on the kit, plus some additional additional fun, simple, and pretty DIY projects.

You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking the button on the sidebar.  (I have some fun boards!)

Now for some pretty, pink fun….

For the Expecting Mom: Hospital Survival Kit

My Own Road's Hospital Survival Kit: Essentials Mom Will Want but Might Forget

I adore this idea I came across on Pinterest!  I ventured on over to the original link at Jen’s fabulous and crafty blog, My Own Road to check it out.

Ever wonder what to take to the hospital when visiting a mom and baby?  Most people take a sweet gift for the little bundle of joy.  But what about the mom?! She usually gets flowers that will wilt or balloons that will deflate.  Pretty, but what about something a little more useful?  Most moms, new and experienced, take a bag full of necessities to the hospital. (Most take things we’ll never use the first time.  I speak from experience!) There are some items though that I wish I would have taken or had with me the first time.  This is where Jen’s, from My Own Road, nifty gift idea comes in.  Why not take a pretty bag full of thoughtful “survival” items?  Jen also created and provided links for the fun printables (in pink and blue) to attach to the bag.  Here is what Jen suggested go in the bag.

Check out Jen’s post at My Own Road to see the detailed list and get the printables.  I’d also suggest checking out some of her other great ideas while there!

Jen got me thinking.  She asked at the end of her post, what things we might include in a survival kit.  Not only were there several items I have already added to my necessity list for when Kasen comes in June, I am attending a baby shower Saturday for my cousin, Julie, who is expecting her first baby soon. (A girl!) I decided I would see what I had in stock to use as a mock-up, and do this fun post.  Here is what I came up with! 

DIY: Tree of Life- Planting the Seeds

I have been scouring the internet from Pinterest to personal blogs looking for nursery inspiration for our second Tiger Cub.  I really want to do something unique and special for my soon to be arrived newest boy.  He has been such a sweet surprise, yet one that has taken some getting used to this time around.  Day by day the reality that we will soon add a second darling boy to our family takes hold of my heart in a way I didn’t think possible.  After having and giving so much love to my charming firstborn, Micah, I couldn’t imagine feeling the same about another child.  Yet, I know it will happen.  I will love them differently, but each with an abundance and overflowing of my very being.

In the meantime, I crave to create something that will show my son just how special a gift he is.  I got to spend so much energy and uninterrupted time preparing a fun and unique space for Micah; spent hours reading what to expect and planning for his arrival, but I am finding this pregnancy speeding by without that same devoted time of preparation.

After many ideas have come and gone I have decided not to go with a fully themed nursery this time around.  This pregnancy has been so different than my first and I’m finding that the boys even “act” different.  Micah was incredibly active at all times during the day and night from the moment I felt the first flutter.  However, Tiger Cub #2 has so far been much more chill.  I’ve felt his tiny flips and flutters for about a month now, but he tends to be much more fluid and far less frequent in his movements.  I don’t know what it is, but as much as Micah is forceful and flamboyant, I get the feeling that TC2 is calm and cool; both wonderful and unique in their own way.

So the first DIY project I am going to attempt is to create a Tree of Life in TC2’s nursery as a focal wall.  I am not an artist.  I can create shapes and recreate crafts I see, but when it comes to drawing free-form; less is more in my case.  Still, after thinking about what symbols, images, and style I wanted for our little one, I kept coming back to trees.  I thought of decals and stencils, but everything that I have come across so far costs a pretty penny.  Since I am once again a stay-at-home mom, this leaves our decor budget a bit small.  Thus, I am thinking this leaves a trace and paint, with a bit of free-form to hopefully create the image in my head.

While looking at decals I came across this interesting tree at dalidecals.com

I am envisioning a tree similar to this, with inscribed words of life within the circles to inspire and encourage my little guy as he grows.  I am going to play with some color combinations before beginning because Aaron and I have talked about cool grey walls with gold and scarlet accents.  I will try and sketch some concept art to include in an update.  For now I just wanted to get the idea out there in the attempt to motivate myself.  Any extra encouragement, tips, or help is always welcome!

Since we are still trying to figure out the room situation for the boys, I’m not sure how quickly this project can get under way, but I will update asap.  Keep an eye out and wish me luck!