burlap pennant banner & full alphabet stencil

one of my most-pinned posts, this DIY Burlap Banner Pennant tutorial, features a banner template and stencil download which is so easy to print at home. my stencil has just been updated and now contains EVERY letter in the alphabet, not only the Christmas words that it previously did. now you can truly customize every special occasion with a burlap banner. (thank you for your inquiries and suggestions on this!)

visit my shop for the full details.

give a basket full of sunshine

my friends and i wanted to give something bright & cheerful to another friend of ours. after some brainstorming, we came up with this sunshine basket!! each of us had only a short time to shop, so we split up and went shopping on our own, taking iphone pictures of our loot so no one purchased repeats. i loved going grocery shopping with only a single hue in mind, sunny yellow!! finding brightly wrapped treats and gifts turned out much easier than i had imagined. it was a fun scavenger hunt of sorts to see the sunny items we had each collected. the basket came together beautifully. even though the items may seem like a random grouping, the cheerful color scheme creates a cohesive sunshine vibe, which is exactly what we were hoping for!

pinspiration / living room makeover

here is a peek at one of my top secret pinterest boards. don't you love them!? after massive hand hooked rug research, i fell head over heels with that pretty graphic one, top left. i couldn't stop thinking about him and hope he's every bit as glorious as i've built him up to be. i wondered if that rug may paint me in a tiny box, decorating-wise. then i realized that one of my favorite artists, maynard dixon utilizes the full range of those same colors. thus, i am gaining more inspiration from the hues in his artwork; every blue imaginable, orangey reds, whites and creams into grays and tans and browns. earthy and vivid. we'll see how it whips into shape. i'm thinking a few accent pieces and pow, a whole new room.

for now we have:
benjamin moore revere pewter walls
honey-colored hardwood floors
white molding
pretty basic furniture that can roll with whatever hits it

find of the day / fab fabric

image source. 

i love this playful TIDNY fabric (available at ikea). it's perfect for kiddo projects; a rainy day marker fest, a special preschool project, add fabric paint for pillowcases, tote bags, or use as the tablecloth for a painting party (drape an art smock over each little chair)! i can just imagine the children chatting and coloring while waiting for all the guests to arrive. it could be a whole doodlebug party theme. oh, cute. i couldn't resist including a yard of it in a birthday gift for a couple artistic little ones.

happy tuesday.

DIY glossy red table / from drab to fab

forget the year of the dragon, for me this has been the year of the paintbrush. in all my years of apartment dwelling i longed for a space (garage / yard / driveway) to drag furniture out and paint it. i dreamed big dreams of do-it-myselfing. so now i'm putting my money where my mouth is and starting to accomplish little projects. this one quite easily landed in my lap!

i snagged this little black nightstand at the swap party a few months ago. and, no, i didn't even have to fight anyone for it. it was left there–lonely and sad–after the guests left, just waiting for a new home. i thought it may be perfect in benji's room. plus i've always wanted something lacquer, glossy and red.. this was the perfect non-committal piece to try it on! painting something for a toddler's room is also a great place to start, no perfectionism or scrutiny here.

it was a quick project; one night i stayed up late and hunted pinterest (see my home improvement board) and jenny komenda's blog (she's amazing!) for good advice on re-painting furniture. these two articles were very helpful to me: tools for painting furniture and i heart oil-based paints. one morning trip to home depot, one drippy can of paint, and one bright red paintbrush later, we had ourselves a shiny red table. three cheers! i love admiring it in his bedroom and try not to look too closely at the imperfections (the spindles were a bit tricky!). the red is the perfect pop. am pondering how i can use up the rest of that can of paint!

supplies for DIY glossy furniture
+ sandpaper and rags
+ plastic drop cloths
+ an old but decent paintbrush (oil-based paints don't come out easily)
+ paint thinner to remove paint from brushes (and limbs!)
+ Rustoleum brand oil-based enamel paint (i used gloss sunrise red)
+ use 2 coats of paint and voila!
+ at least 24 hours to dry

10 (last minute) gift ideas for mom

+ mini mod podge clipboards (my favorite go-to)
+ baby photo brag book for grandma
+ simple silhouette portraits
+ peanut butter oatmeal chocolate toffee bars
+ citrus salt (or sugar!) body scrub
+ ribbon or rag tied flip flops
+ handmade vintage post earrings
+ accordion scrapbooklet of memories
+ the best banana bread ever
+ a cd mix of oldies (include peter, paul and mary, carly simon and james taylor!)
+ bonus // a heartfelt letter on pretty stationery

summer fun from the archives

magical image found via pinterest

i can hardly believe it's may. i feel like i was just vacuuming up christmas tree pine needles! anyway, this is the most fun time of the year for me. reading on the patio, cuddling benji during midnight thunderstorms, enjoying every warm park day, being barefoot and pregnant, waiting for baby, devouring fresh produce, planning summer activities for our little threesome. (dan has already hatched many-a-camp-out plans.) to think that just last may we had a family vacay to new york city and we moved back to utah and started the house hunt (which lasted all summer long). and oh boy, i'm glad that's over. so much has happened in one year. here are a few of my favorite summer activities from the archives.

+ summer kiddo countdown chain
+ a relaxing spa party for one (at home!)
+ the 50th anniversary party invitations 
+ a movie night in the backyard
+ i scream for (homemade) ice cream
+ parades, dress ups and amusement parks
+ the best summer drink: cucumber limeade 
+ i-spy telescopes
+ hunting for huckleberries with friends
+ my favorite picnic pasta salad

p.s. i want to string outdoor lights on our patio... any tips or light suggestions?

making scripture hero binders / remembering Christ

our three year old loves to learn (he is spelling out signs and wanting to read more and more), it's amazing to me how it comes so naturally. i want to teach him about Jesus and how to choose the right and make good choices while learning is still fun for him. his heart is so open, i hope to fill it up with the very best things while he's young. i want to make the most of the quiet storytimes we have together. after a few times of hearing him sweetly bless the Easter Bunny in his prayers, i decided we need more daily reminders of what our faith teaches rather than what the world is promoting.

we put together three thin binders (easy enough to carry, tote to church or the car, etc.) for our family. i made one binder of faith-promoting articles for adults, another for benji full of colorful scripture stories and simple pictures and another binder dedicated to activities and articles focusing on christmas. we included stories about Jesus, and stories of little boys learning an important lesson, powerful scripture heroes, lessons from good examples etc. (i custom made it just for him). and while benji rode circles around me on his bike, i sat on a lawn chair and compiled the articles into plastic sleeves. i could tell this was a good idea when benji kept coming over and asking if i could read him this one and then that one. i love when he crawls into my lap and says, tell me what this one is about... 

i love easter time and am attempting to focus more on Christ, less on chocolates and egg hunts. the articles seen here are all taken from monthly magazines, The Ensign and The Friend.

DIY painting a bathroom during naptime / before & afters

here comes the big reveal on our bathroom makeover. i'm excited.

my cousin whitney and i tackled my purple bathroom head on one afternoon. the key is having all the preparations (paint, supplies, rollers, ladder, tape, etc.) in place before starting. and having a rockstar partner in painting is essential (and a sleeping / distracted toddler is mandatory). so here's the story. dan and i had decided on the paint color long ago (we bought the can of paint back in september!) which is half the battle. we chose benjamin moore creamy white since we wanted something light and fresh. we decided on a butter, creamy hue that would coordinate nicely with the unique tile work already in place. we taped up a couple cream paintchips next to the tiles and found a shade that worked well. i figure, when there is already a color scheme in the works, why fight it?

whit and i worked hard all day rolling the creamy paint and cutting in around corners. our pregnant bellies and the limited space were just the beginning of our adventure. we couldn't be more happy with the result. i am learning to love a good do-it-yourself project, you feel a fantastic sense of accomplishment (even if it's not perfect). now i get to soak in the tub and ooh and ahh over our own handiwork. take a peek at our painting project (and inside my cupboards for even more makeover essentials)...
















resource guide
+ paint color / benjamin moore creamy white
+ shower curtain / pottery barn clearance shelf
(hunting down the right shower curtain should become an olympic event.)
+ fluffy white bath mat (not pictured) / tj maxx
+ oversized blue & white platter / ikea
+ glass containers / found objects from my kitchen
+ small cupboard door hooks / command removable hooks
(looping my headbands and watch on hooks is so handy)
+ towel and toy crate / inherited vintage wooden wine box
+ over the door towel hooks (not pictured) / tj maxx
+ clear makeup organizer / ikea
(every make-up junkie needs a good system)
+ good morning print / dapper paper co. (framed at michael's)

side note / i love these work-out headbands; they never budge or give me headaches. they are created by a boston marathon alum, elizabeth, my sister-in-law. of course i wear them to keep my hair out of my face while making cookies and cleaning the house, which sometimes feels like a marathon.

p.s. if you're keeping track (not sure why you would be), but we amateurs have now painted four rooms in our new home: one (his big boy room), two (our room), three (the studio), and four (the bathroom)!!

citrus salt body scrub recipe

Citrus Salt Body Scrub
1 1/2 cups of kosher salt
2 Tbs. lemon, grapefruit or orange zest (i like a combination)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 small glass jar or other container

Fill your jar with the kosher salt and sprinkle citrus zest on top. Using the long, blunt end of a wooden spoon (or mortar and pestle if you've got one) distribute the zest throughout the salt evenly by stirring the dry ingredients together. Next pour the oil first into a measuring cup. Stir the lemon extract into the oil. Now pour half of the oil mixture into your jar and stir with small spoon to combine well. Pour the rest of the oil into the jar and mix well. Label your jar, tie it with string and it's ready for giving. This scrub makes a sweet gift for a spahhh party, a girls night out or mother's day!

kitchen notes // a 48 oz. box of kosher salt makes enough for 4 jars of scrub. the kosher salt is rough, but this stuff made our feet unbelievably (and noticeably) soft for days! this is a perfect size jar for this recipe; they came from ikea at $3 each. the original source for the recipe is unknown, i received it at a church activity.

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preschool project / cloud dough

notes // cloud dough feels like soft squeezable sand which molds easily into shapes. we love cloud dough. it was messier than i thought, but super fun and simple to make. i was glad i used a large container with tall-ish sides and i was happy baths were directly after this preschool project. be prepared to let little ones think of new things to introduce to the sand. i kept calling it moon sand, because it acts more like damp sand than any 'dough' i've ever come across. however we made lots of pretend pies and cookies with our cloud dough. benji let it sift through his fingers and hugged it in his palms. it's so relaxing. he was thrilled with the impressions it made with his truck tires. next time i'm getting out his dinosaurs to make 'footprints'. and (bonus!) the baby oil softened my cuticles during playtime. the cloud dough has remained soft and moldable for three days; i'm unsure if/when it will lose its awesomeness. there are more preschool projects to come; hope you're game.

p.s. we listened to brad paisley cds throughout our cloud dough experimenting. i'm cramming to memorize all of his music by friday night. we're headed to his concert (haven't been to a concert in forever, plus it's our first country music concert ever)! surely it'll be a night to remember. i love that dan is a recent convert to country music and is totally pulling me into it; every morning we wake up to a little twang with our toast. am super excited. however i'm nervous i'll start crying. his sappy tunes get me every time. anytime i need a good sob fest, country music is my go-to. does it have this effect on everyone?

inspiration for making cloud dough originated with tinkerlab's version.