DIY Baby Shower

My sweet friend and neighbor was pregnant with her first baby, so two of her dear friends and I decided to throw a bash to celebrate her and the soon-to-be baby!

Scrabble pieces added to a spring

wreath announce the theme of the party

We put touches of 'baby' all around the areas that guests 

would mingle

 Baby blocks spell out the theme.  Frames filled with baby pictures of the

mom and dad-to-be made this party perfectly personalized.

  It's sweet to imagine what baby might look like

editor's note: I am a blog fail...the baby is way born and SHE IS WAY CUTE.

Vintage baby clothes that once hung above my daughter's bed,

were strung on twine and clipped with small clothespins.

 My sweet Logi wanted to add to the festivities

 Paper pinwheels and flowers.  Very simple,

DIY, decorations for this celebration.

Here's how I made the pinwheels:

I had a lot of scrapbook paper sitting around.

I do not imagine I could scrapbook to save my life, 

but I do love the color options and use the paper often.

When I started thinking about decorations for this party, I 

decided I could probably use the same technique 

I use to make puff pastry pinwheels, out of craft paper.   

 I only had single sided paper paper on hand.

I would imagine (but don't quote me) that

one can purchase these squares of paper

with patterns on both sides.

Since I was working with paper on hand,

I used a glue stick to glue the backs of 

2 pieces of decorative paper together.

I mixed and matched the papers looking

for funky contrast.  

After the glue fully set I cut from the 4 corners

of the paper square leaving about the size of

a half dollar coin in the middle.  The square

turned into 4 triangles of paper, attached at the center. 

I put a dot of hot glue in the center and quickly

folded the right side of each triangle to the center.

How cute are they!! So fun and funky and

OH SO EASY!!!  To cover up the gluey mess

I used random buttons, and an additional dot

of hot glue to secure the button.

 

How adorable would these be hanging in

a nursery?

 I used a paper punch in one corner of one of the

protruding triangles, then used fish line to hang

them above the dining table and outside on the

porch to help welcome guests to the celebration.

 DIY floral arrangements.  Use what is seasonal, and

just pop them in jars or buckets you have on hand.

Spray roses in spring neutrals and button mums were my go-to 

favorite all spring, so it was a no brainer for this party.  I placed

them in a vintage milk bottle crate.

 The mom-to-be opening presents.  Her sweet

mom (and a couple of aunties were able to fly in

for the celebration)

 

Mom-to-be with her mama.

 I bought this felt banner in the $3 bin at Target.  It was just the felt 

letters on ribbon, so I dolled it up and with little rounds of burlap and fabric 

(a few layers, held together with a decorative brad).  

I then glued the circles on the store bought banner.

 We of course threw it down with the delcious

spread of food.  I will blog that at a later date...

goal: before baby turns 1

 xo

A Sitting Room

This little area, as you enter our home, was until recently

empty, except for an oversized canvas and wood tent that my in-laws

made for the kiddos when we moved in almost 4 years ago.

Then...I inherited the two chairs shown (see blog post) in the top

 of this photo and that started a snowball effect of:

a. moving tent to the playroom

b. searching for a couch           

        c. oh hell, pulling together this room 

I told the friends who handed down the chairs that the chairs

had become a character in a rewrite of the children's book,

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, because these chairs 

demanded a couch, then a rug, then a table and on and on!

I hope you enjoy the eclectic little pull together, in my new

favorite room to sit and read.

Foreground: chair, small camp seat

that I picked up for 10 cents at 

a yard sale in Minneapolis.  My

MIL recovered it with a scrap of

awning canvas.  

Background: Coffee table that 

I grew up with, once in a 90s green, 

repainted with a chalk gray.  The wood is old

and rugged and I LOVE IT! This

couch, that I found on craigslist for $10.

When I picked up the craigslist couch, I was nervous it was garbage, 

but it was worth a go, as I would only be out $10. 

I called the company that reupholstered

the chairs, and had them pop out to see

my cheapo couch.  They said the construction

was very strong and sturdy and could be reworked

BACK IT UP...

I had originally purchased a couch for

this room from West Elm.  See link.

When the couch arrived the cushions were

an ill fit and one of the tapered legs was too

short.  I was beyond disappointed with the

craftsmanship, but in love with the fabric.  After

the run around from West Elm, I decided to

return the janky couch and order bulk fabric

from them.  The results...AMAZING!

All this, pulled into one with an oversized

tumbled jute rug that is as soft as can be

and a small rug, under the coffee table that

my sweet friend asked me to love.

One of the chairs responsible for this

madness and a darling foot pouf!

When the upholstery company

came to fetch the couch and fabric

to fix it up, I also sent with an old blanket,

that I also grew up with.  It was always

tucked away as a kid, but I loved it

and was excited when it became mine.

Thick wool, this traditional 'Hudson Bay'

style blanket is super iconic, but upon

close inspection, it had a tear in it and 

a big stain that I could not remove.

So...it sat in a cabinet in my home for the last

few years, which felt a shame, so I sent it

to be reworked, with a small drawing of

how I wanted the blanket oriented on a 

foot pouf.  I had this created with firm

foam, so it could double as a seat, if needed. 

Isn't it absolutely darling! 

I am so happy I did this.

It's a good reminder that stuff

serves zero purpose if it is tucked away,

and it you love it, by golly find a way to use it!

I found this sideboard the week we moved into the house, on 

craigslist.  It stores linens for the dining room on one side, and
my kid's craft stuff on the other.  

I can't recall how far back this chair

goes back in my family, but at least as far 

back as my maternal great grandma. 

It is a treasured piece.  

It along with the hand embroidered 

pillow (also dating back to my great grandma),

a coffee sack pillow and a throw blanket that

I bought at Marshalls (I bought the throw for a 

concert, because on the way to the venue we 

realized we had forgotten a blanket...so it 

makes me happy to look at every single day!)

Oh, did I mention that it took West

Elm nearly 4 months to pick up the

defunct couch?  So annoying!

Here's a nice side by side to see the

West Elm Couch (upper) and the

rework (lower).  You will note

that we decided against buttons

on the seats, as we they are 

dirt collectors and can

get caught on pant

pockets and can tear.

Gaaaaw, this couch!  

Bonus: the rework came in at over $400

less than the West Elm purchase!!!

Worth EVERY (saved) PENNY!

xo.

Union Station Denver

My hubby had a birthday last week.  He spent his birthday morning and afternoon skiing (how royally great to be able to ski on a random Friday off in May, which happens to be your birthday...because Mary Jane extended the ski season 2 extra weeks!), then we headed out for 24 hours. I planned our short adventure just 20 minutes away from our house at the newly renovated  Union Station in Denver.

 I thought it would be fun to spend our 24 kid-free hours checking out 

Union Station, because 4 years ago (can it really be that long ago?)

this was our view, for our first 5 months in Colorado.  .

 The Crawford Hotel is right inside the station.  Lovely!

The room we stayed in was so cozy, and it was fun to be staying

right were all the action was, since our trip was so quick.

 Terminal Bar had a wide array of local beers, cocktails and light fare.  

 We sat on the Terminal Bar patio for an hour, sampling beers 

(I still hate beer) and took in some amazing people watching.

 Shuffle board.

 The art deco details throughout Union Station were nearly too much

for my heart.  I loved every corner.  This is a snap of the bar

on the mezzanine level, just above the Terminal Bar.

 Interior of one of the many restaurants onsite, Stoic & Genuine. 

This restaurant was not an option for me, because of my fake

seafood allergy, but check out the sick interior.  In love.

There is zero chance you will leave Union Station hungry.

 After dinner, we popped into Milkbox Ice Creamery, inside 

Union Station.  They serve Little Man ice cream, which is

about the best thing ever (and we used to walk to Little Man, just across 

the river from our apartment that overlooked Union Station)!  

We took our ice cream outside and sat by the fountains. 

I quickly decided I need to plan a day trip down with the kids, 

via the light rail because they would

love to run through the water (the restaurants along the linear

fountains have towels for guests to dry off, perfection!)

 After ice cream, I marveled once more at the

interior design inside the station.  I also

contemplated ways to shove this chair in

my backpack.  I then wish I had packed

like Lane from Gilmore Girls, when she

headed back to Korea! See below.

 We headed to bed and I slept like a bug in a fancy rug

buried in all the cozy blankets that adorned the bed.

The next morning, we woke up and stumbled down

the stairs right into Snooze Eatery.  I mean,

could it get any better than that!  There is

always a wait at Snooze, but on this cool

morning, no one wanted to sit outside, but 

we kids with our Minnesota blood pumping, 

took a table out there and it was glorious!

 Zac and I shared the breakfast pot pie

(helloooo rosemary sausage gravy and 

puff pastry. Wanna get married?)

and the OMG! French Toast.

The mascarpone stuffed french toast was 

topped with vanilla crème, salted caramel, fresh 

strawberries and toasted coconut.  Ridiculous! 

We walked around downtown until the wind 

shifted and brought rain, but that was the

perfect excuse to go crawl back into bed until

we got the boot at check out.  

 

So...the short story is:

GO CHECK OUT UNION STATION DENVER!

xo.

South of the Boarder Smothered Corn on the Cob

I can't even!  This is absolutely the tasty thing ever, and here's the

recipe just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations 

and backyard picnics and cookouts. 

What you need:

cooked corn on the cob, set to room temperature (make in advance, chill)

Hellman's mayonnaise 

chipotle chili powder (sub chili powder, if you want flavor but no heat)

queso fresco (a chunk that can crumble)

On a prep surface, crumble queso fresco.

Mix the mayonnaise with the chipotle chili powder (make it

as spicy as you want.  I did 1/4 cup mayonnaise to 1 & 1/2 tsp powder)

Spread the mayonnaise onto the cooled corn (1-2 Tablespoons),

covering the surface.  Then roll in the crumbled cheese. 

Messy, but worth it. 

Seriously, this is ridiculous!  The sweet of the corn balances so 

nicely with the tang and spice of the chipotle mayonnaise and

the crumble cheese coating brings it all together!

xo.

Favorite Children's Books

I co-hosted a baby shower this weekend.  In lieu of a greeting card, we asked the attendees to write a message to soon-to-be mom, dad and baby in the front cover of their favorite children's book. That got me thinking about a few of the favorites around this house, that we love to read, during our bedtime reading rituals.

 Have you read this one?  I feel like it flies

way under the radar, but it is such a fun

read, with a great message about being humble.

 It is sooo good!

This has been a favorite of mine since I was a

little kid.  I remember going to a book store in

Minnesota to meet the author and illustrator,

and we still read the copy that was signed 

to me, as a kid. 

An honorable mention by this writing and illustrating 

duo is, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. I also have

the signed copy of this book from my 

childhood that we often pull out. 

I had never heard of this book or the author, until

we received a small stack of her books when Logi

was born.  This quickly became our favorite and we

still read our copy of this tattered little board book often. 

Honorable mention by this same author is Barnyard Dance. 

It is still a favorite to read allowed to the kids

(I dig deep and put a little twang in my voice when I read this one!)

This is such a fun and clever read!  This was

introduced into our reading rotation just last

year and it is absolutely a favorite! 

This is MY absolute favorite!  I learned to recite it

when Logi was just a few weeks old and it is still

one that I tell them when rocking them back to sleep in the night.

Our taped up board book shows just how much we love this one.

I am so thankful for the joy of books as the four of us pile into our 

bed every night to read.  It has been such fun, this last year to have 

Logi take on some of the reading aloud. Although, she still much prefers 

us to read to her at bedtime, so she can snuggle in with Benny.

Oh, and I can't sign off without a big, huge shout out to the Berenstain Bear books.

They are a forever favorite.  I remember sitting in my childhood bedroom, on the

phone with Zac (who was back in his childhood bedroom), before we got married,

going through our stacks or Berenstain Bears books, creating one pile of books without

doubles, for our future kids.  A week has not passed, since we had our kiddos, that 

hasn't included the adventures of this fun loving bear family!

xo.

Dining Room, A Rug Update, part 2

So...early this year, yes like 2 months ago, I excitedly
replaced out dining room rug with a navy and white
herringbone rug (see post). Sadly, a week in I realized
the quality was cheap and it would not hold up to the traffic of the 

dining room. I quickly rolled that bad boy up and sold it to a local lady for 

what I paid (score) and began the search...again.

I settled on this gorgeous,  handmade rug out of Pakistan.  

It cost a lot more than I originally budgeted, but sometimes you have to 

pull the design trigger, when a one of a kind piece screams your name.

I'm in love!