Weekend Laughs

I came across this "Dear Blank" collection by Sapling Press thanks to Chez Beeper Bebe.  They are so hilarious that I thought I'd share them with you to help kick your weekend off with a smile.  :)

I Heart Heartsy.me

Are you guys using Heartsy.me yet?  It's basically a groupon for our handmade world.  You can get some amazing deals, and it also helps people like me, who stalk a shop but have so much trouble making a decision.  Now, I purchase the coupon, so I HAVE to make a decision and order something!  I've purchased coupons for four sellers so far, the first three being amazing photographers whose work I had been on my favorites list: Sixth & Main, Marc Loret and Irene Suchocki.

++I Am Alice Poppies Photograph via Sixth & Main++

++Delicate Flowers 03 via Marc Loret Photography++

++Bestill Landscape via Irene Suchocki++

Then, this week, I snagged up an awesome deal for PennyWishes.  I'm so excited to get these awesome prints for Luke, done in custom colors to match his room:

Speaking of Luke, the lil' man is walking all over the place, and is now finally able to stand up fully on his own (no furniture required).  He's not speaking yet, though, and I keep hearing his pediatrican's words shouting in my ear: "I expect three words by 15 months".  Well, less than a month to go, and he doesn't say a single word yet.  But, I suppose things do happen quickly with these little ones.  Time will tell!  At what age did your little one start speaking?

Lovelies: DIYs Made Special

1. I love this Easter Egg Bunting by Flax & Twine, and you could easily change the shape of the overlay to suit your needs (shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day, cars for a kids' room, etc.)

2. The other day I stumbled upon A Bit of This and A Bit of That's fridge magnet stories post.  I'll definitely be making a custom magnet set for Luke down the road. (Yay Ninjas!)

3. This Deluxe DIY Sandbox over at Small + Friendly is the [insert fancy car brand here] of sandboxes! 

This Week's Obsessions: Jedi, Elephants and Rainbows

• The Retro Scandanavian Star Wars Prints over at Restyle Shop are going on the must-have list for Luke's big boy room.
• I picked up this Pocket Activity book from the 826 National Store.  The activities and illustrations are awesome, and all proceeds support writing programs for students in cities around the country.
• Making It Lovely's Nicole did an amazing job with Eleanor's Rainbow-Themed 2nd birthday party.
• I love Quinn's elephant cake (complete with circus peanuts!) over at Prudent Baby.
• This chalkboard world map (found thanks to Ohdeedoh) would be awesome for noting where our family is around the globe.

Project Nap Mat: Fabric Hunting

Today, I got some awesome Japanese washi tape in from Little Happy Things, so I have everything I need to finish up Luke's mobile this weekend.  Once that's complete, I'm hoping to turn my attention towards making the nap mat for the little guy.  I've been fabric hunting on Etsy, trying to get some ideas for a mix of fabrics I can use.  Here are some possibilities:

The top left is an organic Beach Mod bundle I spotted at WorthyGoodsTextiles.  I like the idea that he'll feel like he's camping every time he's in it, and it definitely has a fun retro vibe to it.  Instead, I could go with some David Textiles Clairebella fabrics, which are clean and modern looking.  I really like the combination of colors, but maybe they're too "grown up"?  More playful are these Dan Stiles for Birch fabrics patterns with whales, birds, and submarines and the Alexander Henry Beep Beep bundle at xo.gigi.  There are so many awesome fabrics out there, it's so hard to decide!  Opinions are welcome!

By the way, I'm totally obsessed with this group of Alexander Henry Fabrics that I found at Sweet Bobbins Fabrics, too:

I don't know what I want to make with them, but I know I want them!

DIY: Fabulous Felt Flashcards

Do you ever come across a DIY project and say "Why didn't I think of that?!?!"?  That was my reaction when I saw Sew Much Ado's felt flashcards.  My husband and I have had an ongoing discussion about Luke's flashcards, which he essentially ends up using as teethers.  The flimsy cardboard breaks apart pretty easily from his nibbling, leaving a half-chewed mess of cards that we end up throwing away and replacing.  When I found Sew Much Ado's tutorial, I shot it over to my husband straight away as the answer to our problems.

I set off to Michael's to load up on some colorful felt.  I had loads of white felt at home, so I decided to go with rainbow-themed colors on a white "card".  I cheated a bit from the tutorial, and avoided the full-on appliqué part of the process (I'm just getting back into using my sewing machine, and definitely could see a disaster in the making).  Instead, I used felt-on-felt glue to adhere the numbers onto the white felt.  Then, I hand-tacked each number as reenforcement.  I also skipped the grommet and ring for now, since I didn't have that stuff handy.  Sure, I didn't sew very straight around the edges, but I think Luke will love them and, more importantly, won't chew on them!

Hubby is already asking for alphabet cards now, and gave me an awesome idea for a game with these, so it looks like this is just the beginning of many felt projects to come!

P.S. Wouldn't these be an AWESOME party favor for little ones at a rainbow-themed birthday party?!!

Handmade Room: Black, White & Blue Kitchen

These handmade room posts are too much fun!  Here are some goodies that I put together for a kitchen.  I'm loving the awesome "Mmmmmmmmm Chocolate" print, and those conversion tea towels are going on my wishlist!  Links for all the items are below the image.  Happy Wednesday!

Top:

++Mmmmmmmmm Chocolate Eye Exam Chart Print via CJ Prints++

++Framed Antique Style Chalkboard via Chalkboard Originals++

++Handy Kitchen Conversion Tea Towel via Knife in the Water++

Bottom:

++Black and White Tea Bowl Pair via Clam Lab++

++Porcelain Tea Pod Set via Clam Lab++