Living the Swell Life

a cheerful farewell.

2011-09-08T20:43:00.005-05:00

hello my dears. yes indeedy. this sweet stack of pastel children's novels was by far my proudest thrift store prize of the summer.now it's time for a bit of true blue honesty and a complete subject change. the last few months have been tough. i've been struggling to find a balance, as we all do from time to time. i've been contemplating + praying about this for the last 5 months and i've made a big decision.

i am saying farewell to this little blog of mine.

with slightly slumped shoulders and a bittersweetly beating heart, i am choosing to move forward and focus not on the things i cannot accomplish, but to rejoice in what i can. you know the feeling? when you're doing 100,000 things and only doing them 50% well? i am over that. life is so, so full and i simply need to prioritize what truly, truly matters...like faith, family, home, career, and time to just relax and be in between. this blog has been a super important piece, or more appropriately a collection of pieces of my life for the past 4 years. then at some indefinable point, it became more than just a little hobby and more of a nagging responsibility, at which point the joy began to seep out and the guilt began to seep in.

this blog has carried me through so many amazing life transitions!! like moving away from the heartland, a san francisco adventure, a surprise pregnancy, a s pring chicken, and a grateful passage to motherhood. which brought us back to the midwest where God led jeff to start his own tiny little photo business on the side, which quickly grew into something more. we also cozied into our very first home with a craft room for moi and a yard for the boy to flourish.

and all along, i have been so immensely blessed to meet so many beautiful friends with similar passions and enormous, Jesus-loving hearts, many of whom have challenged me to survey my own. this blogosphere is one powerful network. i have been inspired again and again and again. i've been challenged to be more authentic, more creative, more intentional; more appreciative. i gained confidence to throw parties for perfect strangers. i found utter joy in sharing my favorite little craft projects and recipes with you. i even have a little family record of birthdays, holidays, and everything wonderful that happens in between. heck, i eventually even learned how to take a decent photo.

now that we've shared some fond memories and dried ~~our~~ my tears, are you ready to hear the silver lining? good. because there is one.........i am jumping into this photog biz of ours wholeheartedly. i think i may have something to contribute, the foremost of which is my time. last spring i received a golden piece of advice, from an ahh-mazing mentor & colleague: make your business personal. make your blog personal.

at first this did not sit well with me at all. this is my blog, my gig...and our photo stuff is our photo stuff. that's just how it was gonna be. but after letting the whole thing marinade for awhile, God helped me realize that i'd been pretty selfish and how this whole thing made perfect, amazing sense. that's when we got serious about a re-brand/re-design, making way for this whole new chapter. it's been a long time coming.long story short, Living the Swell Life lives on (right here). i have big dreams, big plans to compose a manageable one post per week on something personal, something creative, or something inspiring amid our busy business business. funny how i am so completely at peace, yet completely spazzing about its reincarnation, and my our pretty new space. cheers to new beginnings; to wearing a photographer hat.

and no celebration would be complete without an invitation to the party. pretty please join me? hop on over, update your link, and enter a super lovely new camera strap cover giveaway
(i crafted a whole bunch, just for you)!!

see you on the flip side. but first. just one more of a coy little boy, because i love him so. so. so:

i need to make heart cookies.

2011-08-28T15:15:00.003-05:00

the other day, a little bit bored, g stated "i need to make heart cookies." (lately almost everything has been a dire need around here. we are working on sorting out the difference between needs and wants.) but i totally caved to this one. i needed to make heart cookies too. g helped with every step of the process and i must say, he is becoming quite handy with a rolling pin. once iced and sprinkled, we tied a bunch of them up into a pretty little package and mailed them to my grandma. we lost my grandpa a couple weeks ago and we figured it might be a fun way to brighten her day.
p.s. yes--those are big boy underpants in photo #2. potty training is underway. please pray.

look at the size of this thing!

2011-08-24T14:20:00.004-05:00

hello there. it has been forever. i really hadn't intended to take a summer blog-cation...it just sort of fell to the bottom of the list--and i haven't quite mustered the energy to bounce back.

we've been busy.

i say that every time. last night, after a slightly-more-eruptive-than-usual meltdown, jeff insisted that i stop working too hard and that in order to preserve my sanity (read: and his!) i should just blog for a little bit today. so here i am! yay!
lately we've been crossing all sorts of things off of the summer bucket list:

1. harvesting the garden. to be precise, i snagged 1 barely ripe tomato & 3 bell peppers off our plants before an army of blasted, dirty squirrels destroyed and consumed everything. boo. i guess they need to eat sometimes too--and can't afford the luxury of a grocery store like i can.
2. getting way way better veggies from the farmer's market. our neighbor stopped by with this cabbage last night. it. is. enormous! we can't seem to stop chuckling about it. at this point, all i could think to do with it was take a picture...i don't know how to even begin to eat it.
3. tossing a blanket in the grass and reading/ipading the afternoon away
4. playdates at the pool
5. dining al fresco both on our backyard deck & at a few neighborhood cafes
6. road trips x2
7. evenings at the park
8. s'mores

some pretty white things

2011-07-15T23:10:00.006-05:00

It is the last few minutes of Friday, and I just realized I had a very important winner to share!!

The big House 8810 giveaway winner...

Congrats Jen!!

Email me at swell.life(at)gmail(dot)com for all of the deets!! Hooray for you!!

In other news, Jeff is really, really good to me. I've been working too much lately, and the other day while running errands at the grocery store, he had the inspiration to get me flowers. Of course they probably only had crazily-dyed daisies and horrible wilting roses to pick from...so he had the class & thoughtfulness to bring me a simple bunch of baby's breath. And I love it--all white and whimsical in a little bowl on my mantel. I feel like baby's breath got a bad wrap in the 90s. But I really think it's back, and it's beautiful (when not paired with red roses). Yay!

And that's not all. He also just surprised me with one of these fancy new contraptions: I mean completely blew me away. Woot!!!! At first I was a little taken-aback about the small investment, but I really do think it is complete amazing-ness...We've already been finding free books, snapping little photos, and checking the HD weather forecast before stepping out the door. Tonight I even set it in G's room on the piano solo Pandora station to help him fall asleep! I can't believe that I already can't live without it. I've never before owned something that is actually app-worthy, so I am in need of advice.

What are the best apps!?

giveaway: house 8810

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today I am excited to share a new shop + a giveaway with you! A very warm welcome to a swell new sponsor, the lovely shop House 8810. I'm here to say that this online boutique is a must-stop. They stock a really darling selection of nostalgic + vintage inspired goodies at fab prices. Just about everything you need (over never knew how much you needed) to make your abode the coolest & cutest digs on the block.
Today House 8810 is giving away a $40.00 shopping spree, which can be used on any item, items in their shop!

A girl sure would be lucky to get her hands on this one...In case you need any more convincing, here's a little visual on how I would spend $40:

Very berry napkin for my collection $5 |Red race car for my boy $14.95 | Classic Compendium of games for my entertainment $16 | Wooden folding ruler for my crafting $ 4

*****

How about you? Would you like to go shopping!? Enter once, twice, 3 or 4 times! {Sorry friends abroad, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.}

1. Visit House 8810 & leave a comment sharing an item you love.

2. Leave another comment telling me what awesomeness you have planned on your summer vacation(s).

3. Share a link to this giveaway on your social media of choice, and leave an additional comment telling where!

4. Start following House 8810's

blog /facebook/and/or/twitter
...then leave a 4th comment if you did so!

Winner will be randomly selected & announced on Friday 7/15!!

Happy Monday friends!!

picket fence gals

2011-07-08T14:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my super crafty friend Amanda & I took an impromptu mini-road trip to check out the Picket Fence Gals vintage sale in Lindstrom, MN. Lindstrom is the most adorable little Scandinavian town, with a tea kettle water tower and the yummiest little main-street bakery. Right along the main drag, you'll find the Picket Fence Gals are nestled in a big, white, old, and adorable Victorian house. Once a month (Wed-Sun), twenty-something awesome antique vendors pool their goodies and open their doors for a giant sale of vintage items. They are constantly updating their displays and the treasures are all new every month!
I was so excited to spend an afternoon here! So many fresh ideas and finds. I came home kicking myself for not buying a piece or two...All part of the adventure! However, I did not return empty-handed. I could not resist the small minty-green metal tray, children's book with orange illustrations in the inside cover, and this little wooden octopus puzzle (which I doubt is very vintage at all--but cute, nevertheless).
Happy weekend friends! This poor little blog has been on the back burner for far too long! Am planning a little giveaway + some photos of our most recent road trip next week.

i'm ready to rock the bob.

2011-06-22T20:49:00.002-05:00

I plopped down in my adorable, sweet, and pregnant new stylist's swivel chair this afternoon and blurted out, "I'm ready to rock the bob." Not sure where that came from, except that I've been totally jonesing for some short hair ever since I saw this. I had absolutely no reservations--I was ready for something cute and fun and new and super cool for summer. When we got to the part where she cut my bangs, she asked if I wanted straight bangs. I replied "sure, since we're already going crazy."

And I love. Looove. It fell a little flat before I could get these pictures, but I think my new hair and I are going to be friends. I haven't tried styling it on my own yet, but that dear stylist assured me it's going to be all wash-and-wear from this day forward and I should style it only if I want to look extra sleek.

I've been super sick all week As in, more-sick-than-I-can-ever-remember. I lost my voice for 3 whole days and did not answer my phone or leave the house, because I was literally mute! Thankfully it was all rain and drear, so I don't think I missed much in the outdoor world. Indoors, Graham had a rave and I sat on the couch, thinking about the 1,000 things I wish I could get done.

So today, it felt amazing to get out of the house. Just being back in civilization has me feeling incredibly better. And a fun new haircut has officially brought me though my summer slump. Yay!

a shout out to some dads i know.

2011-06-19T21:49:00.004-05:00

this pic pretty much sums up the sweetness in this day.
i love that g wants to do everything just like daddy...like playing camera.
(although i will admit that i lied and told him there was candy in the viewfinder of that camera...just so he would look and i could take this pic... naughty, i know.)
and i love that he could say "happy father's day" to jeff this morning.
we celebrated with burgers + a bike ride. oh, and naps. naps for all 3 of us.
jeff and g are so adorable together. i love these boys.
i am so blessed to have these boys and that they have each other.

and even though we couldn't hang with my dad or jeff's dad today, i think they are pretty amazing too.

i love my dad because he is the picture of selflessness. my grandpa's health is failing big time lately and my dad has been taking care of him every single day for the last 2 months, in order to keep him out of the hospital/nursing home. and somehow he continues to juggle his 1,000 other responsibilities. there doesn't seem to be an end to his giving and he never ever complains about it. i think that is awesome and a tough act to follow.

there are some really amazing dads in my life.

diy wedding boutonnieres

2011-06-09T22:56:00.006-05:00

It has been forever since I've posted about anything even remotely creative around here and so I've been chomping at the bit to unveil this latest little project... My dear creative, free-spirited friend Amy just married an equally awesome boy named D. She is hands down one of my craftiest friends (oh my, just wait til you see her handmade doily wedding dress!) I was completely honored (and crazy-nervous) when she asked me to make boutonnieres for all of the wedding boys, using things like feathers and non-living notions. The result was a pretty eclectic mix of things that suited her bright, beautiful vintage wedding quite well, if I do say so myself.

feathers: BearyBox
photos: yours truly
based on this great tutorial!

it is summer

2011-06-06T00:28:00.005-05:00

...Ahem. Is this thing still on? Hello! I am back from my world-class disappearing act. The last few weeks have really spiraled out of control with non-stop places to go, things to do, and people to see. I'm trying super hard not to feel guilty for the complete lack of blogging, as life has been overflowing with some hard work and a whole lot of summertime playing.

It is summer! And it is officially our busy photog season...We've shot 5 weddings in the last 3 weeks!! Plus we hit the road for a week and went to visit G's cousins in Colorado. My sil Katie is a way better blogger than I--so go here if you want to see some of our trip pics, and of us snuggling with our suuuper sugary new baby niece!

Just before our big road trip, we squeezed in a gardening day. I let Graham just go nuts playing in the dirt and helping me fill all of the pots with soil. He is 116% boy--he LOVED getting filthy! By the time we were done, I almost didn't recognize him; my little mud man. Afterwards, it took Jeff 30 minutes to rinse him off in the shower! Here's hoping that our little pots bring forth a tomato or two...

the iou project

2011-05-19T22:00:00.007-05:00

Have you heard about the IOU project? It's an awesome idea + unique new venture that combines authentic hand-woven cotton material with smart design and an even smarter business model to make beautiful, quality clothing with tons of integrity. The IOU project is cool because it shares the story behind each and every unique piece of clothing and all of the real people who handle it--from loom to tailor to you!

I sometimes get tired of shopping at cheap mall stores where I can pretty much guarantee that the clothes I buy will either stretch out or begin to disintegrate faster than they can go out of style. I love the idea of buying clothes that have classic design and are built to last. Which is why it's kind of like a breath of fresh air to find a total grass-roots clothing company that is all about sustainability, quality, and individuality. I love that each piece is 100% unique, not made in factories, and supports hard-working people all over the globe.

You should definitely check out the quick video to learn a little bit more. The project launched this month and they are channeling the power of the world-wide-web to spread the word. I'm excited to partner with them through my blog and share some of my favorite items through an online trunk show! Go ahead, have a peek...Then tell me what you think!!

pool school

2011-05-18T22:24:00.003-05:00

Our little G is taking his first swimming lessons! He goes once a week with Jeff to a class geared just to acclimating kiddos under 3 to the water. He is a huge fan and sleeps soo well afterwards. Now that we know he has no reservations about the water, I'd say we're all set for a summer of poolside afternoons. Can't wait. This week I tagged along to his lesson to admire my toenails on the deck and to snap a few photos of the boys in action. I hope you don't mind all of the splashing. I just can't get enough!

back on the bike

2011-05-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Talk about skeletons in the closet: I bought a shiny new bike 3 years ago. And I just rode it for the second time ever. Shame, shame, shame. Yesterday we had a suuper pretty pocket of sunshine amid sprinkles and drear. The warm breeze & dandelions were begging us to come spend a little time in the fresh spring air and we happily obliged. We snatched up the opportunity to take a little bike ride around one of our favorite lakes. I in my new navy Toms, Graham in our new (well--new to us) baby bike buggy, and Jeff in his winter beard...which apparently, is here to stay. The trip was complete awesomesauce. We really do need to get out more.

my makeup bag.

2011-05-11T13:55:00.004-05:00

I am just a regular girl with an ultra-basic beauty regime, but today I'm spilling the humble contents of my makeup bag over on the Sherbet Blossom blog. (As you can see, I am no cosmetic queen--so I may have blushed just a little when Hannah asked me to guest post!) Hop on over to get the scoop!

rug love

2011-05-10T22:34:00.003-05:00

I'd been scoping out rugs for our bare, boring floors for awhile now, and was super surprised by the charming selection + reasonable prices at Urban Outfitters. I finally settled on the pretty batik floral pattern on the left. {Yesterday I ordered it in-store at the Mall of America: an awesome way to dodge shipping costs and I didn't even have to tote it around for the mile-long walk back to the car. Yay!} Really excited for it to arrive at my door and roll out on my living room floor. I think it will be just the ticket for summertime.

it's been awhile!

2011-05-06T17:11:00.004-05:00

Hi there strangers, it's been awhile! In case you worried, I've been alive + thriving. It's just that once in awhile, my to-do list overwhelms my creative spirit and I must take a break and accomplish things...Like scrub the grout in the shower and go to work and take care of my sick boy. At least now that my spring cleaning fever has passed (and my house has returned to a more typical state of chaos), I hope to be around here a bit more! During my week off (off from blogging at least), the loveliest package arrived at my door. I squealed with delight when I opened it to find one of Marta's famous mini diaries. I've always wanted to get my hands on one--and now I have my very own, in the most summery colors, just in time for summer! I just quickly filled out the first page and already I am thrilled by the idea of pausing to notice the simple, daily gifts for our senses.
Hoping you have a wonderful weekend in store!! What are your plans for mom's day??

P.S. I just hung curtains in Graham's room (a project that had been on my to-do list for 10 months!!) It felt so awesome. I will share pics soon!

may baskets!

2011-04-28T17:38:00.002-05:00

Hello hello! Today is spring cleaning at my house, and I must admit, the feeling of organized drawers and neat & tidy rooms is downright exhilarating. There's just something so satisfying about stepping into a freshly scrubbed shower and crawling between a fresh set of sheets. Makes me love my house so much more.

May Day is almost here!! To help you celebrate, I'm guest posting at one of my favorite blogs, A Bit of Sunshine today, with a tutorial on how to make a fancy felt may basket (no sewing machine required). Go have a looksee!!

if you have a garden and a library

2011-04-27T23:19:00.005-05:00

1. you have everything you need: studio mela 2. objectivocupcake 3. peony wallpaper anthropologie 4. wool felt hairpin by sweet & simple 5. via (source unknown)

happy easter eggs!

2011-04-25T16:10:00.003-05:00

We just stepped in the door after a really fun weekend visiting my parents! We had an epic parenting fail on the trip: Shortly after we arrived, we realized we'd forgotten G's little suitcase, including his cute bow tie and boat shoes! Thankfully there was still time to grab him some new duds before the stores closed on Saturday. It was really no big deal in the scheme of things. We still had an awesome time celebrating Jesus' victory over death with our family! Here are a few of our pics from the day--oh and G and I dyed these eggs together! It's so fun that he's beginning to get interested in fun holiday traditions!
Sunday morning Graham woke up saying "Happy Easter Eggs!" How cute is that!? After church + a giant family meal, we enjoyed one of the best warm-sunshiny afternoons so far this year, perfect for bringing the party outdoors with an egg hunt + lawn games. Graham did a great job tracking down all of the eggs in the yard, once grandma kicked in her handy egg-GPS services.
I used some scrap fabric to make mini Easter baskets for all of the cousins. I added felt handles and rick-rack, then stuffed them with pretty pastel rock candy and taffy!

diy little boy bowtie:just in time for easter!

2011-04-22T15:45:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! Am hoping your weekend is rich with candy-filled baskets, springtime cheer, and that your heart is blessed by the joy of Jesus living!! His love for the world, his death & resurrection is the reason we celebrate this awesome holiday. Thanks to his grace, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less! Happy Easter!!I have just one more tutorial to get out of my system this week! Do you have time for a last-minute Easter project? Because today I am recapping how to make a snazzy little boy bowtie. {Plus I could not resist sharing a few of these G pics again!} These are so fun to make with your small scraps of fabric! And although this tutorial focuses on a small, kid-friendly version with velcro in the back, this pattern could easily be adapted for even the most manly-man’s neck…Or turned into a hairbow for the most girly-girl! But right now I absolutely love the bow tie look on little boys. I feel like the simplest bow tie could make even the most spoiled brat look like a perfect gentleman. This tutorial requires a bit of sewing know-how, so I’d classify it as intermediate level--however I promise it makes for a quick project that you can squeeze in between your housecleaning and Easter egg hunt. Now dig in!
Little Boy Bowtie Tutorial:

Supplies:

must have
fabric (6x20" strip)
interfacing (medium/heavy) (4x15" strip) although not 100% vital, this provides great structure to the bow tie
Velcro (1")
scissors
sewing machine
needle + thread
iron
measuring tape

nice to have:
pins
pencil
fabric marker
rotary cutter + mat
Before we begin, just a note on sizing: I found that 15" of fabric for the band created ample room to go around my 2-year-old's neck and shirt collar. If you are making this for an older child or adult, simply measure the circumference of his shirt collar (preferably while he is wearing it!), and add 2 inches of length for velcro overlap. The strap could further be modified to create a more adjustable grown-up finish, but that's a different lesson. :)
Step 1: Cut your fabric into the following dimensions:
2 1/2 x 15" for band
3 1/2 x 3" for center
3 x 20" for bow
Cut your interfacing into the following dimensions:
1 x 14" for band
3 x 10" for bow

Step 2: Begin your bow!
Fold your 3x20" piece of fabric in half the short way (wrong sides facing out) and place 3x10" piece of interfacing on top. Pin these three layers together as shown. Next straight stitch along three edges of the rectangle. Leave one of the short ends open for turning.

Step 3: Turn your bow inside out; don't worry about the unfinished edge. Press flat. Using your measuring tape and fabric marker, mark the center of the rectangle. Then fold both ends in toward the middle.

Step 4: Pin the edges together, then make one big fat zig-zag stitch down the center. You may need to adjust your machine's tension, as this is a little chunky.Step 5: Now fold your rectangle in half again the long way. Make a 1" straight seam perpendicular to your zig-zag stitch (I used my fabric marker to draw a guideline for myself).Step 6: It's time to make the band!
Take your 2.5x15" strip of fabric, fold it in half the long way (to make the strip even narrower, wrong sides facing out) and place the 1x14" piece on top. Pin the three layers together. Sew a 3/8" seam along the long unfolded side of fabric and along one short end. (I.e. just sew 2 sides!) You're ready to flip your fabric into a tube. This can be a little bit tedious, but trust me, it's worth it in the end! Use a pencil with a good eraser to help prod your fabric along. Press flat.
Step 7: Sewing velcro to the edges:
To address that pesky unfinished edge, we will simply hide it underneath the Velcro: Tuck in 2 sides of fabric and fold the edge down into a point (like an envelope). Simply pin a piece of velcro to the top and sew around its border. Do the same thing on the opposite end (and on the opposite side of band). No need to get fancy with the envelope technique on this side, as it is already finished off nicely.
Step 8: Now for the center piece of the bow:
Fold your 3.5x3" fabric in half the long way. (No interfacing necessary for this one!) Pin and sew a seam along 2 unfolded edges. Turn & press. It's ok to leave the open edge unfinished. We will tuck it in and sew it in the next step.
Step 9: Putting it all together:
The moment we've all been waiting for! Use your fabric marker to draw a mark at the center of your band, then line it up with the center of your bow. Next wrap the center piece around the middle of the bow. Turn all 3 pieces upside down, pull the center piece to your desired tightness, and fold in its unfinished edge. Use your needle and thread to manually whip stitch this piece in place. (Or for instant gratification: whip out your hot glue gun!)
Hooray! You've done it. Now stick it on your little guy and party!

guest post:: diy easter bunny headband

2011-04-21T13:41:00.003-05:00

Hello Living the Swell Life readers my name is Rebekah and I blog over at a bit of sunshine. It is an honor to be here today! I have a fun little project just in time for the Easter weekend to share with you - An Easter Bunny Ruffle Headband for all those little girls in your life! There's a lot of steps but let me assure you it's super quick and easy. Are you ready? Ok lets get started: (click on the photos to enlarge)

For this project you will need:
1. 1/4 yard of fabric - I used a fat quarter and a some silk scraps, whatever you have on hand should do.
2. a plastic headband. I bough mine in the bridal section at my local JoAnnes for under a dollar.
3. fabric glue
4. scissors
5. clothes pins
6. a flower embellishment (the one Jessica posted earlier in the week would work perfectly!)
7. pipe cleaners
8. a sewing machine

1. Begin by measuring your headband you are going to cut a three inch strip of fabric at least two times the length of your headband. My headband was 15" long so I cut my strip 40" because I had that much length but ended up trimming it down. You just need enough length to make it ruffly.

2. Press your strip with a hot iron and fold it in half with right sides together. Sew it into a long tube and flip the tube right side out. This is the hardest part - it just takes a little patience!

3. Now iron your tube flat with the seam in the center.

4. Next you are going to sew a little track in your tube by sewing a straight stitch down each edge of the fabric. Use your foot to gage it, about a quarter inch should do just fine.

5. Your ready to slip the tube onto your headband, the fabric will ruffle up as you slide it on, use a clothes pin on one end to keep the fabric from slipping off and on the other end put a good dab of glue and fold the fabric over onto itself to secure. Secure each side with the glue and then clothes pins and let the ends dry.

6. At this point you are ready to add your flower embellishment. I chose a vintage millinery flower with a feather and a rhinestone button to take it over the top. You could really use anything here, a big bow, a rossette - the skies the limit! Glue it on with your favorite fabric glue - I chose to use a small circle of felt on the back but it is totally not necessary to do so.

7. Ok while the headband is drying grab two pipe cleaners and twist the ends together.

8. Shape the pipe cleaners into a bunny ear and twist again to close at the bottom. Leave yourself some "legs" to attach to the headband.

9. With some fabric scrap strips - either the same fabric you used for the ruffle or a coordinating one I chose some raw silk because I wanted them to be fancy. Glue the end of the strip down onto the pipe cleaner and then wrap the entire ear with the fabric including the extra legs.

10. Once your ears are dry you can attach them to the headband by simply wrapping the pipe cleaners around the band and tucking them under your flower embellishment. This way you can remove the ears if you want for use after the holiday!

My little girl will be wearing the ears to our annual Easter Egg Hunt but I will remove the ears for church - maybe :).

I hope you guys have fun making Easter Bunny ears for your sweetie pies. For a boy version you might consider skipping the ruffle steps and simple wrap the same scraps you use on the pipe cleaner ears around the headband.

Happy Easter - may it be full of much joy and life!
xo,
Rebekah

the daffies make me happy.

2011-04-19T21:16:00.004-05:00

This week:
:We're over half way through April and there is still talk of snow in the forecast. I guess that's the trade off when you live in the Midwest, sheltered from more horrible things like hurricanes and tsunamis. But still. I'd much rather be on the beach at this very second.
:The bright yellow daffies are offering so much cheer.
:We are dying eggs and stuffing baskets! Easter is almost here, yay!
:I intercepted 3 garbage bags (and more!) of goodies from my dear friend Naphtali's house, garbage bags that were nearly cast away to Goodwill. {She is amazing at decorating her house...and redecorating and redecorating. So I sprang at the opportunity to go shopping in her house, snatching up hundreds of things from her past interiors. Everyone needs a friend like her. Seriously.} Now I just need to find a way to pay it all forward. So inspired by all these new old things that I am cleaning out closets and organizing the shelves in my craft room. Love having new treasures!!
:Eating lava cakes.
:Feeling a bit broke after cutting Uncle Sam a big fat check last week, plus some other hefty unexpected expenses in the past year. {I truly hope you can't relate to this one.} But somehow in spite of it all, I'm feeling blessed with contentment. We have so much and I love being able to enjoy it.
:Making a very happy girl out of last week's giveaway winner:

rewind: felt flower tutorial

2011-04-18T09:28:00.004-05:00

Around Valentine's Day, I shared this little felt flower tutorial on Little Birdie Secrets. I thought it merited an encore presentation here on my own blog, because its concept translates so well to pretty much any project! I ended up placing this flower on my vintagey pillow, but it would look equally fab on a headband, brooch, or purse--in felt or fabric form.
Step 1 |
Supplies:

*Felt (I love wool felt, but any sort of felt will do. I choose two different colors to help create more depth.)
*Fabric scissors
*Felt tip pen or fabric marker
*Needle & thread (I choose a slightly lighter color so it would be more visible in photos.)
*Chipboard for flower pattern
*Buttons, if desired

To create the flower pattern, you can either download and print the image, or go ahead and free-hand your own. C'mon you can do it! My flower is approximately 2.5" in diameter

Step 2 |

Trace pattern onto felt, repeat x5
Step 3 |

Cut flowers. Note: I prefer to skip step 2 and to simply hold my pattern on the felt as I cut around. Felt is somewhat stiff and easy to work with, so this works well. You'll also avoid pen marks on your edges.
Steps 4 & 5 |

Lay one flower down as a base. Fold remaining 4 flowers in half and pile on top of one another so that you have four quarters sticking out.
Step 6 |

Double up the thread on your needle and you're ready to sew! Begin at the center and make several stitches until you've caught all 4 quarters. Step 7 |

To help ruffle your rose, peel back some of the inner layers and make additional stitches at center to help sculpt the petals into different, more upright directions. Note: If this seems too abstract or confusing--don't fret, you can skip this step also!
Step 8 |

You've got a finished rose! The plain look is very sophisticated, however if you wish to add a button...
Step 9 |

Continue using the same strand of thread to sew a fancy button of your choice to the center.
Ta-da! Now that you've rocked the ruffled rose, go crazy and experiment with different fabrics, sizes, and functions!

**Don't forget, the latest giveaway ends tomorrow!!

a rainbow cake!

2011-04-15T16:54:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to share a few images of the rainbow cake I made last weekend. I actually made 2--one for G's birthday party and a second for some spring photo mini sessions we did. I believe that children always photograph better when incentivized with sugar, so I put together this simple dessert table for all of our little clients at the studio. It was super fun!There are tons of different rainbow cakes out there, so I won't launch into any secret recipes, but I will share a few tricks!
*I used 2 vanilla box cake mixes. You could surely use one, but I messed up a couple of the layers when pulling them out of their pans. (The more thin layers you can make, the better!)
*I mixed 5-8 drops of food coloring in each layer to achieve these pastel hues
*Place parchment paper at the bottom of your cake pans to pull the cakes out easier.
*After each cake has cooled from the oven, cling wrap and freeze them before frosting. They are much sturdier this way!
*There are lots of layers in this cake and therefore it requires lots of frosting!! To prevent it from becoming overly sweet, I used the easiest cream cheese frosting recipe ever:

2 sticks of butter (softened)
2 sticks of cream cheese (softened)
whip together in a mixer until blended
continue to add powdered sugar until it reaches your desired sweetness & spreading consistency!

Thank you all so very much for your input on the children and the internet controversy. You all had such insightful things to say and I really appreciate your honesty!! I think every blogger (and probably every modern person) struggles with where to draw the line online to some extent. I've decided that at the end of the day, you just have to do your thing. Do what you love and do it with common sense. There's definitely bad stuff in the world--but also a lot of amazingness that you will miss out on if you spend your days fearing the unknown.

Don't miss the splendid giveaway going on & Happy weekending!

drawing the line: privacy v. publicity

2011-04-13T13:38:00.009-05:00

Once upon a bright & perfect afternoon, I took a little jaunt with my friend Kayt to 50th & France (a favorite local shopping area). We hit a few old favorites and new-to-us stores and even stopped for a cupcake break. But when it comes to an afternoon shopping stroll, there is seriously nothing better than a trip to Anthropologie to refresh my creative spirits and really get my heart pumping. I brought home these a-mazing party pencils 1) for their bright + beautiful colors 2) for their polka-dots but 3) mostly for their crazy pom-pom ends. Can't decide if I should share the love, passing them out one by one or just hoard them all in a pretty container on my desk...

Also, I just wanted to gush a little about something that's been on my mind this week: The age old debate of internet privacy v. publicity.

I know it's a heavy, heated topic, but I really want you to weigh in.

A little background: Last week my sweet friend Bethany confided in me about a sticky situation she encountered in which a reader assumed too much and sent her a pretty judgmental (and hurtful) email. Today, with her plight still on my mind, the parents at G's playschool were discussing the topic of children & social media. They all seemed to be in agreement that status updates involving your kids have no place on facebook, that their faces/names should never appear on blogs, and one mom even expressed concern over photos in a password protected snapfish/shutterfly account. Yikes. You can bet your bottom dollar that I made no mention of this blog I write where 100s of people look at 100s of photos of Graham every day...

The thing is, I've never been burned. In fact, I would consider social media to be a blessing in my life. Yes, I've received the occasional insensitive comment around here, but 99.9% of this blog has brought forth only good things. I've made amazing online connections and I thrive on your friendships and encouraging words. Plus with the help of facebook and a little kick from twitter, we've managed to build a photography business that helps us pay our bills with little to no paid advertising.

I realize that many of you who read this have blogs of your own, where you share heartwarming stories + photos of your kiddos everyday, so maybe I am just preaching to the choir. I realize that as Graham gets older I will need to be more mindful of what I write about him, but for now I simply can't help but share the joy he is in my life and to write about some of the memories we make as a family.

Up until today, I perceived greater risk in walking out the front door, taking Graham's hand and crossing our street than posting photos of him online for fear of some unknown stalker/kidnapper. (Btw, if the stalker/kidnapper is reading this, I'll tell you right now that you don't want him. He wakes up too early, he whines a lot, and he's not even potty trained.)

I know I'm not the only one who struggles with these things. Are some people just out of touch? Am I just foolish? Where do you draw the line?

giveaway: linkel designs

2011-04-12T13:42:00.003-05:00

Hello & happy Tuesday! The grass is getting greener here by the second--it's the most beautiful spring day ever. Before I head out to soak up the sun, I'm so excited to share some cheery jewelry from Linkel Designs, owned by a talented mama/violinist/and blogger named Kelly! I love how all of her pieces feature sweet colors and elements from nature. Everything is handmade either by Kelly or her mom. I seriously can't think of a better place to shop for a mother's day gift than from a small mother-daughter business! Visit Kelly's blog The Pretty Bee to see even more loveliness!

*****

Today Kelly is sweetly giving away a $25 gift certificate to her shop!!

3 ways to enter | Comment once or x3!:

1. Visit Linkel Designs and leave a comment stating your favorite item
2. Tell us about something new you're doing or wearing this spring.
3. Share a link to this giveaway on your social media site of choice, and leave a comment stating you did so!

Winner will be announced Tuesday 4/19!

graham's birthday surprise!

2011-04-11T00:42:00.004-05:00

We made some really happy memories this weekend celebrating G's birthday. My aunt was so sweet to host a big family bday party, which totally lightened my load. As much as I loove to throw a good party, Jeff and I agreed to keep birthdays simple + special around here for awhile. So on his bday morn, G woke to a really special surprise in his room: A new wooden truck and a giant birthday balloon! We had to snap some pics of his reaction, sweet bedhead and all. {Clearly the balloon out-shined the truck!!}
I can't believe that two years ago we welcomed this little bird into the world and our lives forever changed (for the very much better, of course). I still remember snuggling with him those first few hours at the hospital--the whole world had never felt more at peace. Now he's a full-fledged little boy and I think he gets lovelier every day. I love that we are beginning to converse a bit, as he's stringing as many as 5 words together at once. It's so sweet how he works so hard to spit out sentences. Oh and he counts from 4-11. Not sure where we left 1-3, but that will come, I'm sure. He even says love you mama, but it sounds more like "la-voo!" Just for the record, am jotting down a list of his current loves:
: fire
: fire trucks
: buses
: big cars
: little cars
: tractors
: balls
: puppies
: cuddle couch {yup he's a lover boy}
: peppa pig
: thomas {the tank engine}
seriously. it's so funny how he's hard wired to love big things with wheels. i swear we don't lock him in rooms with only cars to play with...oh boy oh boy. he is 100% boy.

easter inspiration and a banner giveaway!

2011-04-07T23:47:00.005-05:00

the happy easter holiday is nearly here! i've had pretty pastel things on my mind all week. i've been working on some styling for our mini sessions on sunday. {p.s. we still have a couple slots left, last minute!} this weekend we are going to dye eggs and celebrate g's birthday with some family. i am going to try my hand at a rainbow cake! i've decided that stacking + frosting its magnificent hues are just one of those things a girl's gotta accomplish in life. so excited to get baking! has anyone out there made one before? any advice?

excited to leave you with happy weekend wishes + a bit of easter inspiration. can't believe it's just over 2 weeks away!
1. the cutest spring party outfit...ever! by the time you are reading this, i've probably already ordered it. gulp. {ruche | toffee treats}
2. i never thought i could love anything with so little pink so very much {the prettiest eggs | in the little red house}
3. how cute is this little nest, crafted from a vintage book? almost as cute as the glittered green egg inside. {domestifluff}
4. a feather in my cap {petitplume}
5. currently crushing on a sweet novelty camera...not only does it look amazing, it uses 35mm film and takes square pictures. how fun is that? anndd purchasing it contributes to the red cross relief efforts in japan. double sweet. {lomography | diana f}also: kelly at the pretty bee wrote the kindest post about me and is giving away one of my fabric banners! it would be perfect for a spring party, or to decorate your craft room. hop over and check out her beautiful blog for a chance to win this and a bunch of other goodies!!

spring is all around

2011-04-06T21:24:00.002-05:00

today the sun was shining and the whole world seemed extra splendorous. it's getting warm here. ever last inch of snow has melted off of our deck and we even set out our patio furniture. life is so good. last summer i bordered my flower garden with a hundred little irises in hopes that one or two might peak through this spring. i took a little walk this afternoon just to see if anything had sprouted and lo and behold...it is spring here for sure. i love the way that God grows things despite my complete ignorance about the botanical kingdom. i am dying to grow some veggies this summer but know next to nothing about gardening. i've signed up for vegetable gardening 101 at our local library...super excited for that! in the mean time, does anyone have any advice on urban gardening? what are the most fool proof (and delicious) things to grow? and how do i deter those dreadful squirrels?? i found some awesome containers to plant an herb garden on our deck and have high hopes to put a few little things in the ground. green is in and in to stay.

teepee time

2011-04-05T23:52:00.004-05:00

Hello lovely friends! Holy smokes...it's almost Wednesday already. Our life has been so completely full lately (in mostly good ways) and it feels so nice to sit down and take a breather here right now. Last Friday the happiest early birthday surprise came in the mail for Graham...The most adorable teepee from my brother & sil. Isn't it a magical place? It's the perfect size for him and he is a huge fan. Of course he's pretty much incapable of siting inside it for lengthy periods of time, but he's on a huge hide-and-seek kick and adores running in, out, and around it. This thing has been known to sneak slowly across the room when he is inside, like a cartoon. It is the funniest thing!

vintagey pillow

2011-03-31T14:39:00.002-05:00

For the last few years, our living room has had a ton of red in it--a little too much red in my opinion. When a friend who for the longest time knew me only through this blog came to our house for the first time, she told me she was surprised at how traditional our decor was--because it didn't seem to match the aesthetic of my blog at all. I've been so inspired by her complete honesty. It gave me just the momentum I needed to ditch the solid red Ikea throw pillows that have been holding me down and mix up our wall hangings at the same time. It reminded me exactly how important it is to surround yourself with things you love and to make your home a place that is a greater extension of your heart. So this week I stitched together this little throw pillow and am welcoming in a new era: If I love it, it stays. If I don't love it, it goes. It's my goal to swap out all of our living room throw pillows with colors + notions directly from my vintage stash.
Doesn't this one just make you want to lay in the sun, watch the geraniums grow, and drink lemonade all day? It's summer in a 20x20" square. Just what I needed to erase the gloom around here.

craft wishes

2011-03-30T14:11:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I told you all about how I wished I had more time to craft--an today I am spending my time listing things I wish I could craft {instead of actually crafting.} Sigh. 1. a few of these lovely pillowcases via decor8 would be so perfect for taming my growing stash of vintage sheets.
2. move over barbie dream mansion, the little girl in me wants a doll house suitcase something fierce. the adorableness is killing me (from hartandsew).
3. dottie angel, you've done it again with this whimsical old lampshade...a hangy-me-jig is a lovely name for it too.
4. oh hello friend remains one of my all-time favorite blogs. look at this beautiful book of notes she and her brothers put together for their mom's last chemo treatment!

Thanks for your kind comments about my bow tie boy and my job over the last few days. I swear I'm not just fishing for compliments...God just blesses us amazingly, especially with sweet friends like you.

In other fine news, I had the privilege of sharing a tutorial on how-to rock a little boy bowtie on the fabulous Papernstitch creative blog. You should check out the Papernstitch marketplace sometime also--it showcases some of the best handmade/vintage stuff around. Especially if you're like me and sometimes feel bogged down the plethora of choices when shopping on etsy. Brittni has an awesome eye and has narrowed it down to some really quality, lovely things!

weekendish

2011-03-29T01:09:00.006-05:00

if you've read this blog for any length of time, or know me in real life, you might know that i am an icu nurse by night, and blogger/mama/crafter/photog by day. (and yes, i sleep sometimes too.) sometimes i wonder what life would be like if i could be a stay-at-home mama and spend more time in my creative pursuits. but honesty, its a tremendous privilege to be able to care for someone's critically ill baby and i feel blessed that doing so helps support this little family of ours in return. i work a lot of weekend night shifts, which makes for a pretty topsy-turvy lifestyle. when your day ends, mine is only beginning. and when your week begins, mine is sometimes just ending. i just finished a long stretch of work this weekend and am happy to report that my rendition of a relaxing weekend has just begun...believe it or not, people like me LOVE mondays. (because they feel more like fridays.)

four things i love about this week(endish):
1. a new pair of glittery gold ballet flats.
no more socks, since i hopefully won't be trudging through snowdrifts anytime soon. it is officially ballet flats, toms, and sandals from here on in. (ok, and the occasional wellies on rainy spring days.) does anyone else hate wearing socks as much as i do?
2. a chance to finally read one thousand gifts (a beautiful friend just sent me my very own copy.) if its anything like its cover, its going to be absolutely wonderful.
3. watching the diving bell and the butterfly. oh my, it is a must-see. i am a huge sucker for french films...it seems like they are always 10x more aesthetic.
4. tossing dinner on the grill for the first time this year. mmm...nothing beats a little charcoal.

what do you love about this week?

a spiffy boy in a bow tie

2011-03-25T16:43:00.003-05:00

Would you believe that my sweet little bird turns 2--two weeks from tomorrow? We jumped the gun just a bit and did a quickie shoot with him to get some nice 2-year-old photos for the old album. {They also served a dual-purpose, promoting our upcoming mini sessions.} Graham is so stinking busy all the time and it's getting tough to get him to sit still for more than 2 seconds for pictures. But I seriously love that about him--and I love all of the action shots. Thanks Jeff for getting these sweet pictures of our little cutie!

...And to think that once upon a time, he fit inside this little Easter basket!?

chasing elephant tracks winner announced!

2011-03-25T15:24:00.004-05:00

Hello & Happy Friday! Thanks everyone who checked out this week's interview/giveaway with Steph from Chasing Elephant Tracks! I loved hearing about all of the spring craftiness going on. It's so inspiring to me. So thanks everyone!! Enough jibber-jabber, I'm excited to announce where that cheery yellow Annabelle bag is headed...

Congrats Kelly! Please drop me an email with your mailing address to claim your beautiful prize at swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com.

As for the rest of you, please don't forget about the amazing opportunity to enjoy 15% off in Steph's shop through the end of the month. Simply use coupon code SWELLLIFE in the checkout.

spring things

2011-03-24T20:38:00.002-05:00

I know I shouldn't be shocked at the sight of a March snowstorm in Minnesota. I shouldn't be surprised at the thought of strapping on my boots and reaching for a shovel, but I'd much rather pretend that the events of this week never happened. Inside we are welcoming the birds and buds in full spring-fever fashion. And I can't seem to stop with the bowties. They are so so fun to make! Just a sneak peak for now...Graham will be modeling his tomorrow!

Pretty please don't miss your chance to win this gorgeous sunshiny handbag. You're going to kick yourself if you don't enter this week's giveaway!

my tuesday muse: navy + gold + green

2011-03-22T20:41:00.003-05:00

It's really tough for me to imagine a life without pink, but I'm trying oh-so hard. Right now I'm loving navy + blues + green with a twist of gold. They look so super clean and grown-up together.

Over the weekend I hauled out my sewing machine and dominated the dining room table. Um, yes, I have a craft room and yes, I still prefer bringing everything out to the dining room to really spread out. That way my craft room stays cleaner! Plus from a logistical standpoint, it's just plain easier to keep an eye on the boy and the stove at the same time...

Back to sewing: I made some cute bowties for Graham which I promise to share soon! Since then, I have been staring at an unassuming pile of navy + white striped fabric just begging to be turned into shades for Jeff's office. It's been somewhere on my to-do list for the last 6 months, but today I'm equally loving it in its neatly-folded state next to a stack of pretty threads and measuring tape. Oh dear. I get more than a little side-tracked sometimes. There are still 7 bare naked windows in this house, begging for some serious attention. On the sunny side: I am embracing this process, no matter how long it takes.

giveaway: chasing elephant tracks

2011-03-21T00:00:00.003-05:00

Hello & Happy Monday! Just in case you missed your crack at winning a handmade bag last week, I'm delighted to report that I have another beautiful crafty friend to introduce to you today. I've known Steph of Chasing Elephant Tracks since forever, I believe. We became BFFs once upon a time at summer camp. Fast-forward a few years and we were roommates our freshman year of high school. That's right--no typo here. High school roomates. Ready for some crazy trivia? I went to a little Christian boarding school for high school where I lived in a dorm far away from home. I met Steph, hubs Jeff, and that awesome girl Beth there too. The idea of boarding school is a little weird, I know, but we all grew up to have cute etsy shops and blogs, so I assure you--it's not really that weird. And I've totally digressed. Back to Steph.

Steph's bags, wallets, and patterns are meticulously crafted and knock-your-socks off gorgeous. Her fabric choices look like a basket of Easter eggs on your computer screen, don't you agree!? Her stuff is seriously so fabulous that even Ty Pennington is tweeting her. I am so tickled that she agreed to do a little feature + giveaway here and sewed the cheery yellow Annabelle Handbag just for the occasion:
{Approximate Dimensions: 10" wide at top, 11"wide at widest point, 9" tall, 21" strap}
Bag has two inner pockets and a magnetic closure to keep things safe and sound
Fabric (swoon!): Kumari Garden

There are 3 chances to win this absolute gem of a handbag (leave 3 separate comments to boost your odds!)

1. Visit Chasing Elephant Tracks shop (and add her to your circle while you're at it!) then leave a comment sharing your very favorite item.

and/or

2. Leave another comment sharing some spring craft inspiration. Something you are making or just something awesome you've spotted lately.

and/or

3. Share a link to this giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook and leave an additional comment sharing the link!

One lucky winner will be randomly chosen + announced on Friday 3.25!
PLUS: Everyone is a winner using this sweet little discount at the checkout:

Q|A with Steph:

1. What's up with the name Chasing Elephant Tracks?
When I was in college working on my degree in Creative Writing, my head was constantly filled with words and phrases. They jumped into my brain at weird times...while I was eating a sandwich, checking my email, talking on the phone... If a phrase popped in that I really loved, I wrote it down for a future poem or short story. That’s how “chasing elephant tracks” came to be. When I decided to open my shop, I looked at my list of oddities and this one jumped out at me. I loved the idea of chasing something that was bigger than myself; something that could take me somewhere I had never been before. That was what my Etsy shop was to me – a new adventure with an unknown destination.

2. Where did you come up with your sweet sewing skills and what inspired you to start your shop?
I have my mother to thank for the sewing skills. When I was in the sixth grade, she helped me make my first sewing project...a black jumper with a neon fish print. Yes, I really was that stylish. I wore it for my sixth grade school pictures and never felt lovelier, despite my uneven bangs and overactive cowlick. From then on, I was addicted. I adored the feeling of taking a yard of fabric and turning it into something I loved.

My shop was a product of my graduation from college. When I was done with my degree, I needed a new project to conquer. My shop gave me an opportunity to keep exercising my creativity on a daily basis.

3. Describe your perfect day.
Fried food. A movie. My husband. My pup. My sewing machine. Ultimate perfection…

4. If you had the chance to become BFFs with a fabric designer and have an unlimited lifetime stash of her designs, who would you pick?
If you take a peek through my shop, you will probably be able to figure this one out fairly easily. I must admit, I am madly in love with Amy Butler. Her patterns, her fabrics, everything.

5. Where can we find more of your work?
Unfortunately, right now the best place to find more of my work is inside of my little brain. I am currently back in school, so my sewing just isn’t getting the attention I would love to give it. After my August graduation, I hope to devote more time to my seamstressy pursuits and put some of the ideas I have stored in my brain into action. I would love to wander into the world of real, live, craft shows...but, we’ll just have to see where the adventure takes me!

diy recycled crayons

2011-03-20T20:26:00.002-05:00

Graham & I just got back from spending a few days with my parents, where we made a batch of super swirly fun toddler crayons. {I saw this idea here a couple years ago--and always thought it would be so fun to do with my own kiddo.} Grandmas always seem to have an amazingly endless stash of dull old broken crayons just dying to be melted into something new and even better; begging to be saved from the circular filing bin that lies beneath the kitchen sink. These turned out so pretty, like a well-needed splash of color on a dreary early spring day and I had to share. I had to borrow my little bro's point and shoot, so sorry the pictures are a little fuzzy! {Note to self, never travel without your camera. You should have learned that by now.}

So by now you're dying to melt your own batch, right?

Here's how:

Supplies:
muffin tin (we used a mini circle size, but how fun would it be to make these heart, cloud, or flower shaped!?) and no, the pan did not get ruined. it's just a little wax!
crayons of all colors and kinds
oven
freezer

1. Unwrap & break crayons, then plop them straight into the tin. I was pretty conservative about mixing colors, but there are no rules here. go crazy!

2. Fill tins about 1/2 full with crayon pieces. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until wax is completely melted. Allow to cool completely. Hooray--you've got crayons that look something like this:
4. Flip pan over and give each hole a good tappity-tap. If some of the crayons don't pop out immediately, don't fret. Just stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes then try again. They should come out with minimal effort.

5. Admire your pretty results and snap a quick pic before sharing them with busy little hands.
Note: Glitter or metallic crayons are the best! I love how our glittery green and the metallic silver mixed with purple turned out.

guest post and a giveaway winner

2011-03-18T11:06:00.004-05:00

Hello & Happy Friday! Today, in addition to splashing in puddles with the boy, am so excited to share that I am guest posting today over at marta writes, one of my all-time favorite blogs, while she is spring breakin'. How fun is that? She is one of the most beautiful writers I've ever read, so you can imagine how rosy red I blushed when she asked me to share some of my own humble words in her space. You can read my responses to her 15 fill-in-the blanks here!

*****

And the winner of the adorable Retro Floral Bag from the lovely Naphtali at On Second Street:

Carolyn said...
and my favorite bag is the darling pleated echino bag!

Congrats Carolyn! Please shoot me an email with your mailing address so you can tote it around as soon as possible. swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com.

Happy weekending! Hoping you have some fun and relaxing activities planned. xo

2011-03-16T16:07:00.003-05:00

1. the sun is shining very much and magically erasing all of that horrible gray + white. the sight of grass (even if brown and soggy) never looked better.
2. dreaming about planting things. soon.
3. i am taking the lad on a little road trip to visit "gamma gappa big house" so that jeff can get a little work done around here.
4. our taxes are done. jiggidy-jig.
5. i have a date for sewing on my calendar. i want to make graham a little bow tie for easter. how snazzy is that!? does anyone know of a great tutorial?
6. am making tropical cucumber salad and cinnamon scones, not necessarily in that order.
7. finally watching the social network.
8. getting my hair cut, but keeping it long, because i've been practicing some new school braids.
9. drinking a minty green milkshake. loving that i don't even have to be irish to partake.
10. washing up a fresh batch of vintage linens from the thrift store. how happy is that?

giveaway: second street designs

2011-03-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

I realize that Meet the Maker Mondays have been few and far between, but I enjoy bringing it back every now and then, for a good interview + giveaway whenever lovely goods & people come along. (btw--if you and your crafts are ever interested in being featured--please get in touch!)

Some quick introspection: The worlds of blogging and crafting are such happy places for me. I double love blogging about handmade things, and I triple love reading some of the real-life details of the makers themselves. This blog has been so much more than a creative outlet for me, and it's helped me grow in countless ways, especially in viewing my life through a more authentic, joyful lens. Better yet, it's connected me to some of the most genuine, caring, and creative women the world has ever known.
And every once in awhile, I've received precious opportunities to meet fellow bloggers in real life. It's strange how a perfect stranger can seem more like an old, dear friend with whom you have nearly everything in common.

Today I feel really blessed to introduce just one of those girls: my new/old friend Naphtali of On Second Street. Her blog is one of the first I ever found/read, and can't believe that four years later we've finally gotten around to getting together once in awhile. She also has a super lovely etsy shop, Second Street Designs, which is currently filled with some seriously classy handmade bags that no spring wardrobe should do without. The elements she uses are sometimes vintage, sometimes unexpected, and always lovely.

*****

Q|A with Naphtali:

1. What do you love most about Second Street Designs?

I love having a creative outlet. I love fabrics & colors and enjoy mixing and matching them so having my little shop allows me to "play" with colors without repainting my house all the time. (because yes, that is what I do when I need a color fix.)

2. Describe your perfect day.

Hmmmm, well to start with my perfect day would be about 20 hours long. I would love to sleep in, work out, enjoy a leisurely coffee/brunch with a friend, do a little shopping - maybe at a store like hunt and gather - and still have energy to find homes for my treasures when I get home. Then I would invite some favored friends/family over for a special dinner and the day would end with some snuggling time with Aidan while I read him a book.

3. You're a busy mama, career woman, and somehow maintain an inspiring blog and a well-stocked etsy shop on the side. How on earth do you do it all!?

Oh, I don't do it all, please believe me. Blogs just show a little "snapshot" of our lives, they don't always focus on the dirty corners, dusty shelves, crabby mornings, neglected workout clothes, frozen waffles for dinner or the Valentine decorations that are still gracing my front window. But I do really try to use my time wisely - I probably drive my family crazy b/c I am usually busy and I always assume everyone else needs to be as busy as I am.

4. Name a craft supply that you simply could not do without:

I love fabric. I have tried every craft in the book over the past decade (jewelry making, paper craft, mosaics, painting, cement molding, wire art, etc) but I always end up back at the fabric store. My first job was at a fabric store and I think that was when my love affair began. I was always fascinated by the customers and their plans for their fabrics and {suprise!} even at age 16 I had pretty strong opinions about their fabric choices. ( but I did my best to keep them to myself.) I also should keep it real and tell you that the only reason I worked at a fabric store was because my dad thought it would be a "safe spot" and would keep me out of trouble. (i.e. boys)

5. Where can we find more of your work?

Right now I only have the Etsy shop and some stock in my sewing room. I have taken a little break from art fairs and local stores in the past few years as I have gotten busier as a mom and with my job. If you are local you are always welcome to do some shopping at my house. I don't know what future plans I have for Second Street Designs but I love the outlet it provides me so even though I sometimes take a little "break" from sewing I usually end up coming back. I always like to have little projects in my life - so when I am "project free" i typically stock up my Etsy Shop.

Today Naphtali is kindly sharing her sweet + sturdy Retro Floral bag with one lucky reader.

It's actually constructed from a bunch of Anthropologie towels--seriously friends, it doesn't get any better than that. The bag measures 17x12x24". There are two medium sized inner pockets and a vintage bicycle pin embellishes the outside of the bag:
There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment below sharing one thing you always have stashed in your favorite bag (i.e.) simply cannot leave home without.

and/or

2. Visit Second Street Designs and leave a separate comment sharing your favorite.

and/or

3. Blog, tweet, facebook, (or why not even pinterest!?) this giveaway and leave a third comment sharing the link.

Winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday 3/18!

there will be cloudy days.

2011-03-11T23:38:00.006-06:00

(clouds via| moccasins via)

I was at work in the wee hours this morning when I stopped dead in my tracks to watch some of the first videos from Japan. My heart has been breaking for them all day. I'm blessed to have never experienced a natural disaster first hand--and I can't even imagine the pain going on there. Life is so so fragile and am hugging my boys a little extra today. I really want to find ways of helping--have you heard of any unique outreach opportunities in blogland?
Romans 8:35-39 friends.

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. It seems that I'm a little bit drained. Am hoping to spend this weekend unplugged and to refuel my creative juices. I have a fun little giveaway in store for Monday!

my tuesday muse: emerald green + yellow

2011-03-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Ever since pinterest swept me off my feet about a week ago, I've been trying to dream up a new name for my little Tuesday collections. It's so lovely to put together a few images that inspire my week--but pinterest tuesday just didn't have the same chime as tumblr tuesdays. So here's my new angle: I'm re-introducing the mini feature as my tuesday muse. What do you think?

This week I'm super attracted to yellow with emerald greens and dark turquoise. Isn't it a smart combo? Find more of my latest inspiration here!1. {via} 2. green cardigan {via} 3. clocks by kelly rae roberts {via} 4. desk {via} 5. grin & share it {via}

luckiness

2011-03-06T15:40:00.005-06:00

A whole week into March already--how happy to think spring could be just around the corner.

I'm really excited to tell you about the new photog technique I just learned called free-lensing. Basically, you snap photos without actually attaching a lens to your camera body. Instead--you hold the lens near the body and use manual focus. It produces some whimsical, antique looking photos with great vignettes without fancy films or photo shop actions. It's also makes for a great poor-man's macro lens and lets in extra light (what a huge bonus on a dreary winter afternoon!). It just takes a little practice and a little luck. I am loving how organic and unconventional it is. Can you believe the tea cup above is straight out of the camera? Mark my words, there will be much more where this came from...

Besides more free-lensing, here are a few things on my to-do list this week:
-learn to make pad thai
-read this book (that will be #4 for the year. i'm on a roll friends!)
-get my sewing machine fixed. (again.) it's funny how much i miss it so when it is out of commission.
-tuck away all of the hearts and decorate the house with a few pretty spring things.
-find the perfect rugs for our upstairs bedrooms. excited to share pics of the little makeovers going on here!

*****

And now to announce last lucky week's giveaway winners from My Little Dear! The adorable felt flower headband goes to:

Chanelle said...

I love lots of things my little girl does, but I think one of my favorite things she does is when we say back and forth "I love you more, no, I love you more!".

And the ABC onesie is headed to:

{lovely little things} said...I loved spending summers at my grandparents home in Southern Oregon. We'd go out on the rowboat across the river to the ropeswing, pick ripe blackberries off the vine until our fingers were sticky sweet, and play tag, pretend, and you name it until dusk settled in at night. The best was when it would storm and winds would flail, and pink lightning would cross the sky as we'd stay protected inside our screened in porch watching all the mayhem outside, while playing board games with family. Good times.

Congrats ladies and thanks so much for playing along! Please send your mailing address (and Miss Lovely Little Things--please indicate your size preference!) to swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com.

Happy happy Monday.

washing dishes

2011-03-03T23:11:00.006-06:00

This boy has always loved water, but this week he is on a huge dishwashing kick. Anytime he spies me in the kitchen, he'll attempt to drag a chair in from our dining room saying "help, chair, help chair, dishes, help."
I love his gumption.
A few months ago, my mom dug out a little Peter Rabbit painting smock that my grandma had given me in pre-school. I love that she saved it and I love putting it on Graham. It doubles as a wet suit for dishwashing. Although, somehow he ends up completely soaked to the bone every time, with or without the smock. (Perhaps it's all the dishwater he is ~~dumping~~ err, drinking. Tomorrow I will try the raincoat.
P.S. don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!

heirloom tomato salad

2011-03-01T22:20:00.002-06:00

The swank restaurant where Jeff used to work in San Francisco served a luscious heirloom tomato salad that I've always been meaning to replicate. (I often wish I could replicate the entire menu.) It's truly just a variation of the traditional caprese salad, fancified with burrata cheese (the creamier, more delicious cousin of mozzarella) and colorful heirloom tomatoes. The perfect opportunity arose this weekend, when we hosted a little shin dig to celebrate our birthdays along with one of my bffs. The menu was simple: wine, appetizers, and all kinds of sugar.
This flash-blasted photo doesn't quite do it justice, but I simply had to grab a pic before we devoured it that night. All those pretty tomatoes make me so hungry for summer, when you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be making this again (and for a fraction of the cost).

Heirloom Tomato Salad:

This recipe is totally adjustable. Just start chopping and tailor the proportions as you please.

1 pint colorful heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, torn
2 - 2.5 ounce rounds burrata cheese, cut into small chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarsely ground black pepper and kosher salt

Combine first 3 ingredients on a large plate. Drizzle with olive oil (a little lemon juice might also be wonderful!), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. buon appetito.

if i owned a pair of rose-colored glasses,

2011-03-01T14:02:00.004-06:00

this is what I'd hope to see:

1. project wedding via chelle bruzas 2. martha stewart 3. highteaforalice 4. yayeveryday via kmalesh

I have a confession: I've left tumblr for a new love: pinterest. It's nothing personal. It's not that I won't be updating my tumblr every now and then--it's just that pinterest is currently rocking my world. The little librarian in me loves that I can categorize all the pretty things I see. Mix & match, share & stash. A little more collecting, and it's going to sum up my wildest dreams. How fun to have a place to gather your whole aesthetic. At first glance, I thought it might be just another guilty pleasure. But then I found this quote:
How do you enjoy wasting your time?

my little dear giveaway!

2011-02-28T08:59:00.003-06:00

Hello & Happy Monday, my friends! We had a pretty mellow weekend around here. (I love that sort!) I'm excited to unveil a new little feature around here...I've added pages. I had no idea how easy it would be! I have a few more in the works--but for now you can click the links above (and directly below the title) to see some of my favorite recipes, craft tutorials, and learn more about our photography. I'm so excited--I feel like my blog is becoming user-friendly...even better than just plain friendly. :)

In other news, I'm really excited to offer a fun kid-friendly giveaway today! Amanda at My Little Dear Kids has kindly offered to share one of her awesome ABC shirts (size 0-3 months - 4T) plus a pretty headband (for girls 3 and up) with us. We've developed a great relationship with Amanda over the last year and have enjoyed doing a few photo shoots of her products. She is a fabulous graphic designer + crafter with great style sense. I'm so excited that she's finally started a brand new blog, full of (even more) eye candy.
There are 3 different ways to enter and win a shirt or headband. Do one or all 3 to up your chances of winning:

1. Leave a comment below sharing something sweet about childhood (either your childhood, or a story about a kid in your life)

2. Link to this giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook--then leave a separate comment sharing your link.

3. Like My Little Dear on facebook. (And leave an additional comment stating you did so.)

Giveaway ends + winners announced Monday 3/7. Good luck lovelies! :)

fighting fires

2011-02-27T14:48:00.004-06:00

The other night, Graham got to wear his new fire truck jammies for the first time, and was so super giddy about it. They're lame and cartoony, I know, but he got to pick them out himself at Target. He was so proud of them and being such a little ham, which made the perfect opportunity for a pseudo-photo booth (in our living room). Little did we know, they were impetus for his latest fetish. We've been watching fire truck movies on You tube and talking about fire trucks all day long. I love how he is turning into such a little person with his own interests and tastes. His latest surge of independence has come with a price--the melt-downs have totally spun out of control. Gosh, I love this kid, but I'm not going to lie; he's been really tough the last few days. I thought the horrible crying spells were over once we graduated from colic land...but the twosies are upon us and I'm afraid that things are going to get worse before they get better. The fact that he's too young to understand rationale and reason is super hard right now. Thankfully, crazy happy pictures and sweet little memories like these preserve my sanity and make it all worthwhile.

today:

2011-02-24T16:22:00.003-06:00

We are enjoying the last whiff of life from my little Valentine's Day bouquet. (I love it when flowers last for longer than a week!) I so wish someone would invent electronic smells so that you my friend could sniff these through your computer screen. The giant white lillies are filling our house with the most happy perfume.

My little bug is running a fever. He's been saying "cuddle couch" all day. Hoping he feels better soon, but in the meantime I'm relishing the fact that he's curled up in my lap.

And I am super excited to make this Chicken Wild Rice Soup tonight.

a paper cutter and a winner!

2011-02-23T14:23:00.004-06:00

Hello my dears! I've been wanting to show off this adorable little antique paper cutter that Jeff's parents just sent me. (If they are reading this, thanks guys!)
Isn't it fabulous on so many levels!? The blade is actually still sharp, so I can actually enjoy using it.
Although the best part is that it is adorably compact. Just 6 inches across! Can't you just picture a cute little librarian or secretary in the 1940s, wearing a string of pearls, blouse, and the perfect up-do, sitting at her desk and using this? I love imagining the stories behind every day vintage objects. Makes me nostalgic for the person, place, and time I never had the opportunity to encounter...
Are you getting a bit curious about that little piece of paper I just cut?

It's announcing the winner of the snazzy Shabby Apple dress from last week's giveaway:

Congrats Nancy! Please shoot me an email with your mailing address and dress size at swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com!

I seriously had so much fun reading how everyone would wear the dress differently. There are some serious fashionistas in the crowd. I loved all of the stylish jewelry + shoe options!! If it's any consolation, Shabby Apple is offering everyone 10% off your purchase through March. Just enter livingtheswelllife10off at the checkout. I don't know about you, but some new spring things are definitely calling my name.

eye candy for a dreary winter's day

2011-02-22T14:48:00.002-06:00

1. a little sussy 2. canal st martin by cherry blossom girl 3. via 4. via

when enough is enough

2011-02-22T14:11:00.003-06:00

For anyone who has ever been mislead by the title of this blog--I just want to clarify one thing: Things aren't always sunshine & rosy around here. We just got buried under 15 more inches of snow. I wish I could say that it's a lovely coating over the half-melted banks of icy filthy snow...But we are done falling for its downy white charms and fed up with shoveling. If Old Man Winter had a facebook page, I would unfriend him for sure. And if I had a penny for every flake that fell, I'd quit my job yesterday and share a million dollars with every one of you. No exaggerations. But there are no pennies. Just snow, more snow, and a sad little boy with an epic case of cabin fever who just needs to get outside and run around, unencumbered by 15 pounds of snowsuit. The poor child actually wants to help shovel, but sometimes slips on the ice and refuses to wear his mittens. Hoping the snow will take a cue from Graham and have a major melt down of its own. Soon.

On a happier note: I'm giving away a cute dress and will pick the lucky winner tomorrow!!

breakfast in bed

2011-02-19T13:43:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was Jeff's birthday! Graham and I started the day by surprising him with a candle, croissant, and a groggy morning breath rendition of Happy Birthday. Up until this point, I could count the number of times I'd made Jeff breakfast in bed on one finger. How un-romantic am I? It's just that I've never been much of an early bird and I'm not keen on crumbs between the sheets. It turned out that my usual lame excuses worked in my favor, because I think he was truly surprised!The menu was super simple; it only took about 15 minutes to whip it all together: An egg + cheese sandwich in a toasty croissant, cinnamon craison granola with vanilla yogurt, banana, and a glass of hand squeezed OJ. Of course I had to stop at the window outside our bedroom door to snap a few pics of the spread on a cute vintage tray. I wondered if Jeff would wake to the shutter sound of the camera, dreaming that he'd showed up at someone's wedding in his underwear?? You know the crazy kinds of dreams you have about your job?
This one is my fav and I just had to share it. Sky-high ISO, half-asleep birthday boy and all. Love you Jeff!;)

twenty-six thoughts and a giveaway

2011-02-16T21:14:00.006-06:00

photo via

A few days ago I turned 26. I hopped over the hump of twenty-somethings, edged a whole lot closer to 30 than 19, and honestly I couldn't feel happier about it.

On my birthday's eve, Jeff whisked me away for dinner and a little shopping date. We didn't buy anything fancy, just drooled over iPads that we couldn't afford at the Apple store, and yet I returned home with an overwhelming sense of contentment and muchness. I love this season in my life.

Odd as it may sound, I'm finally feel like a legit grown-up. A grown-up who still knows how to have fun and who, ironically, feels more like a kid than ever when she lays on the floor with coloring crayons and sings about the wheels on the bus.

I'm beginning to feel just plain comfortable in my own skin. It's wonderful. I feel like I know more of my likes and dislikes than ever before, and find fewer things getting under my skin. I think I'm learning how to let things go. The more life experiences, the easier it is to see the big picture. You know, that extravagantly beautiful picture God paints in our lives as he calls us and loves us.

I'm learning to rejoice in the little things, which as it turns out, are really really big things. Like our health, having food on the table, the boy's constant messes, and the piles of laundry.

I love being married to Jeff more and more every day. Did I tell you he made me the most extraordinary flourless chocolate birthday cake? {Flourless cakes of all kinds are our absolute favorite desserts lately.} I've tried a few different recipes, but Jeff's absolutely swept me off my feet. He allegedly added 15 ounces of pure chocolate. Slightly snug jeans aside, it was absolutely heavenly and a super far cry from the horrible artificially flavored strawberry box cake he made for my 22nd birthday (although I was still charmed by his efforts).

So here's to number 26, a head full of dreams, and a heart full of joy.

*****

And even though the day + cake have come and gone, there's still a lil' birthday giveaway that I'd love to share:

Have you heard of the Shabby Apple? They are owned by two women entrepreneurs who are devoted to designing stylish and sensible women's dresses, little girl dresses, and cute accessories, and also committed to helping women worldwide. I'm super delighted to give away this simple North Shore dress to one lucky lady. (An $88 value). I love the rosey shoulder and am certain that the waistline would flatter any body type. You know you could use this in your spring wardrobe!

Giveaway ends Wednesday 2/23! And even if you don't win, the Shabby Apple is kindly offering readers 10% off their purchases through the month of March. Simply enter livingtheswelllife10off at the check out. Yay!

*****

You can enter in one (or 3!) ways:

1. Leave a comment telling how you would accessorize this dress, imagining you are the lucky winner. (C'mon, you know you have the perfect shoes or headband!)

2. Give the Shabby Apple girls your thumbs up on facebook (and leave a comment if you did).

3. Share a link to this giveaway on your social media site of choice to help spread the word (then leave a comment to let me know you did)!

*for US residents only, please.

just some pretty things

2011-02-15T21:02:00.002-06:00

1. lynn sheng 2. via 3. via

valentine's day and a little dress

2011-02-14T20:37:00.005-06:00

Hi there friends. We had a really sweet Valentine's Day around here. I had a long weekend of working night shifts, so I spent part of the day snoozing (including a little afternoon nap spooning with our baby boy on the couch. xo.) We're just wrapping up a double date with Jeff's sis and her hubs, watching Top Gun. (The only thing better than watching Top Gun, is watching it on Valentine's Day and blogging simultaneously. T.G. is one of those super special movies for us. Get this: I gave Jeff a copy of it on VHS as a heart-day gift 10 years ago today. We've been together for 10 years already, how is that possible!?) Anyway, tonight Jeff and his sister Jenny made salmon, spinach-artichoke dip, and salad with beets and goat cheese for dinner. Plus we enjoyed chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert! I really can't think of a better way to celebrate. Isn't it funny how food tastes 10x better when someone else cooks it?Just wanted to share pics of this little girl dress I sewed for baby Harper last weekend. I got to meet and snuggle with her for a little bit last week, while chatting with her lovely mama. This is the first dress I've ever made and it wasn't too time consuming at all. (The pattern is from this book!) Now that I've got it down, I can't wait to start on a second one for our new baby niece.

P.S. Exciting news: Graham used (I mean seriously, for real used) his potty chair for the first time tonight!

P.S.S. Stay tuned for a super-fabulous giveaway this week.

2011-02-14T08:35:00.002-06:00

Hoping you'll find a little extra time and inspiration to love on your loved ones today. Isn't it fun to have a holiday dedicated to showing a little love? Read our secret to a happy marriage here!

granola for sweet hearts

2011-02-13T15:05:00.000-06:00

Up until last weekend, I'd never tried my hand at making granola from scratch. I had no idea what I was missing. I'm happy to report that I struck gold with my very first recipe--except for adding the chocolate before baking. {Melted mess=Rookie mistake.} Once I got it right, this family was non-stop munching, by the handful! It's simply the perfect amount of sweetness. I had a solid week of amazing breakfasts and snacks, mixing it with a little bit of plain yogurt. I'm pretty sure that if you sprinkled this over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream you'd feel like you'd died and gone to heaven.

This recipe makes just enough to give and keep. I had a few hostess gifts to give lately, so I divided it into some sweet little jars, added a valentiney paper top, and tied it with string.
Coconut + Chocolate Granola

Original recipe by the good and gracious Orangette. (Love her foodie blog and still need to get my hands on her book.)

6 cups rolled oats
1 c. almonds, chopped
1 c. shredded coconut
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. salt
3/4 c. honey
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 bar of bitter or semi-sweet chocolate (I used 50% cocoa), chopped

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, coconut, sugar, and salt. Stir well to blend.

In a small saucepan, warm the honey and oil over low heat, stirringg occasionally until honey is loose, liquid. Pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine well.

Spread the mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden. Pull out the pan and stir the granola half way through baking time; this helps it to cook evenly. When it’s ready, remove the pan from the oven, stir well – this will keep it from cooling into a hard, solid sheet – and cool completely.

When cool, transfer the granola to a large air tight container. Add the chocolate, and stir (or shake, if using a jar or bag) to mix.

Enjoy!
P.S. The snow is melting here this weekend. Let me tell you, the puddles on our sidewalks are a sight for sore eyes.

valentines, check

2011-02-10T23:28:00.005-06:00

I was beginning to fret over the perfect hand-crafted Valentine design (not to mention finding the time to mass-produce it). After a burst of inspiration at Graham's toddler class this week, I whipped out a stack of purple + pink cardstock, a glue stick, and let the lad do all of the work. Never get between a 22-month old and a glue stick, that is my new motto. {Wow, he is really less than 2 months from 2. Insane.} We were quite the team, morning and afternoon. Near the end, I couldn't cut little hearts fast enough; I'm telling you, this boy is a pasting wizard.

The glue stick was pretty short-lived, so we turned to a roll of double-stick tape next. Of course there were lots of stray glue streaks and tape edges on his finished products, which I completely embraced and finished off with a coat of silver glitter. (Quite possibly our favorite element.) The best part is, they didn't cost us a cent. They were all made with scraps and supplies we had on hand. I am so so proud of the results and can't wait to stick them in the mail tomorrow!

vintage goodies

2011-02-09T14:08:00.003-06:00

Saturday I had a lovely antiquing date at Hunt & Gather with my friend Naphtali. If you're ever in South Minneapolis and you love vintage things, this place is a must-stop. (It's the same place I found that killer granny patio set last summer.) I always marvel at the quality of the collections and displays. There are so many different vendors under one roof, all with their own unique style; it's easy to get lost in this place for hours! Their down-to-earth pricing is just the icing on the cake.

Enough chit-chat. Want to know what I found!?
:A yard of neatly folded plum-checkered fabric, no doubt straight from a little old lady's sewing room.

: Loose pages from old field guides. The hand-painted bird + tree photos are a slice of springtime and make me really happy. I can't wait 'til March rolls around so I can string them from my mantel with mini clothespins.

:A copy of Hans Brinker, The Silver Skates. (Not because it is a classic, but because the spine is the prettiest teal blue and the edges of the pages are the loveliest pink/red. There, I said it. I judge books by their covers. Go ahead, judge me.)

:A rectangular (porcelain?) dentist's tray. It has six compartments that are perfect for the following: a) office supplies b) sewing notions or c) jewelry. I can't seem to decide where I will enjoy it most. I should have bought 3. For the sake of the photo, I set some of my jewelry in it. I'm digging this.

so about the new look...

2011-02-08T17:31:00.004-06:00

You may or may not have noticed the fresh look around here. (If not, blame google reader. If so, thanks everyone for saying such nice things!) As much as I wish I could wave a magic wand and create a completely custom look, a few simple touch-ups are sufficient for now. It feels kind of like cutting bangs. A small, quick thing that makes a big statement. I'm especially jazzed about my new banner! The lovely Cathie Hong from Ampersandity custom-created it for this blog. How neat is that!? You can find more of her beautiful work on etsy. Want to know what else I'm jazzed about? Two new episodes of Glee in one week--seriously, fellow gleeks, how spoiled are we!? Just finished watching the Valentine's Day episode tonight and I realized that I hadn't shared a Tumblr Tuesday post yet! So here it is, a few photos from around the web that are making my week a little brighter and totally getting me in the mood for Love day...Just 6 days away!

Sources: 1. design sponge 2. creature comforts 3.knot and bow 4. the sweetest occasion

felt flower headband

2011-02-06T16:41:00.005-06:00

Hello & happy Monday! I'm excited to share that my ruffled rose headband was featured on the crafty blog Little Birdie Secrets. These would be great to wear or give for Valentine's day...Or any day. Hop over to see the full how-to!

In other news, my weekend was awesome, but went a little differently than I'd expected...The bad news is I didn't get any painting or housework done, but the good news is that we had tons of fun catching up with friends, I tackled two sewing projects, and best of all, on Saturday I got a new baby niece named Kirsa!! I am so anxious to meet her--I haven't even seen pictures yet! What was awesome about your weekend? (Packer fans need not respond.)

paper heart garland

2011-02-03T21:39:00.006-06:00

Just as I suspected, flooding our house with pink hearts has proven to be a very happy distraction from the endless winter on the other side of our windows.

The other day I cut up a pile of paper hearts, folded them in half, and sewed them back to back for a fun little garland with tons of dimension. Am wishing I'd made 10x more, because it's just so darn cute draped on top of my kitchen chalkboard.

Can you believe it's Friday again? I am double checking my calendar in disbelief. Really excited for all that this weekend has in store: a little painting, a church craft night, a Super Bowl party, of course some cuddle time with my two cute boys, and an antiquing date with this sweet lady (who btw, is giving away a copy of One Thousand Gifts by Anna Voskamp on her blog this week! Hop over to enter!).

What are your plans?

*****

And the winner of the Independent Wedding Fair tickets:

Congrats, Marlys! Please email me at swell.life(at)gmail(dot)com so I can share the details!

giveaway: something new wedding fair

2011-02-02T09:12:00.006-06:00

Just got home from a long night at work and a really happy breakfast date here with some of my lovely coworkers. (It's becoming quite the tradition.) On my drive home, the thermometer in my car was reading -2 degrees Farenheit; I don't even want to know how that translates with windchill. Needless to say, crawling into my cozy bed with a warm laptop has never felt better.For those of you local folks, I'm really excited to be able to share a pair of free tickets to the Something New Wedding Fair this Saturday at the Campus Club in Minneapolis. Whether you are a bride-to-be, know someone who might be, or just have weddings on your brain, you should most definitely pop on over. The event is hosted by the Minneapolis Independent Wedding Association and has a top-notch, not too overwhelming lineup of some of the most creative and honest wedding vendors around.For instance, remember Amy Armato, the talented stationer from a Meet the Maker in December? She'll be there. Jeff and I will also be checking it out!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below if you'd like to attend! Please be sure to include an email address where I can reach you.

A winner will be chosen and announced on Friday 2/4!

To double up your chances of scoring tickets, leave a comment here as well!

Now off to dreamland...

why, hello february

2011-02-01T13:57:00.002-06:00

Am so glad you've finally come along. January was a toughie and I couldn't be happier to welcome you and all of your sugary, pastel splendor. The afternoons are stretching a little longer and it's already beginning to feel as if we're on a downhill slide to springtime.

In order to properly celebrate your arrival, I made a batch of my all-time favorite Raspberry Chocolate Bar s--daintily cut into heart shapes of course. The very best thing about this recipe is that it does not require a full bag of chocolate chips. Gulp. I'll confess to having half-snacked upon bags in my baking cupboard from time to time.

So many things to look forward to this month:
A few birthdays
A very important date with Jeff
A little party
A big surprise
Plus a giveaway tomorrow!

tumblr tuesday no. 3

2011-02-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

There are lots of pretty things in my tumblr right now that are soothing my cabin fever and taking my mind off of Old Man Winter. Here are a few of my favs (Tell me those carved crayons aren't the coolest thing you've ever seen):Sources: 1. studio mela 2. a creative mint 3. diem chau 4. heather bailey

chill weekend

2011-01-29T07:27:00.005-06:00

After a run-around busy week, our little threesome is so glad for a laid-back weekend to cool our jets and just hang out.
On the list:

:Hoard paint chips, nail down colors for our bedroom, bathroom, and G's room starting next weekend. Really excited to get some of my favorite colors on the walls and fall (even more) in love with this house. I am scheming on a pale orchid color for the walls above the white bead board in our bathroom, have settled on a smooth cream in our bedroom, and narrowing down the perfect aqua for Graham. Suggestions?

:A whole stack of new library books (thanks for the suggestions!)

:We spent our Friday night reading, cozy in bed. Am halfway through this one already. So so good.

:Speaking of the library, we totally scored and checked out the coveted Free Minnesota Zoo passes (thankfully there's lots to see indoors). The best part is, since it is free, we don't have to feel obligated to stay forever and see every last exhibit.

:A few pots of tea to soothe a couple of sore, scratchy throats

:Potty chair 101. I could really use your advice/encouragement in this department...

:Heading out for a snazzy evening and a glass of wine at my work Christmas party. Relieved I found just the thing to wear.

:Can't get this skirt out of my head. Want to sew one ASAP.

:Loving this article about modern domesticity and getting back to the basics. (Stumbled upon it from one of my new favorite blogs.) It totally resonates with me. Although I may not be quite ready for a chicken coop in my backyard...

:Homemade brownies

:Laundry mountains

What are you up to this weekend?

heart banner

2011-01-27T15:17:00.005-06:00

Hi there! I don't know about you, but winter is really beginning to wear on me. This one has been especially long and brutal! A few late winter/Valentine's Day crafts are just what I needed to cozy in, warm up my hands, and get us through. I finally made a little heart banner for our mantel. We're closing in on February, one of my favorite months and V-day is less than 3 weeks away!

Banner: I love warm, pinky colors and it was so fun sorting through my scrap fabrics to make the hearts! The banner was super simple to make: Just cut rectangles of linen fabric and fold them in half. (Burlap would also look great!) I left the edges torn for a more country look. I cut the hearts out by hand and used iron-on applique to adhere them to the linen rectangles. Last I just sewed them to a pretty piece of leftover ribbon from Paper Source. I love that I didn't have to run out and buy a single thing to make this!
Doily jars: I've seen a few different versions of these fancified empty jars around blogland. How fun to put my stash of empty canning jars to good use! I simply took a stack of mini doilies, cut them up at haphazard angles, and used double-stick tape to stick them to my little collection. I finished them off with a little bakers' twine and stuck a tea light candle in the bottom of each one. (Well almost each one--I came up a couple short and need to pick up some more before I can take a photo of them lit and give you the full effect!)
In between snapping these photos and posting this post, I stopped dead in my tracks, dropped everything, and emergently googled minneapolis chimney sweeps...As I was hanging this little banner, I could hear a wild rumpus of birds/and or squirrels in our chimney!! Sorry critters, I am not a fan of sharing our house. The bad news is, some furry little friends are officially homeless. The good news is, our fireplace is officially fit for fire building! Really excited to finally be able to use it!

tumblr tuesday no. 2

2011-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

Just some of the prettiest things I've seen all week:

1. Amelia Lyon 2. via 3. come wind and rain 4. carrie strine

unpack & stack

2011-01-22T21:27:00.002-06:00

Sometimes you can almost see the little wheels turning inside their little heads...
G has always been a good helper around the house--ahem, especially when food is involved. This week when I came home from the grocery store with a month's worth of food (when it is -20 windchill, you quickly learn to minimize your outings), Graham snapped into action helping to unpack. Instead of strewing things about the kitchen floor or trying to crack them open as usual, he set to work building a skyscraper of cans and yogurt. Just another one of those moments where you drop everything and grab your camera.

Happy weekending!

blog lovin

2011-01-20T14:15:00.003-06:00

One of the things on my New Year's agenda was to ditch Google reader. Mine has just grown out of hand. I would frequently open it and find 500+ unread posts and feel all this undue stress about having not kept up with dozens and dozens of blogs. I could feel my blood pressure surge and I wouldn't even know where to start. It was beginning to feel like some sort of inbox obligation. Not fun.

So I was so extremely delighted when kt introduced me to Bloglovin! Have you heard? It's a similar feed, but it nicely integrates all the latest posts in time sequence, plus gives you a preview pic right on your screen. It seems especially designed for me. Don't get me wrong--I still love hopping directly to blogs as much as possible to take in the full effect, but let's be real, there's no way you can do it all, every day.

I've only just added a handful of blogs, but already, I am in love. Off to add some more!

guess what?

2011-01-19T20:46:00.004-06:00

We finally gave our baby boy a real, down-home, honest-to-goodness haircut.
Make that three haircuts.
We sat in the bathroom.
I held him on my lap.
I stroked his lovely, mangy blond curls one last time,
And I cried.
It was time.
The hockey hair had. to. go.
Jeff took his clippers and matter-of-factly went to work; up the back and sides.
I kept whispering in a curved little ear "mama is sad. mama is sad."
{Because I am dramatic and nostalgic like that.}
G looked back at me, with confused yet compassionate eyes and said "sad mama."
And a thousand little blond curls hit the floor.
We left the top alone, because I wasn't sure I wanted it just 1" long like all the rest.
And then we slept on it.
I trimmed it a little bit more the next day, because it was so uneven and terrible.
And trimmed it again the day after that, because he seriously still looked like this!
And on the fourth day, I accepted it.

We whacked off a whole lot more than we did the first time.
We didn't even take pictures this time.
It was all hands on deck and I was even more teary-eyed than before.
Someone has to stop all of this growing up. I can't stand it anymore.
Our little blue-eyed baby, now has a neck.
He's still the same sweet little boy, with the same sweet little voice,
but in a big boy's body.

11 goals for 2011:

2011-01-18T15:19:00.005-06:00

How embarrassing, to finally announce my goals now that we're over the hump of January. As I always say, better late than never. I'm not one for making resolutions or vowing not to do this that or the other. Rather, I've listed some personal goals that I'm spinning into action.

1. Wear more color.

2. Eat, prepare, and purchase more whole foods. Learn to make fruit leather (we love this stuff!)

3. Start a vegetable garden. If anything actually grows, I will can and freeze that which we cannot eat or donate.

4. Spend more time in devotion + prayer. I want to get to know Jesus better.

5. Take better photos. I had the same goal last year, and I'm sure it will be high on my list next year and the year after that...This year I am excited about participating in the MCP Project 52. (I've often thought of jumping on board with the 365 photo-a-day project, but I'm afraid that in reality, I won't be able to stick with it. I can't seem to even blog once a day, let alone take pics!) The MCP project just involves one photo assignment per week, which is more realistic for me, and something I can actually accomplish! This week's theme is Shades of Gray. I resisted my initial instinct to take a b+w photo, and instead raided my rather monotone closet (see goal #1). I am trying to convince Jeff that he needs to do Project 52 with me. Don't you think it would be fun to post side by side photos!? We also made a list of professional goals for our business--and one of them is to attend a workshop. Really excited about this!

6. Read 6 books. I know, it's not a very ambitious number. But in the last year, I can remember reading maybe 3 grown-up books and 10,000 picture and/or board books. My brain is beginning to shrink; I think that getting through one book every other month may help remedy the situation. Am making a list. What's one of your favorite reads?

7. Potty train Graham. I read somewhere that cloth diapered kiddos are more receptive to, and on average, are potty trained 1 year earlier. Am crossing my fingers that all of our extra stinky laundry loads were not in vain. This afternoon he woke up from his nap repeating "no potty chair, no potty chair." Clearly, we're off to a great start! Advice!?

8. Keep a tidier house. I can't seem to commit a full day to cleaning--I just get too distracted, it's no fun at all, plus it's tough to keep up with all of Graham's simultaneous messes on the side. I am testing out a new system, where I clean 1-2 rooms each day (when I am not working). I've also started a new routine of setting a time every night after tucking G into bed and fully devoting 20 minutes to straightening up. So far, so good!

9. Craft something new every week.

10. Sew a dress.

11. Spend less. I've heard of a few people committing to not buying anything new all year! Of course food and household needs are an exception, but everything else is straight from thrift stores, salvage yards, and garage sales. This is a lofty one--could you imagine a whole year without a fresh pair of undies!? But I love the intentionality behind it. Less consumerism, less waste, more money in your pocket, and more appreciation for that which we do have. So I'm attempting to implement some mini versions of this goal: a) I will not buy anything new (besides food!) for one month. b) When the spring wardrobe urge strikes, I will buy vintage.

So I guess that was more like 20 goals, consolidated into 11 so I could stick with the year theme...

What is your biggest goal for 2011?

tumblr tuesday

2011-01-17T21:37:00.003-06:00

Am starting up a new routine around here, following the lead of Erin & Cassie, two extraordinary tumblrs + bloggers. Each & every Tuesday, I'm planning to share a few highlights of what's inspiring me lately in the land of tumblr. Just a simple little post of the most beautiful things I've seen all week. Got it? It's going to be a blast!

1. jcrew 2. {via} 3. {via} 4. dottie angel

January is really starting to feel like January. Slow, frigid, yet refreshing. Time for projects + goals anew, cleaner closets and a bit of home decorating. More on my horribly belated 2011 goals/resolutions tomorrow!

must-make maple scones

2011-01-17T20:44:00.007-06:00

Remember last week when I reunited with Trader Joe's? (We only get there a couple times a year because it's a little off our beaten path.) Not only did I try--err, inhale those dark chocolate covered pretzels everyone's been raving about, I also picked up two of my favs: real maple syrup and real OJ. Of course I could pick up maple syrup anywhere, or squeeze my own OJ, but there's something ceremonious about getting them both as part of my shopping ritual there. At any rate, such little luxuries call for a break-feast. And these maple oat scones were just the ticket. So long resolutions...these are a must try. They received 5 stars in this house.

{from the Farm Chicks cookbook, used with permission. Thanks Serena!}

Scones:
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
2 t. baking powder
10 T. cold unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 large egg
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in butter until mixture has tiny lumps throughout. Add cream, maple syrup, and egg; mix until well combined. Stir in walnuts. Spread dough into 1" thick, 8" circle on an unfloured surface. Cut into 8 pieces and place on baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly golden.

Maple Glaze:
1 T. butter, melted
2 T. maple syrup
3-4 T. heavy cream
1 c. powdered sugar

Mix butter, syrup and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk until glaze is smooth and desired consistency.
Spread on cooling scones and invite your friends over for tea.

sewed a tote!

2011-01-16T21:36:00.005-06:00

I had the best week. I was spoiled with not one, not two, but three (3!) girly dates. Not only that, but 2 little outings with my boys. AND a trip to Trader Joes. Wow. I could get used to this. Guess that's what happens when the temperature is above 10 degrees for a week straight. We've been painting the town.

Tuesday night was my first ever book club experience. I'd been wanting to join my friend's club all year, but kept having schedule conflicts. Am so glad I went this week because the discussion adds a whole new layer to the {already} good read. It's always so good to do things in community. We read the Art of Racing in the Rain. I thought I would hate it--because I don't really like dogs or race cars....But I loved it. Loved it you guys.

Wednesday afternoon coffee with one of my sweet college roommates. I'm happy to have caught her before her world travels. She is on her way to Jordan & Israel as we speak. I so want to go there someday.

And Saturday I ran off to my friend Brie's sewing class. We made these really simple, handy, AND reversible tote bags. If you're local, she's teaching the exact same class again in February at Darn.Knit.Anyway in Stillwater, MN. She's an amazing crafter and teacher. I've officially been bit by the bag-making bug. I want to make 1,000 more, with crazy variations like pockets and pleats. I even learned a new fabric flower technique! :)
I backed the fabric rose with a pin so I could detach it for washing. (There's no way on earth this will stay white!)
P.S. Does anyone know what fabrics these are? Wish I'd paid closer attention. Guess I was too smitten.

luna's baby shower (part 2)

2011-01-13T20:46:00.004-06:00

Two thoughts after throwing Luna's shower: 1. Watching your friends become mamas + sharing in their joy is one of the happiest things. 2. I've concluded that baby showers are 100 times better after the guest of honor has arrived...Not just for girly specific gifts, but mostly for passing that sweet little peapod around. I couldn't get enough.

Clearly the kiddos in attendance still had Christmas in their blood...They were SO excited to help Becca open her gifts. It was the sweetest thing!While it's true that great minds think alike, did you know that great crafters also think alike? Chelle made this pretty stack of applique onesies...And Courtney made an almost identical bunting pillow. No jokes, no kahoots...It was pure surprise!
Andi made the sweetest daily calendar journal of loose papers wrapped in a pretty box. So wish I'd snapped a pic, because it's tricky to describe, but it looks a whole lot like this. I think it's the perfect easy way to track your kiddo's growth over the years...Jotting down first steps to first marathons and all the happy mundane things in between. It would be so great as a graduation or wedding gift too!
I made some ruffly little onesies (below) and felt flower headbands (not shown).Holding this sweet miss makes me want another one just a little bit.

luna's baby shower (part 1)

2011-01-12T13:07:00.006-06:00

During Christmas in Spokane, we squeezed in a pretty little shower at Chelle's super gorgeous house for my dear friend Becca and her darling baby girl, Luna. (Or Lunabelle as she's affectionately nicknamed.) Crafty girls deserve crafty parties and this was no exception. I always love to help throw a good shower and I double love it when it means having a chance to spend time with my sweet Spokane blog friends!

To gussy up the mantel, Chelle made one of her vintage book page garlands + a letter L for Luna, painted pale yellow. I added a cheery little yarn wreath with felt flowers. Using this fabric, I also sewed a fabric bunting with over-sized ric rac, and a whole bunch of mini fabric and felt flowers to hang from the window sill and light.
Chelle has the cutest collection of vintage dishes! I love how the drink tray brightened up the table (above). She also made the best.ever. flourless chocolate cake (below). Since then, I simply had to try it myself and made one for my mom's birthday last weekend. It's a delicious cinch of a cake. It may not look like much, but it will knock your socks off. Seriously, it's perfection.

Andi made an awesome Asian chicken + pasta salad with cilantro. Mmmm...

And Courtney brought an amazing green salad with tons of feta and pomegranate seeds. Yes, pomegranate. It was perfect with her raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Best of all, I had a chance to get awfully friendly with Jeff's full-frame camera all week long. (I usually use a Nikon D80.) Holy smokes. It makes such a difference, especially when shooting in low-light. I am itching to upgrade someday...

now tumbling!

2011-01-08T07:15:00.007-06:00

A new year is the perfect time to start a new hobby. Have you heard of tumblr? {No? Then I won't feel so much like the last girl on the band wagon...} It's a mini-blogging site where you can stash + share the most inspiring quotes and pictures from all over the web. It's super quick and easy to use and it's seriously helping me to define my style. My small but growing collection is called how swell! and it's my happy little dream world. I've added a link + button over on the right hand side so you can go back and visit every once in awhile. But better yet, go start your own tumblr love affair. Make a page of your own and then start following a few of my favs:

tiny white daisies
whimsicalities
sweet + lovely things
hearts aflutter
green wellies
j'adore

Do you tumble? Pretty please leave a link to your page so I can admire yours too!

our 2010 christmas card

2011-01-06T15:01:00.004-06:00

Hope no one minds how late I am sharing pics of our Christmas cards. It's been a non-stop busy tizzy around here ever since our trip. We must be the luckiest ducks in the world, because this year we won 75 free cards from Minted in a giveaway here, plus had an opportunity to get some legit family photos with our photographer friend Erin Johnson. Whoo-hoo! I absolutely love the look of the mini books because you can roll short sentiments (or in our case quick family updates) + 4 photos all into one beautiful product. I've also seen these used as save-the-dates or wedding invites. Nifty.
When the stack of cards first arrived at my door, I thought that the 2 eyelets on the side needed a little something to finish off the card. A little yellow+white bakers' twine did just the trick!

christmasing

2011-01-06T14:04:00.003-06:00

Just a few pics (mostly of G!) from our really happy week in Spokane visiting Oma + Grandad:
Snowman footie pjs on Christmas morning
Wooden trucks
Snazzy sweater vests + black high tops
A handmade garden tote sewn by Auntie Heather + mini watering can, trowel, and seeds for springtime
A huge family lego party
Decorating gingerbread cookies with Oma

2010 rewind part 2

2011-01-04T00:30:00.003-06:00

July was so memorable. Instead of fireworks + hot dogs, we spent the 4th moving load after load into our happy new home, complete with a backyard (where the story of a boy and his chucks was told) and a craft room (where my heart is happiest). The all-American flavor of summer came a few weeks later, when my whole fam visited and we helped break in the new bleachers at Target field.
In August, we did a bunch of mini family outings in lieu of weekend camping trips or cabin getaways. We payed too much money for a photo op of G to riding down the fun slide at the county fair. I scored the sweetest granny patio set which paired well with little globe lights and began hosting some really fun backyard dinner parties on our deck. Dream come true.In September, I attempted to trim and tame the boy's hair. We squeezed out the last few drops of summer goodness, making farmers' market fresh salsa, and sliders. I can also recall a small stack of homemade baby sign language flash cards in back-to-school style.
In October, the weather turned crisp, the thrifting was great, and we had pumpkins + pumpkin bars on the brain all month long.When November rolled around, I spent each day listing something for which I am grateful. I should really learn to implement this year 'round. This record-breaking, balmy, blizzardy winter of ours arrived in the loveliest way. I kicked off a holiday by hand mini series around here, to inspire others to gift + decorate in more thoughtful, more homemade, and less commercial ways.
December. So close, yet so far away. My favorite thing about December was hosting a Christmas Crafternoon + cookie exchange with some of the loveliest ladies. The handmade holiday spirit lived on to craft baby-made wrapping paper, a crayon wallet, a fun new wreath to show off our friends' faces, and still more goodies beyond mention.

That just about wraps it up...

2010 rewind {part 1}

2011-01-03T22:25:00.006-06:00

It's high time I blow off the dust around here and wish you a happy 20-11! We've been non-stop since Christmas, with a 6-day trip to Washington to celebrate Jesus' birthday with Jeff's whole entire fam, then home for a quick jiffy before working a long stretch over New Year's weekend. As much as I heart the holidays, today I am feeling so very glad to just be home and back to the good old grind. It's been awhile. All the season's trimmings have been officially tucked away and I am breathing a sigh of relief over my clean slate of a home.

Now then, we have so much catching up to do! I am anxious to share pics of our Christmasing, but first, I've been oogling over all of the 2010 rewinds in blogland, and wanted to give a holler to some of the highlights here as well. It was such a good year, made bliss by a boy who is now both walking + talking.
In January, I wrote about ways I hoped to grow in 2010. I resolved to slow down and learn to take better photos. A year later, I'm way more comfortable shooting in manual, but still have so much more to learn! I can't believe how fast this whole thing has turned into a legit husband-wife business. Grow is an understatement of a word. We've been learning so much--and so much the hard way, but overall, I feel like we've really blossomed this year in so many ways. God is so good like that. On a lighter note, I also learned to make a proper smoothie after an embarrassingly ignorant post on shmakes. So glad I did, because those smoothie skills (+ a trusty blender) have been serving us so well ever since.In February, Jeff and I turned the big 2-5 in the same week (how fun that it happens like that every year), and had a proper celebration with a so big boy and a funfetti cake. Valentine's day was made perfect with a shower of glittery hearts from the chandie above our table. I also met some of the most amazing blog friends for the first time in real life on a trip to Washington.
In March, I had spring fever so so bad. I made a bazillion bluish tissue balls for my friend Gretchen's wedding. I started a little column around here called Meet the Maker Mondays. It's been a really happy thing. I hope to branch out with even more new columns & features in 2011.
In April, we threw a Curious Graham birthday bash to celebrate the boy's 1st year on the planet. What joy to see him demolish his cake. I also made a huge pile of fabric flowers for absolutely no reason. I simply couldn't help myself--they're completely addicting.
May was by far the most pivotal month of the year.
We bought our first house!
G took his first steps!In June, G & I flew to Spokane to help my friend Becca with the Farm Chicks Antique show. What fun! Once home, in between weddings, working, and walks to the park, we packed up our little apartment and prepared to move for the 3rd time in a year...

Tomorrow, part 2!

o holy night...

2010-12-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

is hands down, my favorite Christmas carol. I felt inclined to share it here after its loveliness hit me again in a whole new light on Sunday and the words have been running through my heart all week. It's truly magnificent: we can come to Christmas empty-handed and be filled with the comfort of Jesus' coming to earth to freely fill us with His all-sufficient grace and love. Everything else--the hustle, bustle, decorations, presents, and cookies are ultimately details, sometimes even distraction.
May your heart be filled with + focused on this same simple joy this season {and every season}.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming, Now come the wisemen from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; In all our trials born to be our friend. He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Merry Christmas sweet friends!! we are jet-setting today to visit our family + friends in Spokane this week. I'll be back in the new year! Can't even wait for what's in store for 2011.

holidazzle

2010-12-23T23:05:00.006-06:00

Last weekend we braved the 10-something degree digits to fight the crowds in dt Minneapolis and began a fun + festive new little family tradition: Hitting the Holidazzle Parade. There are few things better than a night on the town with my 2 lover boys. {Even if it means shivering on the sidewalk. Next year we're arriving early to stake out VIP seats in the armchairs at Barnes & Noble.}
G was in awe of the city lights, dressed in holiday style...even before the parade began. xo

eli's crayon wallet

2010-12-22T22:13:00.003-06:00

Hello and happy day! As of 7:00pm I am officially off of work until New Year's Eve. Pretty impressive for a nurse to swing such a schedule, don't you think!? Sweet freedom. It's such a good feeling. Sort of like the good old college days of walking out of your last final. Right now I am in the throngs of laundry, cleaning, errands, packing, and last minute crafting, but just wanted to share a couple quick pics of {part of} our nearly 3-year-old nephew's Christmas gift. This year we went all out with art supplies: easel + roll of paper, paints + brushes, markers, and a crayon wallet for on-the-go:I went out on a limb and sewed this without any sort of pattern--which was pretty much one of the wildest things I did all year. I picked up the mini Sesame Street Christmas coloring book at Target and fashioned the tri-fold wallet based on its proportions. Next time, I plan to measure the crayon pockets more carefully so that it fits more than 7 crayons. ;) Enough on the flaws; I still love how it turned out and the busy city-scape fabric pattern is my favorite part...
Are you Christmas crafting for the tiny tots in your life? If so, please share!

christmas card wreath

2010-12-21T15:15:00.003-06:00

Christmas cards are making me really happy today. A big roll of yellow bakers' twine just arrived at my door--precisely what I needed to put the finishing touches on our fresh stack of cards. I promise to share pics soon! My goal is to go postal with them by 12.23. (We got so busy making cards for some of our photog clients that we are running a whole lot late with our own cards this year!)

In the mean time, the steady stream of cards from friends + fam arriving at our door are a complete and daily delight. I borrowed this idea from Martha & I love the finished product. I'd acquired quite a collection of embroidery hoops from the thrift store last summer, so this was an easy 5 minute project! Simply collect a large diameter hoop (mine was just 12"), hot glue gun, and mini clothespins. Glue the clothespins 1-2 inches apart, facing in alternating directions. (The majority of mine face outward, and a few point toward the center.) The result is a minimal, Scandinavian-looking wreath that adds maximum Christmas cheer to a wall near you. I've already run out of room on mine and am considering replicating the project on two smaller hoops...Wouldn't it look even better in a cluster of 3?

happy early christmas scenes

2010-12-20T14:19:00.006-06:00

It is snowing. Again. Ugh, I can't even believe this wintry madness. We are officially 3 massive snowstorms in, and according to my calendar, winter officially commences tomorrow.I shouldn't even complain because inside, warm + cozy, we are feeling like spoiled brats here today. My parents + youngest brother came to visit over the weekend and we celebrated a mini early Christmas. Oh boy, did we celebrate. The highlight of the party was the antique kiddie windsor-back rocking chair that my dad refinished for G. It's the prettiest thing and looks right at home in our living room. How magical to think that some other kid might have received this exact same chair 80 years ago...Am a fan of vintage Christmas gifts.
G opened a gift of matchbox cars and a sweet bouncy ball from his uncle Dan. Teenage brothers are cute gift-givers.
Oh and the gift of the Charlie Brown Christmas book, complete with musical buttons made the perfect bedtime story on a late December's eve.

We are buried in snow and {already} buried with gifts.
What a happy weekend.
I had plans to take the fam on a snowshoeing excursion here, but it turns out we are all wusses in frigid temperatures. Instead we hung in with movies + Christmas cookies.
Oh, and my mom and I couldn't resist a trip to spot lovely things at anthro & hunt + gather while the boys played video games.
For dinner, we checked out Blackbird, a recently re-opened fine little cafe in our neighborhood. Such a good place. I hope Jeff & I will be dating there again soon.

christmas salsa

2010-12-17T17:23:00.007-06:00

Remember that one time when I peeled 1,000 tomatoes, cooked, and canned my first-ever batch of salsa? I'd never made salsa in my life, but I had high hopes of passing all those pretty little jars along as Christmas gifts. Fast forward a few months and most of it has disappeared from my cupboard. What can I say? We have Mexican at least once a week, plus I have a husband who loves to munch. (The Christmas cookies have fallen to the same fate.) For the dozen or so that were spared from our own bellies, I spent a few minutes gussying up with pretty paper, tinsel wire, and jingle bells. They're officially good for giving and too cute {for us} to crack. Merry, Merry.

winners announced!

2010-12-17T16:16:00.001-06:00

Congrats girls! Liv, Jill, & Jenny, please shoot me an email at swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com to claim your pretty prizes. And that wraps up my little holiday by hand mini series + the latest batch of Meet the Maker Mondays. I plan to start another round in late January. Please do contact me if you have lovely handmade things that you'd like to have featured!

Happy weekending everyone. Holiday style.

wrapping painting

2010-12-16T16:11:00.004-06:00

My mini crafter and I pulled out some Christmasy colored paints and set out to make some homemade wrapping paper this afternoon (1.5 year-old style). You can't buy this stuff at Target. I've been taking G to a toddler class on Wednesday mornings and yesterday we had a really great guest speaker (during mommy separation time) talk about the importance of arts at an early age. Of course I soaked it up. She reminded me that there's 1,000 more benefits to letting your child explore different mediums and textures than detriments (uh, messes). Sometimes as adults our idea of "arts & crafts" gets skewed and we fixate on perfect finished products. With kiddos, it's so important to embrace the whole learning process--it nurtures everything from creative thinking to language skills. Whoever knew finger painting could be so in depth?
I just realized that it's been forever since I shared a little G post around here. He's seriously been more fun than ever lately! Just in the last week or two, he's started putting 2 words together. Some of the combos we've been hearing lately are "Ni ni {horse}," "Uh oh bus," and "Super hot." That's right, super hot.

Don't miss out on this week's giveaway extravaganza: ekate jewelry, a custom paper banner, and september house embroidery. Winners tomorrow!!

holiday by hand: gift & giveaway wrap up

2010-12-14T14:32:00.005-06:00

Don't say I didn't warn you: this week is truly the grand finale of the holiday by hand mini series in a very big way. There are so many giveaway goodies + good deals to be had that I thought it merited a wrap-up recap. This is not an exhaustive list, just a few highlights of giveaways and sales from some of my favorite local shops still going on! Whoever said that only the early bird gets the worm?

1. Numsi: for contemporary wall art, modern clothes for babies + kids, and custom name art. Get 20% off your entire purchase using the coupon code SWELL. {Hurry! Ends Wednesday 12/15.}

2. Colette Paperie: for lovely stationery, 2011 calendars, and pretty snowflake soap. 25% off all holiday items.

3. September House: Enter here to win a $20 gift certificate good toward lovely hand-stitched items or embroidery patterns. {Ends Friday 12/17.}

4. Whimsicalities: My sweet friend Chelle's paper shop. Enter here to win a beautiful Christmas paper garland, custom made with a word of your choice. If I didn't already have one that said "Be Merry" I'd ask for one with our last name. {Ends Friday 12/17.}

5. Orchard Art House + ekate designs: Enter here to win a $25 gift certificate for gorgeous jewelry, apparel, and fine art galore. {Ends Friday 12/17.}

6. Armato Design & Press: for lovely letterpress stationery for every celebration. Get 20% off your entire purchase using coupon code SwellLife. {Through December 2010}

7. Water for Christmas (not pictured): Absolutely everything in this etsy shop was donated by talented crafters and 100% of the proceeds will go toward building wells in Africa. Right now everything in the store is 25% off!! My set of gift tags are still available.

giveaway: orchard art house

2010-12-13T23:19:00.007-06:00

You might remember ekate designs, featured here a few weeks ago. Well not only does she sell the loveliest jewelry + apparel on etsy, she also owns a gorgeous brick + mortar store called the Orchard Art House here in Excelsior, MN. If you're free on Thursday nights in December, you should most definitely get out and check out the Holiday Bizarre Bazaar going on in downtown Excelsior. Erin is hosting fun parties at her studio/gallery {22460 Murray St. in Excelsior} from 6-9pm. A little birdie told me there would be deals. And the party this Thursday night (12/16) is actually a GUY'S NIGHT! There will be cigars and scotch by the fire for all those lovely gentlemen who buy for their wives and mothers.

PLUS: Today Erin is generously giving away a $25 gift certificate Orchard Art House gift certificate to one lucky reader! You need not be local to win, because this is also redeemable in the ekate designs etsy shop. There are 3 ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment stating your favorite holiday accessory or outfit in your closet. (i.e. what are you wearing to your Christmas party?)

2. Like ekate designs/Orchard Art House on facebook and leave a comment stating you did so.

3. Visit ekate designs and leave a comment sharing your favorite piece.

Giveaway ends Friday 12/17, at which point one lucky winner will be randomly chosen and announced.

how to host a craft party

2010-12-13T08:55:00.007-06:00

I had such a fine + fabulous experience hosting my first craft party, or more creatively entitled Crafternoon, that I'd like to dedicate a post to sharing my thoughts and tips for anyone up to the challenge of hosting her own in the future! Although I could probably talk your ear off on this subject, I will try to simplify the matter into a brief, handy list. I apologize in advance that this post will be heavy on words and light on photos. {I shared a whole bunch of photos from the event last week, so in case you missed them, do check them out.}

1. If you build it, they will come. It's true. When I first posted an invitation for this party, I was a nervous wreck, thinking no one would show. But I learned that girls love a chance to get together, and they double love a chance to get creative when everything is spread out in front of them. So many of my friends say they wish they could be more crafty but don't have the time or inspiration. I shared a public invite both on facebook and this blog, hoping to meet some new crafty girls in the area and also share my love of crafting with some of my old in-real-life friends. In the end, I had such an overwhelming response that I had to turn some girls away. Stab me in the heart.

2. Plan, plan, plan. Even before sending out invites, plan what crafts you will to make. Not only will this step provide for a great teaser in the invite ("We'll be making X, Y, and Zs!!"), you'll also have more time to fine tune everything as the party approaches. Take inventory of the supplies you already have and make lists of the supplies you need to gather.

3. Time it. Be realistic about time frame. One project may take the entire duration of the party. Or teach your guests a smattering of techniques with 3-5 simple projects to fill the afternoon. Whatever you do, time yourself as you make each sample in order to guesstimate how long to schedule the party or when to quit coming up with more and more projects. (Ahem, super guilty here.)

4. Details. Don't forget about tools. This was an afterthought for me and I scrambled the day before asking people to bring extra scissors and paper punches. I was buying needles and tape and asking guests to sharpen pencils at the last minute. Tools are just as important as the craft supplies themselves and although we're all grown-ups, let's face it; in this case, the less sharing the better!

Do double duty with party favors and set out bags labeled with each guest's name so there is a space for her to put finished crafts throughout the party and a handy way to tote home her spoils.

5. Don't break the bank. Don't be afraid to ask your guests to bring a small amount of cash to share in the cost of supplies. I've never known a craft party without a supply fee (at least when the hostess is providing supplies). Another reason it's so important to determine the projects before sending out the invite is so that you can set a realistic budget and a realistic amount to pass on to each guest. I'll be completely honest here and say that my party did cost more than $10/person. But my intention was not to break even, it was only to avoid breaking the bank.

6. Be firm on numbers. I cannot, repeat, cannot stress this enough. Can I be frank with you? I had a lot of unnecessary anxiety over the guest list. Here's why: I specifically asked everyone to RSVP asap, but received a ton of maybes. When planning this sort of party, it's really difficult to work with all of the maybes in the crowd. {No offense to anyone in this boat!} I 100% understand that life is unpredictable, but I urge you to make it a clear expectation that your guests commit. Tell them you need to have a firm number in order to buy the proper amount of supplies. Next time I am seriously considering collecting everyone's supply fee in advance via Paypal, just so that they are less likely to flake.

Also in this vein,
7. Know your limits. Have a maximum number of guests your home/venue can hold and don't go over it. If the party is too crowded to craft the fun factor will go down. I set my magic number at 20 and had to start a waiting list at this point. After a bunch of last minute cancellations, I believe the final head count was 16. I think that was a perfect number for my house. Why did I invite so many people that I ended up saying no?? Because I didn't want to be exclusive. I wanted to open it up to anyone and everyone who was interested in this sort of thing. The best part about craft parties is that they can be big or small. For a close circle of friends or for everyone in your social network. Know what is manageable for you and your life!

8. Map out your house. This is also key. Each separate craft should have a designated station. What rooms/areas would make good work spaces? Plan which crafts can be done on laps and which crafts require tables and chairs. Keep messy projects near a sink. Put projects that may take the most time in a large room and smaller-scale projects in a smaller area. If there is a two-part project, keep both stations adjacent to one another. That is one huge mistake I made. We made yarn wreaths, decorated with felt flowers. Half of the girls finished the yarn ring all at once and were wanting to learn the felt flowers. I had put the flower project in the smallest room with the least amount of workspace. Somehow I hadn't anticipated that people would spend as much time as they did crafting these to beautifully decorate their wreaths. People were sitting on the floor, tracing on the walls, and bumping into each other left and right. {And what dearies, they weren't even complaining!}

9. Feed them! I know this is basic, but I just want to say keep it simple here. One great way to keep party costs down is to ask guests to bring treats to share. I turned my party into half craft making, half Christmas cookie swapping. The spread was amazing--way better than I ever could have done by myself. It was so fun to sample everyone's baking talent. All I had to worry about was drinks! It's also important to consider that you'll be spending tons of time the day before cleaning your house and setting up your crafts, and the last thing you need to fret over is food.

10. Enjoy yourself. Face it, you can't be all things to all people. You can't individually teach every guest every project, or hold lengthy personal conversations with everyone. That's why for large-scaled craft parties or for varied skill levels, make certain that you are not the only one who knows what the heck is going on. (i.e. delegate.) I asked a few of my craftiest friends to arrive early so that I give them a brief run-down of all the projects. My sil kept the coffee brewing and felt free to mix & mingle. It was wonderful. Like growing extra sets of hands and eyes. I was able to relax and chat a whole lot more because I knew there were plenty of friendly resources bouncing throughout the house. It's also helpful to create multiple samples (if you have time!) of each project to not only present the basic concept but inspire variations on a theme.

*****

Wow, so much for short. I really hope this is helpful!

I'd love to turn the comments into somewhat of a forum. I want to hear your feedback, questions, or advice on any area I missed! Also, please feel free to share links to your own craft parties past or present here!!

giveaway: september house

2010-12-13T04:02:00.001-06:00

Today I'm delighted to introduce Corinne of SeptemberHouse, the most lovely little etsy shop teeming with dreamy embroidery, patterns, and more. Corinne does all of her designing, embroidering, and pattern publishing right here in St. Paul, MN. Her work has also recently been featured in the holiday edition of Good Housekeeping mag. How nifty is that? I so wish I'd had one of her patterns in hand last weekend, snowed-in and cozy on the couch.
A SeptemberHouse project is the perfect thing to keep your hands busy during your long holiday travels. If not, wouldn't learning to embroider make a fine New Year's Resolution? This week, Corinne is kindly giving away a $20 gift certificate to her shop! {You don't even need to be a needlepoint whiz to enjoy it. There's something for everyone: from embroidered pendant necklaces ready to wear, to fabric calendar panels ready for embellishment.} Leave one or three comments below to win. Here's how:

1. Like September House on facebook. {Leave a comment stating you did so.}

2. Visit the etsy shop and leave a comment sharing your favorite item or pattern.

3. Leave a comment sharing how you unwind during the hustle-bustle of the season.

Giveaway ends Friday 12/17!

QA with Corinne:

1. Your embroidery projects are so fresh and lovely. Where do you find your inspiration?
Thank you! My inspiration comes from all around me. Some of my favorite pieces have been inspired by something in my own backyard, a vintage book found at a thrift store or my two young sons. You just never know when ideas will come. I keep a running list of potential projects going so when something finally arrives in my shop you can bet that it sat on the waiting list for months or over a year before it finally got it’s chance to come to life. I feel so lucky that I always have something to look forward to.

2. Do you create your own patterns? Or, can you share a bit about your creative process?
I love designing patterns almost as much as I love stitching them up. To me, embroidery is enjoyable and challenging but pattern design gives me a chance to also tap into my love for drawing and design which makes the whole process more rewarding for me. Everything I make starts out in simple sketches. Once I have something I’m happy with I scan it or sketch it on a wacom tablet so that I can make any further adjustments digitally. Once it’s cleaned up it’s time to stitch. Watching a design come to life in embroidery is probably my favorite part of the process.
I can’t even count how many designs made it through part of, or even all of those steps only to be shelved in the end. One thing I have learned, though, is to never ever throw those old ideas away completely. I’m amazed at how often they creep back in and evolve into something amazing.

3. Describe your perfect day.
First of all, my perfect day would have more than 24 hours in it! It would start with coffee and sunshine for sure. The rest of the day would be filled with an outdoor adventure, family, a good book, some chocolate and of course a nice BIG chunk of uninterrupted creative time.

4. Everyone loves to give+receive handmade goodies. What is your most cherished handmade possession?
This is a tough one. I’m lucky because I have so many talented and creative people in my family so a number of amazing items have come my way over the years. A crocheted bedspread made by my great grandmother, a quilt my grandmother made for my husband and I for our wedding, a knitted afghan from my mother, a coffee table made by my father, drawings from my sons – how could I ever choose just one favorite? I can’t even describe how lucky I feel to have these things that were made so lovingly by all these family members. "Cherish" doesn’t seem like a big enough word.

5. Where can we find more of your work?
My etsy shop
My patterns are also available on Magpie Patterns
My blog, So September is a good place to find out more about me and my creative process {and also some free tutorials and patterns!}

snowed in

2010-12-12T13:24:00.005-06:00

This weekend we had the sort of blizzard that I'll remember forever & ever. It was epic.
The sort of blizzard that drops 18+ inches of whirling, swirling snow in 24 hours, accompanied by howling, sub-zero wind chills. And the snow drifts. My does it drift.
The sort of heavy snow fall that piles up in front of your door so much so that you can't even push it open.
The kind of snowstorm where you lose track of cars stuck on the road outside your window. Where you help push 3 cars stuck in your alley, just in the short time you were outside shoveling your driveway. (Em, good job Jeff!)
The sort of snow dump where you have no choice but to open the box of brand new snowboots under the Christmas tree 2 weeks early, because they are necessary for your survival. (Aren't they cute!?)
The kind of blizzard that deflates your Metrodome and shuts down your city buses and prevents nurses from getting to and from the hospital...
{Am happy to say: today the sun is shining again, and we're no longer buried alive.}

Back tomorrow with a double whammy of giveaways. It's going to be the perfect grand-finale to my holiday by hand mini-series!

friday idea book: vintage christmas garland tutorial + giveaway

2010-12-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

Today I'm delighted to share a tutorial (& giveaway!) with one of my very first and dearest blog friends, Chelle of The Value of Cheerfulness. She's a beautiful girl inside & out, and she makes the most swoon-worthy paper garlands for every occasion. I did a serious happy dance the day she agreed to share her process and ideas with us. You can find more of her lovely creations in her etsy shop, Whimsicalities.

Vintage Book Page Garland | tutorial by Chelle

1.) Decide what you want your garland to say.

Be Merry, Merry + Bright, OH HO HO, Oh Joy, Pure Joy

Twinkle, Be Jolly and Noel are a few ideas to get you started.

2. ) Go to your word processor and play with font and size until you've got the perfect combination.

3. ) Print letters off onto sturdy cardstock paper.

4. ) Carefully cut out letters to make your own templates.

5. ) Take your cute scrapbook paper ( October Afternoon + Cosmo Cricket are two of my favorite sources for scrapbook paper ) and then trace and around your templates ( it's important make sure the letters are facing backwards on the wrong side of your paper, so that when you flip it over onto the right side you have your letter going in the right direction )

6. ) Cut our your letters

7. ) Center and glue your cute cut out letters in the middle of your book page.

8. ) Punch a couple holes at the top of each page.

9. ) String your ribbon through.

10. ) To cheer up a empty spot on the wall, fireplace mantle or headboard, piano, etc. hang your homemade pretty festive banner in place.

Note: you can also opt to string your letters without page backings. The card stock will hold up just fine. (See above.)

For a chance to win a customized banner all your own, leave a comment here with your ideas on what you would want your Vintage Christmas Garland to say. Winner will be randomly selected and announced next Friday 12/17!

...and the winners are

2010-12-10T10:23:00.003-06:00

amanda fay said...

One of my favorite pre-christmas activities is driving around looking at lights. It seems that growing up, there were quite a few more houses who put out lights so this year we're trying a few outdoor light set-ups. :-)

Amanda said...

Favorite pre-Christmas activity: decorating the house! Just did it tonight and it was so much fun!

*****

Two different Amandas, what are the chances!? Congrats on each winning 3 6-packs of beautiful letter press Christmas cards from Armato Design & Press! Please be in touch with your mailing address so Amy can get your cards to you soon. swell.life{at}gmail{dot}com. Thanks everyone for entering!

& YOU: this week everyone is a winner because you can use coupon code SwellLife to receive 20% off your purchase at the Armato Design & Press etsy shop for the rest of December!