swoon studio

Addie's Unicorn Fest '16

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:54:00 +0000

Way back in January (yes, a whopping three months ago) we had a little Unicorn Fest for our Addie girl's 6th birthday. She started asking for unicorns in the fall, so we went with it. Apparently, she has no memory of her epic Pony Party to celebrate her 3rd birthday (?!) but I think she'll remember this one.

I know it's common to say, but this girl has grown so much in the last year. She's bigger on the outside, and the inside too. I am so proud of the choices she's making and the spicy little lady she's becoming! A strong-willed, independent thinking, gorgeous, curious, kind, day-dreaming artist you are my sweet (Lord, give me the patience to wield these beautiful qualities in the right direction!).

Marbled balloons tied with ribbon, unicorn figurines, castle blocks, a sprinkle cake made by Dad, paper crowns, candy skewers and a giant unicorn portrait came together to make a special day. At the last minute, we decided we needed a little something more, so we threw some sequins on the table and called it good :)

Thank you to those who came out to celebrate our girl! We love you Addie and are so thankful you are in our family!

Resources: balloons, unicorns, unicorn portrait, sparkler candles, castle blocks, gold foil treat bags

Every Hour I Need Thee.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 03:16:00 +0000

This weekend I had the honor of attending the If Gathering simulcast with a large group of local women. I haven't felt this refreshed, encouraged and challenged in a long time! If you're curious, you can check out the simulcast from the comfort of your own home for a limited time here.

I think it will take days to process the good words I heard and let them sink in. But in the meantime, some of my favorite quotes have started to pop up around the house, like this one by Bianca!

A group of amazing women pulled together and donated their time, resources and talents to make our local gathering extra special. I just love how much beauty and power is unleashed when women come together-which is ironically the general theme of the conference itself.

My contribution was this little print (and also volunteering my husband's cooking skills!). I thought you might want to print one off for yourself too (download by clicking on the photo below). The prints we gave away were cut a little differently than expected, but the version below has a bit more white space and will look good in or out of a frame.

Ellie Jane, Age 8 (Colorful Karaoke Party Reveal)

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 03:55:00 +0000

It's that time of year.....my sweet Ellie rings in her birthday at the very start of the Christmas season, which always leaves me feeling nostalgic, a bit chaotic, and like time is moving entirely too fast. This girl never ceases to amaze me. So aware, so alive, and so determined. There is so much I could say, but mostly I am so very proud to call her mine and have the privilege of learning from her and watching her grow.

For the invitation I had the wild idea of hand stitching a design on to each one. I soon realized that was insane, but not before falling in love with it and so I soldiered on and completed 15 of these bad boys. It was totally worth it. I have been so in love with the Japanese stitching technique called sashiko (more on that later), and this design was very much inspired by that!

I offered to do her party at the gymnastics place like the rest of her class, but she told me she still wanted a party at home (high-five!). Not just any party though, a karaoke party with lots of balloons. If you know my family and how much most of us love to hear ourselves sing, you would know how great of an idea this was! I twisted by Dad's arm and convinced him to DJ (he also ended up throwing down a little Hall & Oates and Steely Dan on the mic).

The decor was simple-green garlands with pops of color in the form of balloons and honeycomb balls, and lots of confetti on the tables and lots of balloons on the floor. We made some fun tassel necklaces and covered our bodies in flash tattoos (not pictured!) while the girls took turns singing tunes at the TOP of their lungs. This party was not for the faint of heart (or for those who are easily-over stimulated)!

Dad came through once again with an awesome cake that was WAY better than what I would have made. The treat bags were made by adding a strip of copper tape to small brown bags and I used this tutorial to make a million tassels while Netflix binging the night before the party (I modified it to make the tiny tassels even tinier and added a ring to the top of each one to make it easy to string on a necklace).

I also painted hot pink stripes onto butcher paper for easy table runners for the table and dessert table. My Mom came through with an amazing array of kid food, straight from my childhood-biscuit pizzas, mini hot dogs, sandwiches in fun shapes and cups of veggies and fruits. Seriously, that woman is the best.

Happy Birthday Ellie-we could not love you more!

Tend Baby Co.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 05:02:00 +0000

My dears, tomorrow morning around 9 am (PST) I will be hosting a little pop-up shop (go here)! It will be stocked with a few handmade baby items, all made by friends of mine who have lovingly donated their time and incredible talents. All of the profits will be going toward a new malnutrition center in Haiti, run by my friend Brittany Hilker (find out more here!) I really hope that you will stop by and take a peek!

Malnutrition is a big problem in Haiti, and it affects children and young babies the most. Over 100,000 children are currently suffering from severe malnutrition and many die everyday. I have followed Brittany's journey for many years and have prayed along with her from afar, cried when children were unable to be saved, and rejoiced when many under her care were given a new life. Hunger is a simple problem to solve when there are resources available. I know that resources are certainly not a problem for God, but we are His hands and feet. My prayer and wish is that I can be a small part of what He's already doing!

About a year ago, I was going through a rough patch. The culmination of many things coming together, including moving back to my own small hometown, triggered something in me. I felt insignificant. I felt dissatisfied with some of the things I was putting effort into that my heart didn't feel connected to anymore. I've often viewed myself and my little life as unable to be used for greater things. A suburban Mom who is often overwhelmed with life. Yet, I often find myself dreaming big dreams.

One thing I've learned recently is that when your cup is starting to feel empty, it might just mean that He's building you a new cup. A bigger one. One that can be poured out in greater and new ways. But the process seems to come with a few growing pains and definitely a sacrifice. A letting go.

The older I get, it's becoming harder and harder to look away from others who are suffering or in need. I feel a greater responsibility to respond. It's become more difficult to stay in my safe bubble of happy-go-lucky. The thing I've had to let go of is myself and my own fears because it doesn't always feel like what I have to offer is worthy of the cause. I'm thankful that what Jesus has to offer is worthy and that His grace is covering me.

This little shop may seem a small thing, but my heart is wrapped right up there in it. Putting a vision out there, asking people to help and to give without the guarantee of any sort of response has definitely made my heart beat faster and caused me to say many prayers, and we're just now getting to the actual sale!

I hope that you're encouraged by this, and that you know even suburban Moms who are often overwhelmed with life can do something. Even the fluffy things that you're into (like handmade baby bonnets) can be turned into an offering if you're willing. That He will make you a new and bigger cup when you are ready to let go of the old one.

xo,
Randi

Fun with Matisse.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 16:40:00 +0000

My pile of scrap paper has been overflowing lately thanks to all the paper-cuts I've been making. My kids love to through the bin and are often asking to use the oddly shaped pieces of colorful paper for various projects.

Recently, Jack and I found a few books about Matisse at the library, which inspired us to take those scraps and make something beautiful. You can read more about it over on Playful Learning today!

An Eclectic Entryway with Chairish.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 19:05:00 +0000

Recently, the good folks at Chairish reached out to me with a little challenge: select a chair from a list of their favorites and create a little space around it. I chose this vintage golden velvet number and here's the result!

The goal was to design a space that was "bright" not "white," a notable challenge for someone who claims white as her favorite color, but I tried. My idea of making a space bright has to do with texture, thoughtful accents, and at least one show-stopping colorful and/or graphic element (like the cement tile pictured above) I think paring things down, bringing in as much natural light as possible, and limiting the color palette actually makes a space feel open and airy, in a calming sort of way. Possibly another definition of bright, but cheery all the same. And yes, the walls of this entryway would most likely be a shade of white (oops!), but I think it would be far from boring :).

Thanks for including me in your little challenge Chairish! Now to find a house that actually has a grand entryway....

1. Plaza Chandelier: Schoolhouse 2. Subdued Abstract: "Milk" by Jenny Prinn 3. Antique Mirror: LittleCows, Easy 4. DIY floral arrangement idea: Studio Choo 5. Console table: Domino 6. Hexagonal coat rack: Etsy 7. Collaged Majida Pillow: Anthro 8. Gaios table lamp: Circa Lighting

9. Cement tiling: Canterbury Tile 10. Golden Velvet Chair: Chairish

Three years of Jack.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 04:36:00 +0000

This sweet, curly-haired boy turned three years old this last week. I can't imagine our home without him in it, yet I can hardly believe he's already lived three years! We often joke that he is the most rewarding, yet demanding child. Always by my side, and most likely attached to me in some way, this boy brings me so much joy. It's a lot of work, but I love our relationship. I've never met another child who will (gently) turn your face towards their own just to make sure they can "wook in your eyes" while you talk to each other.

Over the years, my birthday party philosophy has evolved from all out-shindig, to simple parties with a few fun elements, but a focus on people and simplicity. This time around we made a large and in charge golden whale piñata, and a few zigzag streamers and called it good.

We also ordered a few extra swimming friends to play with at the party and send home with guests. For the record, it took about 20 minutes for this water display to get out of hand (with Jack leading the way) and be removed, but it was fun while it lasted.

Watching Jack's face and reaction to everything from the cupcakes to the presents was so fun. I forgot how easy it is to knock the socks off of a three year old (it's a little harder with those older kids)!

We love you Jack and can't wait to see how you grow this next year!

Portfolio/01

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 04:49:00 +0000

These days blogging and spontaneous crafting have been a bit on the back burner due to my design work. I've been pretty terrible about sharing some of my favorite design based projects, but now I'm resolving to start a portfolio series here because I would love to have a record of it all somewhere.

One of my favorite projects from 2015 so far, has been a series of paper cuts designed and made for the Playful Learning Studio-a brick and mortar expansion of the website I work for Playful Learning. It's amazing how fun it is to see designs go from screen to paper shapes! I kind of want to do this with every project now.

The most complex piece involved looking at an actual picture of the (adorable!) studio and first making a vector design from scratch, and then figuring out how to combine the pieces so they could be cut out. Here's a picture of the studio...

And here is the simplified, paper cut version!

The rest of the project included titles for each of the different subject areas offered at the studio.

If you happen to live in the Montauk/ East Hampton area, I encourage you to check out the studio! You can find more information here.

Springtime Flowers Party (sponsored by Cricut) Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:57:00 +0000

A little over a year ago, I hosted a little shindig in honor of (and sponsored by) the kind folks at Cricut and their new machine, the Explore. Unfortunately, I didn't snap a lot of pictures during the party, but couldn't resist taking a few after it was over. Life goes on, and those pictures have sat on my memory card for a a year in hopes that I would have the time to put together a little tutorial before sharing.

I am still in love with these paper flower arrangements-they totally made the cut for keeping around in the party closet! I made everything using the Explore, but all of it utilizes basic shapes, so don't despair-no machine needed! Although, I must say, having the machine saved me from some major hand cramping.

A handy tip I discovered when using paper flowers, is to fill the container you're using with sand. It holds the paper upright and keeps everything in place really nicely.

For the flowers: I used this tutorial, which uses a million little circles (here is where a Cricut comes in handy!). I wanted something different than glitter in the center, so I pushed a small dowel through the middle and added a wooden knob on the end that I have painted yellow using acrylic craft paint.

For the paper succulents: I used this tutorial with my own drawn shape.

For the snake plants: Cut various sizes of a long leaf shape out of green card stock. Fold each leaf in half to give it dimension.

For the yellow craspedia: Paint wooden knobs from the craft store yellow and place on the end of plant stakes or small dowels.

Thank you Cricut for such a nice time!

A Private Art Dealer is my Fave

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:26:00 +0000

Melanie from You Are My Fave is always snapping pictures of her latest art finds and generally being cool. A while back I decided my very bare walls needed her help! I love art, but have a terrible time narrowing down my picks and putting it all together.

Melanie swooped in and with the help of Minted and a few nails, and made two different walls in my house shine. Something about a good gallery wall just legitimizes a space (so much better than randomly hung art), and she did a fantastic job.

To see more, head over to You Are My Fave! P.S. She's also kinda giving away a $500 gift card to Minted on Instagram today, so you might want to head there too!

Change of pace.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Tue, 12 May 2015 04:04:00 +0000

I almost forgot how good it feels to sneak out of town for the day. On Mother's Day, we packed the picnic basket and piled into the car for a little day trip to Spokane.

Sometimes these trips work out well, sometimes they just end up being a mess of cranky children and piles of garbage in the car, but I like to think that the memories and moments spent together make the hassle fade into the background. I hope we all look back on our spontaneous adventures with a special fondness, battles included.

This day was a good one. I can't help but be thankful for this season, and for these crazy people I get to live with.

Cleaning House.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:46:00 +0000

Little bits of spring have started to arrive here and I can feel my motivation rising. Pockets of afternoon sun work like energizers for me and I find myself making lists and accomplishing things like crazy!

Every new living environment and stage with children seems to require a different approach to cleaning house. Since moving into our home a few months ago, we have settled into a nice routine. When it comes to maintaining a home, I have tried everything from rigid schedules to a fly-by the seat of our pants and hope no one shows up unannounced-approach.

The truth is, I hate cleaning. BUT I love a tidy home and can hardly function and work in a disheveled environment. I'm not good at daily maintenance and this tends to lead to one big cleaning day a week in which I must spend my whole day doing chores (not fun). If I had more dollars, I would absolutely hire a cleaning lady, like today.

In order to keep the order, I came up with a daily checklist of bare minimum tasks, as well as a weekly one. For those of you who are good at daily maintenance, it may seem absurd to write down these tasks, but for me it has worked wonders. As long as I accomplish the majority of these lists daily and weekly, we never spin into chaos or have to dedicate a day to cleaning. Hopefully this list can help someone out there like me who hates cleaning but loves a clean home!

With two adults working from home and three children with various schedules, everyday looks a little different, but for the most part, this is what we strive to do (I made them into pretty prints so I would want to maybe do all of this more):

Daily:

-Vacuum the floors. We have a big black dog-enough said. Bare minimum-vacuum the hardwoods upstairs so we wake up to a fresh, crumb-free kitchen and living area.
-Wash dishes. This one seems obvious, but I love me a good checklist! With everyone home most of the day we sure know how to fill the sink! Missing a day on this (literally) stinks.
-Empty garbage. Bare minimum-take kitchen garbage outside.
-One load of laundry washed, dried, and put away. Sometimes it's two, but at least one keeps us on top of things.
-Toys put away. Great one to have the kids help with! Our playroom is also our relaxation place after bedtime, so this one is a must.
-Wipe down common surfaces. This includes kitchen table, counters, sink and cook top, and drips on the floor. Sometimes I go in the powder room and quickly wipe sinks too.
-Put shoes away. Shoes love to pile up in the entryway. I like to throw them in the right rooms before bed.

Weekly:

-Wash windows/mirrors. Mainly the ones we see and use all the time.
-Wash bedding. I like to do this on the weekend, as well as any extra loads that need to be done like towels.
-\Scrub bathrooms. I give 'em a good cleaning once a week, sometimes twice for the powder room.
-Dust. Quick run through the house with my feather duster does the trick.
-Water plants. I check them everyday, but usually water them all at the end of the week.
-Polish wood furniture. I love wood wipes for this task. After dusting quickly wipe down.
-Wipe floors. I use a microfiber cloth and Method's squirt and mop on the hardwoods. For tile I use Method's all purpose spray and a different microfiber cloth. Sometimes this happens a few times a week in common areas like the kitchen. I find that if I'm doing well with vacuuming, the mopping is a quick job.
-Wipe down kitchen. Similar to the daily task, but including appliances, possibly the inside of the fridge, cabinet fronts. I just discovered that wiping a bit of olive oil on my stainless steel appliances does wonders and gets the fingerprints from the week off!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this little bed head, just because. In case you're cleaning schedule looks a lot like mine, I've made a download of my daily list and weekly list to be printed at home.

I would love to hear how you do things at your house!

xo
Randi

Color By Number Valentine's Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 23:31:00 +0000

Last year we made some giant coloring posters to bring to a class Valentine's party and had so much fun doing it that we decided to do it again this year!

I saw a kilim rug recently featuring a fantastic pixel-y floral design. I spent the last few nights making the image above, and then thought it would make for the perfect color by number page or poster for kids (and adults too!)

So I removed the color added numbers in and had it printed at my local Staples for only $1.99 (this is an 18x24 size-bigger sizes available too).

I colored one as an example and it reminded me of buying those velvet posters and coloring them as a kid back in the '90's, remember those? If I could find a way to add some fuzzy black velvet to this guy, I totally would.

We plan to give a letter-sized version away as valentine's with a little bundle of colored pencils and a color guide at school this week! I also made a folded card out of the original colored design to use for other friends and family.

If you would like to make one of you own, here you go (click on links below to download):

-Color by Number Valentine Coloring Sheet*
-Color Guide
-Pixel Flowers Valentine's Card

*This is in a standard letter size to be printed at home, or you can go to the Staples website and select "Engineer Prints" and upload this file to be printed in multiple large sizes starting at $1.99. I was able to order mine online and pick it up a few hours later.

Also, a note on coloring...the larger areas to be colored have a numbered border around them and everything within that border is meant to be that color. Color the border first and it will be clear what goes inside it :)

Unpacking pearls.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 23:14:00 +0000

The other day my four year old daughter was taken on a date by her Nana and was given the chance to pick out something special as a late Christmas present. Anything she wanted. Hours later she emerged on the doorstep pink-cheeked and excited, hands waving wildly, proud of what she had found.

Fast forward to the next day: her older sister's turn. As she marveled at the treasure Ellie brought home, I watched as her face fell in a mixture of jealousy and disappointment. Anger followed mingled with declarations of hatred for the wretched, inferior thing she had brought home. And blame. There was some of that too.

What happened to the elation and pride she had possessed the day before? How quick she was to discard her choice as soon as something that looked better came along! And how many times have I done the same thing? How many times have I left contentment in the dust to pursue the myth of something better?

Somehow through this crazy process of moving and having my life turned upside down these past few months a small secret was uncovered. Something the Lord has been whispering to me as I unpack boxes and question, question, question. I wouldn't say I've learned it completely, my heart is too fickle for that, but I know it now and hope to remember it. Want what you have and it will be enough.

Planning, growing, and setting goals are all worthwhile pursuits, but living in a state of constant dissatisfaction is a detriment to the soul. Sometimes things within our control need to be pursued or changed, but sometimes life just ebbs and flows and needs to be embraced. Peace and contentment seem to come when I somehow turn off the desire to have more. When I stop looking around at what others seem to have. When I stop devaluing all of the incredible gifts in my life and make a decision to be grateful for all of it instead, peace comes. Famine becomes feast.

Somewhere inside of me still lies a little girl who struggles to embrace the season she is actually in instead of wishing for the next one. Who maybe even throws her toys in anger and dissatisfaction at times. I'm so happy that the Lord is patient with this wandering soul of mine and that I can find my rest in Him. I'm thankful He doesn't give me everything I want, thankful for the struggle. I truly have everything I need.

"Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life." -Rumi

DIY Woven Chair Seat

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 22:04:00 +0000

Now that we're finally in our house, I have been in some sort of creative overdrive mode. Finding a way to make our stuff fit into a new space well always puts me into a problem solving state, which, of course, leads to a long list of projects.

This rocking chair is a great example...I still love the shape of this Ikea gem, but honestly it hasn't gotten much use since our apartment days in California. I hated the print of the cushions, but they're still in great shape. I will probably update the covers someday soon using this site, but for now I wanted a quick way to update the chair so it could be functional as a reading chair in Jack's room instead of being banished to the garage.

I love the look of wooden furniture with the contrast of a neutral woven fabric seat. I found this great tutorial from one of my fave DIY-ers, Matt from Wood & Faulk and remembered that I had two rolls of industrial grade felt sitting in a box just waiting to be used! If I had leather strips on hand I would definitely be using those, but I love the soft look and feel of the felt too (and, hey, free!).

The process was very simple and the whole project took less than two hours. The only thing I did differently than the tutorial was to use a staple gun instead of upholstery tacks to attach the strips of felt to the frame. I wasn't having a lot of success in nailing the tacks in, and the staple gun ended up being a quick solution. This would be an amazing update or fix for any furniture that has a wood frame and a variety of materials could be used. I don't think I'll look at broken garage sale chairs the same now!

I can't wait to snap a pic of Jack's room and show the chair in its new home!

Have you made anything to update your home lately? I would love to hear about it!

Ellie Jane, 7 Years Old.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 13:00:00 +0000

My beautiful babe is seven today. She is sensitive, kind, sweet, thoughtful, anxious, helpful, loud, goofy, friendly, smart, talkative, and full of life. Her biggest question for me lately-when do we get to adopt an orphan Mama?

I love you my sweet girl!

Times a Wastin'

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 18:06:00 +0000

Things have been quiet around here. No, more than quiet. I've taken a step back as we've gone through this move and continue to renovate our home. We're hoping to wrap things up and be back to normal fairly soon. But, what is normal? In some ways this move and this process of living out of a suitcase with family for 5+ months has changed me.

I'll save the long version for my journal, but the basic gist? Despite my best effort, I often get distracted in life. I set out to be present and in the moment, but I get derailed somewhere between Pinterest and the ding of a text. It seems that I'm learning all over again that happiness does not lie right around the corner, will not magically come when my house is finished or when I get those things on my wish list. There's a chance to be content here hidden in the quiet afternoon shadows and pile of dirty laundry I keep stepping over. Maybe everything I need is already here and not living somewhere in the land of those whose dreams fall magically into place.

I'm still a work in progress, but I wrote a little more about some practical ways to be more present during the upcoming season over at Playful Learning the other day. Click here if you'd like to read more!

Picture Book Project: The Bear's Song

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:53:00 +0000

Every now and then we run into a picture book that instantly becomes a favorite. We love The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud so much that we were inspired to make a project!

Along with gorgeous illustrations, we love the sweet story of a Papa Bear searching for his son. Each page is filled with detailed drawings, and we love to try to find all of the characters as we read.

We decided it would be fun to dress up as bears and play a little hide and seek. This sweet little bear mask is fun and easy to make!

To download the mask, hop on over to the Playful Learning blog today.

We love to read and are always searching for new favorites.....do you have a favorite picture book to share?

Autumn Project Round Up

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 09:40:00 +0000

Today I thought it would be fun to revisit a few projects from autumns past. Can you tell I love this time of year? While you look through this list, I'll be over here drinking cider and jumping in a pile of leaves....

From the top:

Mini Chalkboard Pumpkin Favors
Easy Wool Vases
Mini Apple Galettes
Printable Plaid Tags
No-Sew Woodland Masks
Fall Leaf Wreath
Tabletop Puppet Theater w/printable Puppets
Treat Tags + washi tape twisty ties

Happy Autumn to you!

Inspiration: Modern Farmhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 17:30:00 +0000

In my quest for remodeling inspiration, I have found the overall look and feel that I would love our house to have. It's a shaker-inspired modern farmhouse look, with a bit of industrial, school house thrown in. Oh, and there's some colonial and mid-century somewhere in there too. Got all of that? Maybe I haven't narrowed it down quite yet. How about, modern, eclectic farmhouse. Clean lines, neutral colors....simple, functional, and beautiful!

I'm almost afraid to show you all of this, in case the final results don't live up to the inspiration, but a girl can dream, right?

What interiors have inspired you lately?

/ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Keyword: Black House

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 05:47:00 +0000

Long before pinterest, I have always been inclined to pick up and collect little bits of inspiration along the way. I recently stumbled upon a file folder stuffed with pictures of interiors from magazines that I had carefully cut out around the age of twelve!

Throughout our grand remodel, I have been devouring inspiration and finding so many new things to love. I happened upon a picture of a black house and was struck by the stark contrast between the color of the house and the colors found in nature around it (see 02 above) and fell in love! It's not the right fit for our current house, but I'm tucking the idea away for a later time. And those white accents and a pop of green are a must!

What do you think? Would you ever paint your house black? A modern dark house would certainly cause a stir in my little town...

01 / 02 / 03 / 04

Hey there October.

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 16:40:00 +0000

Hope your first day of October is made of crisp air, turning leaves, and warm drinks...

Easy Side Tables

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:47:00 +0000

Today I wanted to share a simple and quick idea for a side table. First off, I am a huge fan of small, low tables in almost every room of the house. They make great plant stands, night stands, drink tables for the end of the couch, or even compact tables for play in a child's room....

I recently purchased these super cute powder-coated steel toy bins from Target. After living with them for a while, I realized that when flipped over they make great, sturdy bases for a small table top. To make the top, I purchased two wooden rounds that were sanded and ready to stain from Home Depot (similar to these). I stained the table tops with a stain + sealer in one made by Cabot. I chose the dark "midnight" color, but they had many other options. Two coats in one afternoon and they were ready to go!

Since we will be using these tables in our bedroom, and I wanted to retain the option of using the bins as actual bins later, I opted to not officially attach the tabletops to the bases. The tops are quite heavy and don't shift around a lot. If you plan on using these tables in a high traffic area though, I suggest attaching them from underneath with hardware.

Crossing my fingers I will officially have a home to put these in soon!

Raising Confident Girls + A Print

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:29:00 +0000

Today I'm over at Playful Learning discussing a few thoughts about raising confident girls. Head over there now to join in and to download this print!

First Day 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Randi) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:41:00 +0000

We reached a huge milestone yesterday-first grade! First time bringing a real lunch. First time staying all day. Seven hours, three recesses, and more independence. We're both happy about it, maybe her more than me (how it should be, right?).

This brave girl is going to school five mornings a week for the first time. When I told her, she said, "EVERYDAY? When will I have time to play?" Unlike her sister, my dramatic, sensory girl would rather explore on her own all day than sit at a desk. Amen girl, amen...

Here's to new beginnings!