These Grecian faces are actually part of a wooden block set and completely re-arrangeable. The Phalanx Wood Blocks Sculpture Set, $150 is from Flat Earth Studio.

I first saw Last Night I Swam with a Mermaid on pre-order over at Romp, and was floored by the photos. When they sent me a review copy, I was floored all the way down to the ocean floor! The images, by Michael Muller, are gorgeous and a fantastical departure from all the other children’s books out there. Rich with color and depth, they are as surreal as the mermaid – and yet all of it is totally “real” (Hannah Fraser is a professional mermaid!). It instills a sense of wonder and awe in the adult me, imagine what this does for kids? Well, for Birdie, that meant we read Last Night I Swam with a Mermaid three times in a row as soon as we opened the package. (She also liked the very sweet message in a bottle and seashells they sent us – that goes over big with us totally landlocked land lubbers).

More importantly, this book’s beauty wraps up a big message: “Respect and Protect our planet. … it is up to me and it’s up to you to make a difference and to never stop dreaming.” The story focuses on a girl spending a magical evening swimming with a mermaid filled with moments of respecting and protecting. A portion of the book’s proceeds will go to Phillippe Cousteau’s EARTH ECHO: inspiring and empowering youth to help the planet. Get your own Last Night I Swam with a Mermaid right now!

Hello again, it’s Sam here.  I am bubbling with excitement to bring you this next post.  I have been waiting for over a year to find an excuse to create a photo booth with my family. For the Boss’s big 3^rd birthday, we’re planning a mustache bash this summer – with a homemade photo booth.  Eeeeee!

But I couldn’t wait any longer. So, the perfect opportunity came up for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower. Using some DIY elbow grease and some Pinterest perusing, I stumbled upon some really great links I am thrilled to share with you!

I have been wanting to dabble with some chalkboard paint, there are so many options out there. But these chalkboard talk bubbles stole my heart and I thought we could re-purpose these in the house after the party.  I altered the idea a bit by using chalkboard paint on black foam core instead – super inexpensive and easy. I think I want to make a series of these for our entryway.

After looking at a ton of ideas of different photo booth props, this adorable site led me to thinking outside of the box with big lips, bow ties, and a monocle (the monocle was the biggest hit at the party by the way!).  Yep this is my little girl giving me the “oh mom!” look (image above!), we like to call her Boomi.

With so many mustache templates out there, I really liked the variety of shapes used with these mustaches.  Classic, simple, and fun.  With all of the props for the photobooth I just cut out the shapes I drew from colored foam paper and hot glued the foam paper to a wooden stick (any craft store should have all of these materials, including the chalkboard paint).  I also want to mention the felt breaded garland in the background is from Colette Bream’s Etsy Shop.  This piece has a home in my little girl’s room, but we had to bring it out for my homemade photo booth!

The thing about photo booths? Someone has to be willing to man the station during the festivities.  I really didn’t mind, with a refreshing drink in hand it was really fun to see my family members act goofy with the props I made.  Photo booths have a way of capturing some of the most candid moments, enjoy!

Happy Post Mother’s Day Monday everyone! I suppose there’s a little bit of that back in the trenches feeling today? Hopefully that’s partially thanks to a lovely Mom’s Day had by all of you! I know we certainly deserve it. Maybe these sweet faces will cheer you some.

Manka‘s sweet handmade creatures – monsters? aliens? magical mystical widgets? – are about as adorable as they come. I can’t decide if I like the simplicity of the Rainbow belly with a little green heart or the Frida Kahlo eyebrows version. I should ask my Birdie girl which one she’d prefer, she has pretty good taste. What about you? (I mean, I KNOW you have good taste, as you’re still reading this, but which Manka friend would you pick?)

It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and last night my husband told me he still had to figure out what my daughter would be giving me on Sunday. Ah men, kinda typical right? I’m not worried, he’s actually one of the most thoughtful gift givers I’ve ever met. But, in case he needs some help, I thought I’d round up some suggestions! Also, make sure to check out the Mother’s Day Gift Guide we shared earlier – I’m particularly taken with the handmade gift ideas that kids could help make for their favorite moms!

• Style Maven DIY wooden bead necklace – with a plastic needle, pretty ribbon, and wood beads, you can make a quick necklace mom will actually wear.
• Cardstock and lots of little hearts can make a great modern Mother’s Day DIY card – get your glue sticks ready.
• Cookie cutters and some air dry clay is all you need to give mom a Little Clay Token of your affection.
• Find her favorite sentimental place on an old globe, then cut it out and frame it. Easy Framed Map Mother’s Day Gift.
• This is my DIY Printable Mother’s Day book - a little children’s story about Mother Nature. Download and start printing/cutting/gluing!
• I will always love rocks, and when they are painted rocks like this one – simple and heartfelt, they’re a wonderful personal gift.
• And here’s my personal mantra for Mother’s Day, which I learned a couple of years ago. Moms everywhere, take this to heart.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

This amazing playground – yes, playground! – was created by Japanese artist Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam and TIS & Partners. It reminds me a lot of Ernesto Neto’s work. See more info and images via Design for Minikind.

There is a gorgeous simplicity to the best wooden toys, and Gween Toys clearly joins that awesome crowd.  Their new solutions to key learning concepts like spelling and counting are fascinating! Plus, it means your basic stacking/sorting toy will last years longer. And of course, with a name like Gween Toys, you know they’re using sustainable wood and absolutely no glues, chemicals, etc. to harm our little ones or the environment.

All of that boils down to this: I just want to spend an hour playing with that tiger, Alfinx (above, $16). I wonder how many words he can spell with that drum-tum-tummy of his?

Below:
Gween Gwomies Wooden Stacking Toy, $25
Gween Red Gusto Wooden Stacking Toy, $14
Gween Picazee Wooden Stacking Toy, $14
Gween Zarafu Wooden Counting Toy, $16

I just found this silly little website, Draw a Stickman, and they have episodes for your iPhone/iPad too. It would be loads of fun with kids who are at the stage where they can draw their own. Once you provide your stickman, the site – or you iOS App – animates the drawing into a funny little adventure. Plus, you’ll need to help your stick figure on their journey by drawing additional things along the way. The story is just long enough to have some fun surprises, but not too long to bore the kids. Plus, you can share your creations when your done!

I’m taking it easy today. Well, sorta kinda. There’s some freelance work to do. But for the blog, I’m taking it easy! Because I’ll admit, the Mother Nature DIY Printable Children’s Book (download your free book here!) was a big project last week, and so today’s post is about inspiration, not information, per se.

So let’s all take a little inspirational breather and enjoy this lovely little shop: Cupboard of Delights. It’s full of wonders like modern geometric painted stones, and mod one of a kind dolls. I’d like several of each sitting on my dresser (If I could clear it of all the random crappy detritus that is my current pile of “inspiration”.)

Meanwhile, Birdie and I really need to find some time to paint our own rocks
… and maybe a clothespin doll or ten.

I finally finished the book, and I’m ready to share it with all of you, just in time for Mother’s Day. It’s a little book about Mother Nature, because Birdie keeps asking me the same question over and over again: “Who made that?” For the longest time she asked that question more than “Why?” So I thought it was time to take some of my answers and put them into a book, in the hopes that she’ll finally believe me. Plus, what better time to share a book about Mother Nature than for Mother’s Day? Send this link off to your loved ones and see if they’ll make it just for you and your kiddos to read together.

where is she?

Mother Nature is not the same as you and I.
Her home is the forest and her playground is the sky.
Can you find her?
She’d prefer you spy her when the rain is pouring from above,
letting all her ponds and rivers dance a droplets dance.
Did you see her dancing with the clouds?
They danced so hard they bumped together,
causing the lightning to prance.
Or you can feel her slippery touch when
your toes squish in the mud.
When she stirs the wind,
catch a whiff of her earthy smells: dirt and flowers and leaves!
And when you say “Hello Ms. Ladybug, how wonderful you are!”
It’s Mother Nature who says thank you
with a tickle of those little bug legs.
Where is Mother Nature?
You’ll find her in the things she does and the things she loves.
She’s right there, and here, and over there too.
Do you see her?

So, let’s get started on this project, are you with me?

What you’ll need for your DIY Children’s Book:

• Thick grey board – use the backs of notebooks, like legal pads, etc. Enough for two 4.25″ x 4.25″ squares
• Legal-sized paper or larger (8.5″ x 14″) and access to a color printer
• X-acto Knife
• Ruler
• Cutting mat or other safe cutting surface
• Glue Stick (I used a non-wrinkle stick from 3M, it’s pretty great!)

What you’ll do to make your DIY children’s book:

• Start by downloading the pdf files below. You’ll need the free Acrobat Reader if you don’t already have it. You can choose to print only the fronts of the pages, but I think it’s the double-sided prints that make this book extra special. (tip, it might take a couple of test runs to get your fronts and backs to line up on your printer, that’s ok! Just have a little extra paper around) I recommend printing the front and back of each sheet as you go, so you don’t get confused. Lord knows I was lost here and there.

        Download the zipped pdf files here!

• Then, cut out your pages with an X-acto and ruler. There are crop marks on each page (front side only), watch the video to see some tips for working with those crop marks!
• Now glue the ends of the pages together – page 3 to page 4, page 6 to page 7, and page 9 to page 10. There are tabs on the LH sides of pages 4, 7, and 10. Just line up the images with the tabs.
• Now fold the pages into an accordion. Start first by folding along the three seams you glued. Then, take a spare piece of paper and cut it 4″ wide. Use that as your template, and fold each accordion fold around that template. See the video for some pointers.
• Cut out your grey board covers. Covers should measure 4.25″ x 4.25″
• Cut out and glue the cover art to the grey board.
• Glue the end pages of your accordion fold booklet to the covers.
• Press them under a heavy pile of books for a bit, just to set everything up.
• Read to your children, to each other, and to yourself as needed!