Sweeter Hours

Sweet Makes: DIY Recycled Parking Garage for a Sweet 3 year old

2012-02-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

He's three! The little bugger is THREE! How did we make it? I can't even fathom that it has been three years since Giraffe was a newborn.

He is a goofy little thing that loves I mean LOVES to play with tiny matchbox cars. I constantly have to scan the room for them as he tends to leave them about. I am worried one of these days I might trip!

The night before his birthday mommy and daddy were in a panic as the gift we ordered him ( a fabulous set of bongos) hadn't arrived yet. I ran to a certain store that shall remain nameless ( but highly targets their store to consumers by having amazing things that we all really really need on each and every endcap) to find something, anything worthy of his special day. I ended up with nothing but a card and some more matchbox cars. Upon exiting the store I saw an employee pull a nice looking shoe box out of a cart, I ran after him, " Are you going to THROW THAT AWAY?, " I asked. " Yes," he said looking a little scared of my wild n' crazy DIY eyes. I begged him to have it and away I went.

What does every three year old need? A parking garage for their little cars! My husband said it couldn't be done in a night- I think he knows I dig a challenge. Away I went glueing and cutting. I searched the house for interesting pieces of cardboard that could be melded into some sort of garage. While I didn't take actual building photos I have a few tips for how to make one for yourself!

Tips & Tricks:

Select a sturdy bottom such as a piece of foam core or matboard.
Leave no piece of cardboard unturned: Toliet paper and paper towel tubes, seed starters, shoe boxes and many other types of cardboard things make GREAT garages.
Start building! Once you have selected a few pieces start planning before glueing. Think of places for cars to hideout, travel under/over/ and through.
Remember that little ones like to lean on the things they are driving on ( learned from experience! ) If you can, build some supports for your bridges and ramps.
Heat up your glue gun and make it happen! Run the glue gun along the edges and press down firmly to the piece you are trying to adhere to. The sky is the limit!

This is a super creative project that your child could even help you with by coloring on the pieces before they are glued! The best part is it's virtually indestructible, if a piece is removed or broken just glue it back on or make up something else. Here are a few more shots for ideas:

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A little decorating...

2011-12-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

Time is currently moving at a snail's pace in our home as we play the waiting game. If one more person asks me when the blessed event is supposed happen I might snap. So, I am putting my aggression towards cleaning and creating! How nice.

I finally decided to take the time to decorate. The husband has been incredibly helpful through the decorating process. Really, he has. Like shlepping up the bazillion holiday boxes and helping me hang things and generally helping me with my every whim.

The theme of decor this year is repurpose...

I am in love with our front door wreath this year. Sweet and simple. The garland is made with felted wool hearts and small wooden discs left over from a project.

Repurpose all those ornaments you don't use anymore! The gold ones pictured were my grandmothers. Tied with jute they make a nice little wreath!

Repurpose old stuff: See this nice garland holder? It's a Pier One foot board I have had for years that I got at Goodwill for cheap.

How is your decorating coming along?

The best 20 minutes of my life.

2011-11-16T13:35:00.001-08:00

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There is little time to post today as two littles are occupying my time. One with growth, the other with tantrums and sweet cuddling. I just wanted to share an epiphany I had yesterday. When I was in the first grade I won an award, ' Most Likely to Be A Teacher.' Not sure why I forgot this very important little piece of paper that Mrs. Doyle a very caring and wonderful teacher had given me.

Note: Trying not to tear up as I write this.

My husband frequently reminds me that no matter how hard I work I will never make someone else's goals or dreams my own and that I need to find my own path to put my energy and creativity into in order to feel fully fulfilled. He was/ is very right. Last night, finally after 28 years of searching I found it. I cannot wait to be the best teacher I can be.

I taught my first lesson last night on figurative language to my Principles of Learning and Assessment in a Secondary Classroom class. I walked- moreover waddled- 4 blocks with all my gear and was sweating bullets. I sat through 4 presentations and then it was my turn.

When devising my lesson I wanted it to be current and draw from my favorite things: music and performance. I chose a modern day song that middle school students would know, Katy Perry's Firework ( which looking back is quite fitting) When the song came on I started passing out papers and got goosebumps, this was it, this is what I was supposed to be doing. We worked through the song pulling out metaphors and similes and the class ate it up. I then taught about onomatopoeia and the students broke into groups to work on skits using onomatopoeic words.

My professor sat smiling the whole time ( which wasn't important to me for her approval-but it helped!)
She and the TA even let the lesson go over the 20 minute assigned time to finish the skits and for my assessment. Afterwards she took me aside and said that 'I was a natural and that she would hire me on the spot for such beautiful work.'

It felt amazing to teach in a classroom, simply amazing. While I do have about a year and a half more of teaching I can't wait to keep going. I know there is a ton of politics surrounding education, burnout, low pay and more but isn't there everywhere in every profession? I can't wait to come home from a hard day of work and think- today I did my best work and made a difference in a child's life.
That will be amazing....

On a side note, don't worry the craftiness hasn't stopped, I have a post coming soon about the Busy Bag Event and also a homemade Advent Calendar. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.

Locals: Busy Bag Swap!

2011-10-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Finally!

yes, I know it's wordy but there are so many great details to share.

Sweeter Hours Busy Bag Swap

(2s & 3s)

Important Dates:

Swap Sign Ups: October 7th-11th

Busy Bags Due: November 2nd

*drop off at my home, MoCo or we can meet

Actual Swap Date: Saturday, November 5th

*Holly’s House

Swap Guidelines:

Please sign up for the swap by emailing sweeterhours@gmail.com BY 10/11. ( Be sure to actually email to be added as a participant. RSVPs on the event wall will NOT be accepted as participants.) Please put “ Sign Up- BBS” in the subject field of the email.

Feel free to ask questions on the event facebook wall that way everyone can see responses as they may have the same question.

In your email be sure to include the following:

Your Name/ Child’s Name and Age

Contact Info

Busy Bag Swap Idea ( please include the link to your project or a brief description )

NOTE: If I receive two of the same idea I will let whoever emailed me first keep the idea)

2) After I receive your email you will hear from me on 10/12 as to whether you are accepted and how many bags you will need to make. We are currently accepting up to 20 swappers ( This is our first time running a swap so please be patient with us!)

3) Once you sign up please remember that this is a commitment. There are other moms and toddlers counting on you! It would be really sad if everyone worked hard on their bags and then you flaked out a few days before it’s due. (sorry to be cruel but it’s true!) Let’s all work hard to make this a great swap :)

4) Projects should include instructions to the activity printed on paper.

The activity should fit into one gallon ziploc bag with a slide top ( please use a slide top as they stay closed)

Remember bags should not cost more than $1-$1.50 each. If your bag costs less, GREAT!

NOTE: Please note that due to this age group some activities may contain small manipulative like beads or small rocks. Please keep an eye on your child if you have concerns about them trying to eat the activity.

After I receive all the bags I will organize them all and you are able to attend the swap event to pick up. The due date of bags is mandatory as we need to be sure everyone is able to receive bags at the swap. That way if you have to be absent from the actual swap event you are covered!

SWAP EVENT: Remember the actual swap date is Saturday, November 5th. Let’s make it festive and fun. Have an idea or something you wanna bring? Email me! Details TBA.

7) Have fun! This is a great inexpensive way to receive lots of new activities for your child.

FAQs:

What is a busy bag swap?

It’s 5 PM and your toddler is literally crawling up your leg to play with him/her. You have to fix dinner, take out the dog(s), the baby is crying, it’s snowing, bathroom needs cleaning, laundry needs folding OR insert your busy item here________ OR you just need a few minutes peace. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a new toy or project for your child to work on? Busy Bags to the rescue! If you participate in the swap you will come home with 20 bags* ( depending on the number of participants ) to stash away for that rainy day. Simply pull one out and your child instantly has something new to play with. It’s that simple.

How old does my child have to be to participate?

For this round we are doing 2- 3 years old. If this is successful we will introduce other ages. Feel free to participate to stock up on an older age group if your child is close to 2. ( When designing your activities please keep in mind the current age group.)

Ok wait- do I have to be crafty?

Can you cut with scissors? Or maybe you can wield a gluestick?

Then you’re in! Lots of activities involve things like felt, pom poms and ribbon. Remember these aren’t graded, they are fun for kiddos!

The holidays are coming, is it expensive to take part?

Each bag should cost no more than $1-$1.50 MAX. Think recycled objects, dollar store, dollar spot, etc. You may need to be creative when you brainstorm your activity to make it fit into the budget or into your current stock of stuff around the house. It's OK to deviate from the original instructions.

Where do I find activities for a bag idea?

Google it! There are so many awesome projects out there on blogs and other websites or maybe you can brainstorm one up yourself. Is there a particular activity that is inexpensive that your toddler enjoys? Think of using recycled items to keep costs down. Be sure that the activity will hold up for multiple uses. ( i.e. if you are using paper for a color wheel be sure to use a heavier weight card stock)

Some material ideas:

Pom Poms, buttons, pennies, milk jug caps, tissue paper, papers, clothes pins, plastic utensils, beads, pipe cleaners, fake flowers, recycled cards, popsicle sticks, chopsticks, snapple caps, wedding favors, yarn and more!

Check out some of these ideas:

http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.com/p/our-busy-bag-swap.html

http://unsolicitedadvice-n-such.blogspot.com/2011/07/preschool-young-k-adv-2s-young-ks-busy.html

I can’t attend the actual swap date! What do I do?

No probelmo, just be sure to provide me with your swap bags by November 2nd

and you are welcome to come pick up your new bags another time.

Any further questions please email: sweeterhours@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your interest!

Thinking of Hosting a Busy Bag Swap...

2011-09-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings! What a lovely day it was out there. I attended an awesome consignment event called Consign My Closet that is all weekend. See their site for details. Ended up with the following all for $135!
-3 Puzzles, LLBean Snow Pants ( in an awesome blue hue), Kamik Snow boots, a Gymboree sweater, Gap baby socks, a FP dino set, matching game, 3 books, wooden magnetic calender, A scooter, a bouncer and much more. It's a great event if you live locally.

I am hot on the trail of trying to get our lives ready for a new little one in our lives. So, I am really wanting to host a busy bag swap ( for locals) thinking of keeping it to 15- 30 mommas with kids ages (2-3 years old) Would you be interested ? I think I would start with 15.

Never heard of a busy bag swap? No problem, basically 15 moms each pull together 15 activity bags to be swapped. You pick a project then you pack them all up in ziplock bags. You attend the swap and you receive 15 different new bags for your kiddo! All the projects are about $1 per bag and use simple materials. See some examples below. I was thinking these would be great to pull out this winter on those crummy days when I don't want to set foot outside the house.

If you are interested please comment below or comment on facebook so I can get an idea of whether this is possible. I am sticking to locals only as to not put too much on my plate :)

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Taking a Break

2011-09-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

Its been a marathon day of crafting. I am taking a break.

My fingers are dyed red, my carpal tunnel has resurfaced with a vengeance and a needle narrowly just missed my eye from the sewing machine. It's that time of year again... stART on the Street!

I participated in the very first festival in 2002 when I was a sophomore in college selling paintings. Back then I didn't have a tent just a coffee table, japanese screen and a lawn chair. Simpler times...

Start on the Street is an amazing day filled with music, food and of course local artists.
Artists and crafters work for MONTHS on pulling together stock to showcase at the event. The last week is a big push for everyone. I can imagine my artist friends studios are just as messy as mine. I'll post a photo soon...

If you live in Mass I do recommend coming to the festival as it's fun for all! Dogs, kids, pretty much everyone. Please support handmade, it keeps the world beautiful.

All together now...

2011-09-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Short post today! We have TWO birthday parties this weekend and in between battling with toddler man I have been working on presents. Today during naptime I whipped up a car playmat. I have been wanting to make one forever but I was trying to be too complex. I definitely was rushing and one can tell but I am really happy with the way it turned out! It is a combo of different recycled fabrics and wools. Perhaps in a few weeks I'll post a tutorial!

Here is the simple playmat that took me exactly one hour to make:

I think I might whip up a few for stART on the Street. Would you purchase one?

Sweet Makes: Color my World on a Rainy Day

2011-08-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you're on the East Coast you are being inundated with rain and wind due to Hurricane Irene. It isn't so bad here in Central Mass. Lots of leaves floating by and big wind gusts that would take your breath away. Hoping all are safe and dry!

With rain comes toddler meltdowns in our house so I started googling projects to tuck into my ' mommy needs some sanity' pocket. One of the projects I have seen all over is super simple, placing small objects in a jar or bottle and adding water. I added an additional step which I think you'll enjoy! My son's school did this project with glitter and holiday erasers last year. He loved watching the glitter roll by and often pretended it was a big snow storm. Another project I love is white crayons and water color. ( see below)

Note: As I mentioned these are by no means my ideas- so please don't think I am brilliant :) I just wanted to show how fun and simple this project really is!

Dreary days can ( and should!) be filled with color! This is the simplest project on earth that really does pack great results with toddlers and even babies. Toddlers can aid in scouting for materials and also place objects into the containers. Make a bottle in front of baby and talk about the objects and colors you are adding.

Colored Bottles of Fun
Materials:
Assorted plastic or glass bottles ( I recommend plastic as we did a lot of throwing and bumping on the table)

Odds and ends from around the house ( buttons, pennies, paper clips, sea glass, shells, beans, seed beads, tile spacers, feathers, small pebbles, leaves, foam, cut up sponges, cut up mardi gras beads, dried pasta, rice, glitter, goggly eyes, popsicle sticks, plastic cutlery, pipe cleaners, pretty much anything that won't disintegrate with water. ( Be sure to watch that nothing ends up in their mouths!!!!)

TIP: Yes, I am a crafter but I don't have a lot of kid craft supplies ( just haven't really gotten into them yet ) A woman I work with encouraged me to disassemble crafts that come home from school after the season is over and save things like pipe cleaners foam pieces etc. Totally worth it!

Water colors ( either liquid or crayola solids)

Water

( that's it!)

Assemble all the things to be added and let your child explore. Remember there is no right or wrong way to put things in. Watch them and discuss what is being placed in and why. ( They may have some awesome answers or stories. My son explained to us that these were castles filled with different things.)

After they are finished adding things scrape some water color out of the paint pan and add it to the items. It is amazing how they react in a bit of water. Colors spread and become vibrant.

Bring the containers to the sink and add water, place caps on tightly. Then let your child shake!

Some questions to ask:

What sinks, what floats?

Play I SPY...

Hold bottles up to the light for a different look

He played with these for at least 40 minutes after making them!

Next Project!.....

Secret Water Colors

Toddlers may at first be confused that the crayon ' doesn't work' try your best to explain that the colors will show up when they paint. Encourage them to draw circles and letters to their hearts content!

Materials:
White crayon
Water Colors
Paper
Paint brush
Water

Have your child draw on the paper with the white crayon then color over with the water color! Watch how the wax separates from the paint and water. Or you can have them paint first then color with the crayon and see what happens.

Sweet Eats: Spiced Fried Zucchini & Curried Heirloom Tomatoes with Vegetables

2011-08-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

I just realized my past few posts have been about food... hmmm, that might tell you something.

We have had a pretty good CSA this year. Lots of greens, potatoes, carrots, and TONS of zucchini. I made four loaves over the weekend and am growing pretty sick of it. We had a few leftover and so I went a hunting for recipes and culled a few together to create dinner.

Have you used Garam Masala before? It is a fascinating array of spices mixed together. We purchased some from a spice shop some time ago and I was always a little wary of using it. Check it out to spice up a meal if you feel things are getting a lil' mundane. I LOVE it with zucchini, super easy and unexpected.

Spiced Fried Zucchini

( *I've seen a few varied recipes out there but this is what I whipped up)

1 cup flour
1 cup milk ( may need a bit more, think pancake batter.
1 tsp garam masala or tandoor spice mix
1tsp salt
oil for frying

Combine ingredients and get your oil and pan nice and hot. Be sure to use a larger fry pan so that you can have the zucchini pieces not touch each other.

Slice zucchini into THIN coins. Coat each with batter by dipping in. Toss them in the pan. Fry each side and place on a rack to dry.

Tip: Skip the paper towel drying for fried items. Save a tree: Use a cookie rack! ( items can drip excess oil and dry faster)

Easy Curried Heirloom Tomatoes with Vegetables

( use whatever veggies you have in the fridge!)

Small package of Heirloom tomatoes ( or any tomatoes really)
1 small onion
2 carrots
1small green pepper
1 cup tomato soup ( yup, regular ol' tomato soup. I used Trader Joes Organic Creamy Tomato)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 heaping tsp curry powder
1 tsp of tandoor spice mix ( optional)

Wash and chop all veggies. Place the butter and onions into a pan and let cook. Add carrots. Add tomato soup and spices. Stir! Add rest of veggies and allow to simmer for 30 min until everything is cooked down. Serve with couscous or rice.

The Story of My Climber

2011-08-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

( Not a crafty post: We are in a really awful place today as parents and worried sick that our child will come out of his room tonight. It may be a rant but maybe you can sympathize because you too have an orangutan for a child? All I can do is write as it makes me feel a little better. )

I remember when he started to climb.

At 10 months he started to climb the changing table- the mecca of the nursery. I recall being devastated when we had to get rid of the table and all the things for changing were all over this room. Think about how much time you spent stocking that little table with all their little things. SO much for efficient diaper changes. We bolted every heavy piece of furniture to the wall with furniture straps.

At 14 months he climbed out of his crib. At nap time, I heard him whimpering over the monitor, came upstairs to him on the other side of the bars like a spider monkey. We put his mattress on the floor and took down the crib that day. Months later we got a toddler bed.

We had a pack in play for vacations- he climbed out of that too. We didn't sleep all vacation.

Then he started climbing gates. We had bought a two pack of gates that we felt were sturdy and safe. They had diamond openings throughout. Silly us. He climbed them in a heartbeat. We went out and bought 100$ a piece gates with vertical metal slats to keep from getting out of his room or down the stairs. Or so we thought...

Windows became a game. He climbed on top of the heaters and began to unlock and open his windows. He's pulled furniture over to the windows. We took the furniture out. In this room he has a window seat that can't be removed that he began to scale. He climbed up and opened the windows. We attached safety devices, he took them off. We attached mesh safety covers to the windows- they work for now. On the window seat windows we had to nail them shut.

Today at 2.5 years old he climbed over his gate. We thought it was a fluke, how in the hell could he climb vertical bars?! Well, he could, and he can. Needless to say, there was no nap today. We were worried about the gate at the top of the stairs. We put him to bed and he climbed the gate, then proceeded to climb the stair gate and come downstairs. He can go up and down stairs with ease but we can't have a 2 year old wandering around the house while we are asleep at night. I am not sure if I'll sleep again.

There is nothing that can hold him.

I still haven't figured out what we are going to do. I had to stay him his room until he went to sleep.

I have heard some say well, you just need to watch him. Agreed, but don't parents have to sleep too? I did some research tonight and found this is a common issue. America has lots of climbing toddlers. Sadly, I only know mine.

Some interesting suggestions include:

- Vaseline or Cooking Oil on the Bars ( WTH?)

- Saw his door in half and attach a lock.

- Install a screen door with a lock.

This mama is tired and worried about what tonight will bring. I love him and just want him to be safe. Have you experienced this ? Maybe you have a friend who has? How do they keep monkeys in their rooms at night?

It's all about the checklist...

2011-08-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like my life has turned into one big checklist these days. We all have our to do lists, to buy lists, to make lists. Little overwhelming right? Whew, let's all take a deep breath. There now, we feel better?

A lot of life is up in the air right now. Trying to bring it back to grounded! I guess I can do this by remaining grounded myself. I vow today to just work on today as tomorrow is another day!

Taking time out to garden

We are making some headway here the room is finally almost painted, the trim just needs one more coat. I am searching from some sort of shelving system for toys that isn't ikea. ( Nothing against Ikea I just want to be a little more creative. ) I am trolling craigslist constantly, thank goodness for their Iphone ap!

I was accepted to Start on the Street for the fall and I am now pulling together sketches of some ideas. Lots of wool hats of course ! I have a special sale going on now at my Etsy shop. Check it out! Great for birthday or shower gifts....

What have you been working on ?

Here's a few things that delighted me this week:

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I will have to try this someday!

From Freshly Picked ( one of my fav blogs) reminds me of the ocean. Ah, I miss the ocean...

Um, can someone do this to my closet?

C.R.A.F.T has a great round up of pallet furniture today. Let's recycle. I think in 2012 I would like to become familiar with a power saw.

Sweet Local Visit: Regal Pickle Worcester, MA

2011-07-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in everyone's life when you have the best damn pickle ever. It's so tasty you want to shout it from the rooftops. The perfect amount of salt, mixed with just the right crunch, and the lingering of that fresh cucumber taste before it was shocked in brine. Mmmm. Here's my shout...

In my home city we have a hidden gem called Regal Pickle. If you've been to a deli in the Northeastern region of the U.S. you have most likely had one of these briney treats. Lot's of people say they make their own at restaurants and deli's but in reality it is Worcester's own Regal Pickle. Tucked away in an unassuming old building lives the pickle factory which has been making pickles since 1979. They are the largest pickle processor in the Northeast.

I have to say the building looks like it's home to some of Worcester's mafia but- it was perfectly fine during the factory's retail hours of 6:30AM to 3:15PM.

Here's how it works: You walk in, you ring the buzzer, you tell the man behind the counter what you want and he brings it in a little white pail. Simple. A gallon of pickles will cost you $7.50. Yup, you read that right. Seven dollars and fifty cents. If you come back with the pail the next gallon will cost $6.50. I prefer their half sour pickles but they also carry kosher pickles, pickled tomatoes and sauerkraut.

If you aren't a Worcesterite but are traveling through I highly recommend you making a quick trip into the city for an amazing pickle. It must be good if I'm writing about it on a Friday night.... Please do visit them, they are located on 41 Mason Street Worcester, MA 01610.

SweeterHours Guest Post on Money Saving Mom!

2011-07-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am elated to announce my guest post Easy Homemade Lemonade has debuted on Money Saving Mom today! Please go check it out. I have been reading Crystal's blog for over two years and it has helped save my family lots of money! She also features great DIY ideas, homeschooling tips and more!
So excited about this!

New to Mommyhood: 5 Ways to Help

2011-07-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a little guest post I wrote for my work, Mothers and Company. Check it out!

Do you remember what it was like to be a new mom?

I remember staring at his little feet for hours ( thinking, wow- I grew those! and goodness are they cute!), sleepless nights, baby's first smile and endless amounts of laundry...

Those first few months can be the most wonderful experience with all the fascinating things your little baby brings. After the glitter settles, the in-laws leave, and the stocked freezer is dwindling some moms ( and dads!) can find parenthood isolating.

Think back to that time and think about what you really needed or wanted. Someone to talk to and share all the awesome poop stories with? The crying to stop and for baby to sleep? Help feeding your baby? Time with your spouse or partner? We all need help throughout parenthood- as the saying is true- it really does take a village to raise a child.

Here is a starter list of things you can do for your friends, or even that mom at Trader Joes you see struggling with her newborn and toddler:

1) Bring over some yummy food or snacks- Make some lasagna, veggie soup, or a big hearty salad. Bring a bag of snacks: almonds, cheese and crackers, or smoothies. anything that could be a quick pseudo meal for momma or papa. Don't have time to cook? Drop over takeout from her favorite place. She'll be glad you did!

2) Offer her resources: Tell her where the mommy party is at: Do you come to New Mom's Group? If you do, you know how valuable it is to hear that no-one's-baby-is-sleeping-through-the-night-at-3-months-old and yes you are wearing the same shirt as yesterday. Have a favorite class or place to visit with your little one? Tell your friend or even a random stranger about it. It'll be your good deed of the day and it will make theirs.

3) Offer to baby sit: Many moms are reluctant to leave their new precious cargo with a sitter they don't know, but would be more apt to go our for that post pregnancy glass o' wine with the hubs if you were on duty. They may return from their date after only 30 minutes and may call every 5, but you remember what that was like don't you?

4) Do a load of laundry: I will NEVER forget my aunt coming over after my son was born for an hour. She did a load of laundry and it meant the world. I had to choke back tears of thankfulness to have one load in the wash and one folded ready to be put away. It's amazing what clean clothes can do.

5) Writer Ann Douglas is responsible for our last piece of advice which is wonderful and true: "Help her to feel that she is part of a chain of women that spans from generation to generation. This is her time to receive. She will have plenty of time to give. For now she should just relax and accept the love and gifts from other women. That will be your greatest gift to your friend."

There are dozens more things you can do for your friend or a stranger- what say you? Did someone do something above and beyond after your child came into your life? Please share!

Sweet Makes: Japanese Daikon Radish Pickles

2011-07-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

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I have been having some serious cravings lately. One of them was one I hadn't had in probably 15 years: Japanese Daikon Radish Pickles! They have a very peculiar additive taste that cannot be matched by any ordinary pickle. When I was a little girl, we traveled to Seoul, Korea to visit my stepfather's family and we had these pickles upon arrival. ( and of course kimchi, YUM!) I was amazed at the sweet, salty, and crunchy taste these exotic little unassuming pickles held.

If you are headed to a BBQ or picnic make a batch of these and people will think you are the missing talented spawn of Martha Stewart or that you've been reading Saveur for years. Amazingly enough, they are super simple ( and CHEAP! ) to make....

Japanese Daikon Radish Pickles

*Now where do you find these lovely radishes? Local natural food store or an asian market. You may have to ask. Look for ones that are completely white in color and are firm and not rubbery. They run around $2 a pound.

2 Large Daikon Radishes
1 Cup Rice Wine vinegar ( plain)
2 TBSP Sesame seeds
2 heaping TBSP white Sugar
optional: Feel free to infuse any citrus or herbs in as well, I enjoy mine plain)

Wash and peel the skin from your radishes with a potato peeler. Slice thinly into rounds or sticks. Pile them into a big mason jar and prepare your pickling juice in a separate bowl. Whisk well and then pour into the jar. Be sure to allow your pickles to sit in the mixture for at least 24 hours. Turn the pickle jar upside-down frequently to allow all the pickles to steep. Pickles can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Serve with sandwiches, rice, or eat right out of the jar!

SweetMakes: 4th of July Cake Bunting and Flags

2011-07-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I don't like baking. There I said it! The thought of following a recipe makes my skin crawl... I cheated this time and bought the TJ's box mix and frosting mix for my husband's birthday today. Chocolate on chocolate cupcakes, simple enough, but they needed something else.

Enter cake bunting!

I had heard of this phenomenon thru KiKilaru the Etsy shop of May All Seasons Be Sweet to Thee ( lovely blog!) sometime ago but it really has taken on the world of cakes by storm. Here's a few of my favorites :

source

Inspired? Wanna make your own?

Easy 4th of July Cake Bunting and flags

( my apologies for no photos of the process, I was rushing to finish my husband's birthday dinner party)

Supplies:

Blue & Red Cardstock or fabric
Avery Labels
Triangle template
Sewing machine or needle and thread
Bakers Twine
Small dowels cut down to size or skewers

1) Draw up a small triangle. Trace your triangle template out on to your fabric or cardstock and cut.
2) Feed your triangles into your machine stitching together. You can also hand stitch together fabric and leave a bit of thread on the ends for tying if you do not want to use bakers twine.
3) Fold your bakers twine in half and stitch to each end of bunting.
4) For your white flags roll the end of a toothpick onto an Avery Label and clip the corners into a triangle. Simple right? Pinch the top of the label so it will stay. You could even write little notes on each!
5) Tie the ends of the bunting onto the dowels or skewers in a bow or just a knot and let the ends hang.

These look lovely with cupcakes, whoopie pies, even platters of cookies! Use your creativity and try different colors and sizes.

Happy Birthday to my love!

Linking to:

SweetMakes: Instant Curb Appeal

2011-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

We can't afford to paint the outside of the house.

We can't move or sell.

We can't buy new furniture.

Let's focus on what we CAN do.

Our family has found ourselves in a place where we must stay in our home for at least a year or two more ( if we can sell someday) I have spent way too much energy focusing on what I can't do to our home for reasons of finances, time etc. I had an epiphany a few weeks ago that if I used all that negative energy towards changing what I could it would be much more productive. I was right!

For example, our entry way. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to paint it a lovely color ? Or paint the concrete? A lovely bench and some pillows? Those things aren't in the cards at the moment. SO, enter lots of little freebies.

Ahhhhh. We have loved to sit on our porch and watch the world go by.

Everything I brought in was from the basement or garage. We did purchase the flowers a few weeks ago for the hanging basket. I love to pick up galvanized containers when I see them at garage sales and thrift stores. The chairs add a homey feel even though they are a little old, they are still comfy.

Have I told you how much I love old window panes? Paired with an old planter

it makes a cute little table. They make for great decor and you can usually find them for free on craigslist.

I think the key is focusing on what you do have. I myself am working on this, although its hard! We are currently painting our LEAST favorite room in our house. I'll be sure to update you.

Do you have any projects you are working on in your home?

SweetMakes: Trashy to Lovely

2011-06-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

To begin.... Welcome new followers! Hope you like what you see.

How sweet of you to join us!

Time has been something I am short of. How about you? I am back to planning blog posts and have a few little gems lined up in the queue. We are in the middle of a few big home projects ( we bough FIVE GALLONS of paint this weekend...) so I am trying to make time for everything! This week is a standby, thrifting:

Oh the joys of thrifting. We have this wonderful resource in our area called the Wachusett Recycling Center. They have a small little house where everything is free. I love the ring of the word 'free'. Don't you? The key is finding the good stuff and being able to go in with an open mind. You must vow to not be afraid to pick and dig or be scared by objects d' art that really can't be described.

I happened upon these interesting linen pictures that someone spent $40 dollars on each back in the day ( the price tag was on the back.) I grabbed them thinking they might make a great bulletin board.

After removing the horrible linen I painted the frames with a beautiful Kryon spray paint ( Blue Ocean, I believe.) I then covered one in a leftover canvas and the other with a decorator fabric I scored at Gather Here in Cambridge. I then strung a little kitchen cotton around to create a little spot for slipping in photos or cards ( saw this over at Homework by Carolyn, she's great! )

I then added some covered clothespins and pin flags. Volia! I love making trash into treasure!

Have you made any treasures lately?

And the winner is...

2011-06-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful weekend!

I won't make you wait...

The winner of this beautiful Shabby Apple dress is.......

Kristen, who said:

"I'm just following you all over the place now! Of course I'm following you on blogger. Of course I am fan of Shabby Apole on Facebook now. I've already looked for elf-sized dresses. Sadly, they are all too big still. We have an upcoming wedding in NH and I was planning on wearing my "Republican dress." (Okay. It's really a super cute Lily Pullitzer dress, but I feel conservative in it!) This plan was foiled when I tried the dress on and realized that it's much less conservative (and flattering) now that the elf is here. This gorgeous dress would be much appreciated as lovely dresses tend to fall outside of my $3 per piece clothing budget!"

A) We love that you call your child 'elf .'
B) We feel you on the $3 per clothing piece budget
C) Lastly everyone needs a non republican dress!

Congratulations! Send an email to sweeterhours@gmail.com with your contact info and mailing address!

Didn't win?Don't cry! Shabby Apple has provided Sweeter Hours readers with a coupon code of their very own! Enter sweeterhours10off at check out for 10% off your purchase! Sweet deal!

Thanks to all who entered! Welcome new followers!

Giveaway: A Sweet Little Dress...for mama!

2011-06-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

I rarely buy myself clothes. When I do they are Savers, Target or sale rack at Old Navy. This year was the first year since my college Uggs that I paid full price for a pair of shoes. I know, SAD. With Giraffe I have assigned myself the task of devoting all my little fashion funds to him. What can I say I love euro kids clothes. I digress from my giveaway... anyway, we mamas need attention too right? Right?

Shabby Apple is a collection of stylish women's dresses that make dressing simple. They even carry chic little girls dresses. Designers Emily and CK couldn't find the perfect dress and so they created many! I love their motto about Shabby Apple: "A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything...no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!)." Isn't that refreshing?

Shabby Apple was kind enough to offer me the chance to giveaway one beautiful dress!

I chose Mariposa Grove ( Retail Value $85). This sweet little dress reminded me of Judy Garland, my idol. It just screams Summerstock with Judy and Gene! So simple with lovely detail about the neck. It has a generous fit and can be worn by many different body types. I am love with the Kelly Green color.

Wanna win? It's easy!

TO Enter :

1) Comment letting me know you follow SweeterHours on blogger.

( Not following? Click follow under SWEET PEOPLE) = 1 ENTRY

2) Comment letting me know you are a fan Shabby Apple on Facebook. ( they offer coupons all the time!) = 1 ENTRY

3) Leave a comment and tell us ( we're nosey!) where would you like to wear this lovely dress? Have a wedding coming up? Maybe a birthday party? Date night? To the aquarium? Don't have anything planned?Make something up, come on be creative! ( be sure to leave your email address!)

= 1 ENTRY

4. Tweet or Blog this giveaway linking to this post and be sure to give me your link in your comment!

= 1 ENTRY

This giveaway closes on Monday 6/20 at 2PM EST.

Giveaway is only open to to U.S. Residents

*Can't wait til Monday to have a beautiful new dress?

Don't fret! Shabby Apple has provided Sweeter Hours readers with a coupon code of their very own! Enter sweeterhours10off at check out for 10% off your purchase! Sweet deal!

SweetMakes: Beautiful Picnic in the Err.. rest stop.

2011-06-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

There's just something about a picnic that really excites me. When I was in college I used to grab old copies of The Times fashion section, stop by a local grocer for cold sesame noodles and a Jamaican lemonade and sit in the park. As I've gotten older I think I have darn near perfected the picnic.

About a week ago I planned a special picnic for our family on the Boston greenway as my son and I were going to see the Edward Gorey exhibit. I had heard threats of rain but decided to head to the city anyway. Little did I know the warnings of rain were more warnings of a tornado. We decided to head towards home but were stopped by serious warnings and camped out for our picnic at a rest stop. A few hours later western mass was in a shambles after a vicious tornado. Luckily, we were safe and our home was entact when we returned but many west of us lost it all. If you are interested helping those affected by the tornado please click here.

Despite the rest stop picnic I have pulled together some top tips for picnicking on a budget:

Building a lovely cheese sandwich

Our rest stop picnic!

Do scout your picnic spot prior to picnicking. ( Think: do they have restrooms, are there interesting things to look at ( birds, wildlife, people etc.) Your back yard can offer a wonderful picnic space! ( best of all it's close to your kitchen)
Don't spend money on a picnic basket. Head over to your local thrift store and look for the biggest sturdiest basket you can find. It'll do nicely! Place your picnic blanket over the top to protect your food, linens and flatware.
Don't be afraid to be overly decadent. Remember china can be used outside! Think chocolate cake on pretty plates with a real fork.

Pack extra baggies for dirty flatware. Wrap dirty plates in cloth napkins and place in a bag.
When picnicking with a toddler plan accordingly- pack their space saver highchair to keep them in one place while eating. Be sure to pack them some yummy food too if you are making more of an adult menu. Bring a ball for exercise after dessert!
On a budget? Try making some ice tea. You can spice up regular old orange pekoe tea with a little fruit and lemon. Add honey or agave for a sweet treat. Pack it in a mason jar for a rustic look.
When planning your menu look through your shelves and fridge before heading to the store then pick one thing you want as a treat. For our picnic I purchased a demi baguette to make our sandwiches extra special. Cost: 99 cents!
Use interesting mustards, spices and fresh herbs to dress up the boring cheese sandwich. I am in love with sweet pepper relish on cheese sandwiches.
Slip veggies in your sandwich like cukes, banana peppers, even pickles!
Two words: Cloth napkins.
And lastly: If things don't go your way i.e. the weather conks out, don't fret, there is always another beautiful day around the corner for a picnic.

Yummy pasta salad, cheese on baguette, pepper chips

A happy toddler

SweetReviews: Prepara & Tovolo Popsicle Molds + Recipe!

2011-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

With summer hot on the horizon ( it is actually 85 degrees right now) I have been on the search for popsicle molds. Last summer, I used baby cubes and sicks but this year we needed some grown up pops for our toddler and the adults of course. I wanted to save up for the Zoku but decided it would be way more economical to wait it out while the pops froze.

After searching, reading and watching demo videos on many different molds, I decided to try Prepara Ice Pops 4 Piece Volcano Set and Tovolo's Groovy Ice Pop Molds. We bought one of each set as we are real popsicle fanatics in this house. Each pack retailed for $9.99 each at Bed Bath & Beyond. ( Sadly I did not have a coupon even though I get them in the mail!)

Let's get down to the reviews, shall we?

Prepara Ice Pops

With cute colors and a toddler friendly handle I was in love with the design at first sight. BPA free, dishwasher safe. They do not come with a bulky tray and can be conveniently stored anywhere in the freezer.

Each mold is hollow halfway creating a mini volcano. The inside can be filled with all sorts of lovely things: whipped cream, vodka, yogurt, candy, tequila. So by day, these pops are terrific for toddlers by night they morph into a trendy frozen cocktail for mom. Pretty sweet.

Overall they work well. I did find that they were a tad bit difficult to remove ( I may have been impatient.) But with a little warm water soaking they popped out. Giraffe was all about trying these new pops and specifically asks for them by their color.

Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds

These are by far my favorite molds. They are HUGE. Quite big for toddler paws but lovely for adults and bigger kids. They slip out of their mold easily and freeze rather quickly. The best feature is a little built in drip reservoir above the handle that actually works. BPA free and dishwasher safe make them even more delicious. They also come in rocket and star shapes. I also love that they are individual pops like the Prepara. There is NOTHING worse than getting excited about pops and not being able to remove them from the tray one by one.

The only major con is the bulky tray they stand in. Had a bit of a hard time rearranging the freezer to accommodate them.

Giraffe and I went to a fun birthday party over the weekend. The mom served up watermelon popsicles that were out of this world. They were perfect on a hot day. I thought she was by far better than Martha Stewart, thinking of serving pops to kids, but she let me in on the recipe. Super simple watermelon granita! There are a ton of different combos for this recipe, mostly how much sugar, or lemon or lime.

Here is the one I used and modified for pops:

Watermelon Granita Pops

4 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1/2 cup sugar OR add 1 cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon OR lime

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. ( tip: if the chunks get stuck in the blender be sure to stir or add a bit of water to thin.) Pour into molds and freeze for 3 hours.

Looking for more recipes to fill those pops? Check out Growing a Green Family. I look forward to trying herbal tea and the lavender creme sorbet.

I'm back! How are you? StART RECAP

2011-06-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's been about a MONTH since I have written. Can you believe it. May is finally over and life is much much calmer. Phew. I can finally breathe.

As you may have read, I was participating in stART on the Street, a wonderful street art festival. This was the first year I had my own booth so it was challenging. I stocked it with onesies, hats, cards, paper flowers, and more. All in all it was a successful day, met some nice folks, ate some good grub. Looking forward to September.

I am happy to back to blogging I must say. It's going to be a lovely summer filled with beautiful things, I just know it!

2011-05-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: I hesitated posting this to my blog as I have worked hard to give SweeterHours some form ( ie crafting, creative toddler endeavors) but then I remembered that this is my outlet and it's for my feelings that I share with you whether they be dipped beautifully in white paint or not. It's a serious post so if you are looking for something light, skip it. )

When I became a mother I was so excited that finally Mother's Day would be mine and that I would make it a wonderful day of celebrating the joys of my own motherhood journey with Giraffe. I will not get into my relationship with my own mother as it's long, very complicated, and non-existent for the sake of my and my family's well being. Let's just say Dr. Susan Forward's book has a very special place on my shelf and I refer to it often.

I did receive affection from many as a child and that is how I know how to love and show affection. Other family, teachers, coaches and other friends parents would say ' If you ever need a parent, I'm here.' But a parent is a hard thing to borrow because you always have to give them back and go home.

I have read a lot about how to cope with grief through the 'parent holidays.' They say to remember the good times, look at photos and the like. Instead, I choose to live in the moment of today and remember that what I am doing, raising my son, is important and the most important thing I will ever do. Someone I know posted this video today and it is so very wonderful. It is a tad corny and goosebumpy but I had to re-share it.

Happy Mother's Day to anyone who has helped love a child who needed it.

What he Wore Wednesday: Rain and The Best Toddler Dinner EVER!

2011-05-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy drizzly day here so we decided to stay home all day. Just me and my Giraffe.
We made waffles. We played play dough. We had a few tantrums. He took a nap. Then we did laundry and it was the perfect photo op. Again not a creative outfit but what can I say we were home...

What He Wore Wednesday:
Again not the most creative outfit but playful.

Top: A PJ shirt from GAP he picked from the laundry. I asked him why he said because it has a truck on it. I love this kid!
Pants: GAP fleece pants
Socks: Stride Rite

And now to the best toddler meal ever:

Giraffe was having a fit because he didn't want to eat dinner and was tired from school etc so I asked him if he wanted make pizza. Then I discovered we had no pizza crust...

Quick Toddler Pizza
1 tortilla
2 tbsp of spaghetti sauce
3 tbsp of cheese
toppings of your toddler's choice.

Put all the ingredients in little bowls and pull a chair up to the kitchen counter. Let them create the pizza of their dreams! Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Yum!

A Creative Adoption Day Gift

2011-04-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

What a weekend so far. I think I may have spent about 12 hours with little sponge brushes, pencils and cotton tees. Whew. I finished up a custom order for a sweet little baby who is due on my birthday and also made a shirt for Giraffe's friend.

Little N's adoption day is today! He was brought home by his parents just year ago. Seems like he's been home forever. He's a wonderful little boy with a big heart and great sense of humor. He and his family are such kind people we are lucky to know them!
I struggled with what to give him, I knew a toy wouldn't do. His family is very active in the Ethiopian community here. They are always going to celebrations and playgroups. Little N will have a great grasp of his heritage and is already calling his native land 'Epi.' Love it! I thought of the perfect thing, can't wait to give it to him:

I used a cotton tee and my lovely Silhouette SD. The letters were from How About Orange my new favorite font, Sybil Green. Isn't it sweet?

Not so Thrifty Thursday...

2011-04-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

I know, I missed What He Wore Wednesday. We are having some camera trouble here...

In any case, we just returned from a lovely little vacation to see my relatives and to play in Philly.

In this edition of Thrifty Thursday I have to confess, I did not have a very thrifty shopping trip to the PaperSource in Philly. Have you ever been to a PaperSource? I haven't- for a GOOD reason. I knew I would spend too much. It's like a candy store for people like me. So many beautiful things. Ah. I did buy some nice things and I totally feel guilty about it but you know, sometimes a lady just has to treat herself. Right? It's not like I bought another purse or pair of shoes...

On to the splurge....

A beautiful set of Orla pencils. I actually drooled when I saw them. They look lovely on my work desk.

Business cards for stamping. In a lovely ochre and muted green. 150 to be exact. Can't wait til my custom stamp comes in!

A new stamp pad in Chestnut for my business cards. I have never tried the chalk ink before and it really looks beautiful on their papers. I learned how they do stamps with different colors with their cat eye stamps. Oh so cool. It would be so pretty on cards!

Some lovely papers for sewn pennants, cute little paper flags and some lovely folders. ( The site didn't have photos of these pretty things)

A Sweet Handmade stamp for the back of my business cards.

We had a nice trip and it's good to be home!

What HE Wore Wednesday: A Bit Too Much

2011-04-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Oy. Feeling a little overwhelmed today. I think I may have signed up for too much. We have a trip to DC this weekend for Easter and I am consumed with packing three dogs, a toddler and myself.

Dear readers I confess I have been neglecting my sweet little blog. Rest assured once May is over I will have bit more time.

On to What HE Wore Wednesday:

Jeans: A thrift find for 99cents. I am not sure where they are from

Top: Drum Set Shirt from Mini Boden, consignment sale

Grey Top: Gap Motorcycle Club, thrift find

Boots: Dino Boots from Kidorable, my dear friend's thirfty find, they are brand new!

Had to share this last photo. Giraffe got his first carousel ride. He loved it.

Thrifty Thursday: A Calorie Free Chocolate Bunny

2011-04-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ah the grass is finally getting green here in New England!

I found this little bunny back around Christmas time and debated buying her because well, it was Christmas time. For a whopping $1.99, I am so very glad I did. She doesn't look particularly old or anything I just loved her chocolate fur and pearlized flowers she is carrying. I kinda wish she was scratch and sniff!

What HE Wore Wednesday: Picture Day!

2011-04-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a dress up day complete with my handmade bowties.

This shirt is from Cherokee at Target for $8.99. It comes in a variety of colors. I love it in orange but the navy was nice too. The bowtie is a Sweet Rumpus original with some lovely scrap fabric. The shorts are GAP from the thrift store for $2.99.

This outfit was my fav of the day : Polarn O. Pyret top from a recent sample sale, thrifted khakis and thrifted European shoes. Bowtie is a Sweet Rumpus original.

SweetMakes: Chalkboard Photo Sign

2011-04-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

There are few things I am not humble about:

1) I can make a wonderful roast chicken ( Yes I know, I am vegetarian. If you don't believe me bring a chicken over and I'll wow you.)

2) My magical thrift shopping abilities. I can find anything.

3) How adorable my son is.

Today #3 inspired me. Before I post What He Wore Wednesday I have to do this tutorial. With Easter hot on the horizon I had to get some spring pics taken of Giraffe. With little funds I was left with going to the dreaded, gasp, horror, The Picture People. Say what you will- you may love them, that's great, I don't. I don't like fake flowers, wagons, toilet paper in a baskets, blocks, etc. You get it. That is why there are so many kinds of bread- we all have to like different things. In any case, I had a coupon for $18 for a huge bundle of photos perfect for holiday giving! I hemmed and hawed about how to dress Giraffe and a few other little accessories to dress the photos up,

enter the tutorial:

Chalkboard Photo Sign

Ingredients:

Large piece of cardboard

An exacto

A pen

A stick or clean paint stirrer, or Shim

1) Draw your expression bubble on the wrong side of your cardboard. I used a piece that was laying around the house. Basically draw an oval with a little triangle on the side.

2) Cut it out with your exacto.

3) Get out the old chalkboard spray paint and spray away. Remember paint it lightly and keep the spray moving around.

4) Allow it to dry and then your handle ( stick, shim, or paint stirrer) to the back securely with tape. I imagine if you have time you could cut a little fabric and glue it to the handle as well to make it prettier.

5) Not pictured: Take some white chalk and lightly color the entire chalkboard surface. Then rub with a rag to give it some dimension.

Linking to:

giraffe's birthday

2011-04-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

There has been little time for blogging as someone's behavior has been out of this world. ( that is the nicest way to put it.) I am working to remain calm and say in my head its a phase. It's hard though, anyone who has had a child can sympathize I am sure.

In any case I have been promising photos from Giraffe's birthday for some time now. Perhaps someday I will do some tutorials from it all but for today let's just keep this post to photos. Thanks for your understanding in advance!

New Feature: What HE wore Wednesday!

2011-04-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

I think by now you know I have an affinity for wonderful boy clothes.( Girl clothes too) I take great pride in how I dress Giraffe. And yes, I know, most mothers do- but some do not. Many believe boys are meant to get dirty so they just dress them in whatever. Yes we do have our fair share of stained attire but he can still look cute! Our favorite color- green. Least favorite color- BLUE. I try and avoid it at all costs unless it's an accent color.

I have seen many bloggers do a ' What I wore Wednesday' ( check out Pleated Poppy!) feature and so I decided instead of showcasing my frumpy sweatpants, racer back swim suits, husband's tee shirts and danskos I would like to put Giraffe in the spotlight. Wednesday is a non-school day so anything goes!

We have been battling the stomach bug in our house for over a week and poor Giraffe is its latest victim. Perhaps I should have waited til next week but today he picked his outfit from the laundry ( clean laundry mind you) So I give you our first ' What HE wore Wednesday ' post:

what HE wore Wednesday:
* mummy embellished sweatshirt with echino fabric ( sweatshirt is thrifted, fabric is from PurlSoho)
*Snugabye Convert foot creme top
*Hanna Anderson pants ( consignment find, if you don't own a pair they are the greatest! PJs or play!)
* sweet froggy boots ( boots are from target but they were a thrift find)
*And of course his bebe

Sweet Makes: Quick Easter Dioramas

2011-04-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Confession time: I am not one to throw things away. Whew. Glad we got that out of the way!

Going through the Easter decor I needed something new. I am in love with those little diorama eggs but I haven't had the time in between the husband, work, stomach bugs and naptimes to pull one together so I settled on some recycled boxes.

As I was pulling together this tutorial Carolyn over at Homework ( beautiful blog!) and I shared a brain. She too has a love of Laughing Cow Cheese and it's box. We both had a good laugh. Check out her tutorial on making a simple spring gift box. Aren't they sweet? I image some lovely little fresh water pearl earrings in there. Ahhhh.

If you don't have an empty match or cheese box you could use any little box on hand ( think spice boxes, or even a large cap!) Or if you want to get fancy most craft stores sell brown craft boxes for pretty cheap.

After cleaning the labels off the cheese box I started cutting scrap papers for a scene. I used a vintage book, paper bag, leftover cardstock and magazines. I used my Silhouette SD for the sun. Man that thing can cut!

I used a hot glue gun for the ribbon and raffia but a plain ol' gluestick for everything else. This is so easy you could do it with your little ones as a quick craft.

With the matchbox scene I used raffia for the nest and a stamp for the chick. Be creative! Look around your home and see what types of materials can be repurposed. Old greeting cards, junk mail, ribbons, magazines, coupons, the possibilities are endless.

What a sweet little gift this would make in lieu of a card! I gave it to my Giraffe after his nap as he's been under the weather. He said, ' Mommy made a chicken for ME?' Too cute.

This one is on display in my dining room along with my favorite Easter book, The Country Bunny & The Golden Shoes...

linking to:

SweetMakes: Sweet Chivalry Tee

2011-04-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I woke up and decided that we absolutely needed to get out of the house. I jumped onto my local library's website and see if there were tickets left for any museums. Lo and behold one of Worcester's gems, Higgins Armory was free. My son LOVES the armory. We are so lucky to have this wonderful resource here in our city. For all of those out of towners, the armory is a collection of medieval armor like knights in shining armor. Amazing for a toddler to see! It was also was perfect inspiration for the contest I entered over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. I digress, so THAT is the inspiration for today's tutorial....

Ingredients:

One White Tee ( this one is from Walmart)

Piece of scrap fabric

freezer paper

Silhouette SD or an Exacto knife

screen printing ink or acrylic paint

sewing machine

iron

1) I started by sketching up a knight chess piece by looking at a plethora of silhouettes online. There are so many designs out there that are copyright free you could grab one and print it out. I plan to have a screen made of my design for future use. ( Don't you love my eyeball eraser?)

2) I believe you can put your image into the Silhouette SD program and cut it out, I have yet to figure this out. I am still playing around with the machine and have noticed that it might be similar to the print and cut options. If you have insight please let me know!

I chose to do the regular method with the knight piece anold fashioned exacto knife.

I saved all the itty bitty pieces to place back on once ironing began.

3) I then used my new trusty Silhouette SD, typed in my text

and let it cut my freezer paper. SO easy!

Didn't she do a beautiful job?! If you don't have a cutting machine you can use an exacto.

4) I ironed the knight to my scrap fabric and then used a small brush to paint screen paint onto the fabric. Wait for paint to dry! I know its hard! I am the most impatient painter.

5) I then did the same with the letters. I pinned the knight to the shirt and top stitched.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Ok, here are some photos of my sweet little knight...

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial! If you did, please become a fan with the sweet people to the left.
Linking to:

I had a date the other day...

2011-04-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

With my Silhouette SD ( title got you to click on this didn't it?) It is quite addicting I have to say.

The first thing I made wasn't hard but I wanted to try something easy. The machine was super simple to set up, took 20 minutes or so and I had a blast checking out all the designs online.

Giraffe had a vinyl sun in his room that I had hand cut eons ago and it needed a little spruce up...

Next was the Chivalry Tee. Working on a tutorial as we speak...

Lots of other things in the works!

Entries for Let's Hear it for The Boys on I Am Momma Hear Me Roar!

2011-03-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a day. How was your day?

Very excited to post these photos from my entry in this contest over at I am Momma Hear Me Roar. I actually am entering TWO shirts. One is the Sweet Stego Hoodie and this one is a newbie:

Sweet Chivalry Tee! It's a white tee with freezer paper stenciled letters thanks to my new Silhoutte SD and a regular freezer paper stenciled applique of a knight chess piece. Love it? I drew it myself! I'll be putting up a tutorial soon, perhaps this evening.

Wish me luck!

Thrifty Thursday: A lamp to be revamped!

2011-03-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday. Hope you are all having a wonderful week. I must confess I didn't thrift this week ( if you can believe it. This lamp was thrifted about a year ago for a beautiful price of $7.99. Love the details! With my new Silhouette I am making some designs for the shade and I can't wait to show you the tutorial.

The shade was purchased separately and I believe is a bit too large for the base but we will see how it goes. I love to experiment!

Have you done any lovely revamps lately?

On an unrelated note, I purchased a beautiful paper from a local art store, CCLowell. If you are local and you haven't been there you are really missing out. Wonderful place stocked with wonderful things and people! They have a beautiful selection of papers, discounted canvas, paint, brushes, expert framing and much more.

Not quite sure what I am going to do with it yet but I am thinking it may end up on an end table...

Isn't it lovely?

Sweet Makes: DIY Handprinted Pillows

2011-03-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well hello! I know its been a while. Sorry! Everyone is finally well in our house. ( I am on the mend) I've been working on this tutorial for a while. The inspiration for using tile spacers came from when I was organizing my husbands tools and found them. I loved the shape and couldn't wait to try.

Ingredients:
Fabric- I used a 12X12 piece of an Ikea flat sheet in Khaki

Screen Printing Ink ( You could use Acrylic as well)
Paint Brush
Waterproof Glue
A small piece of scrap wood that is even
Q Tips

And the Magic Ingredient:
TILE Spacers! ( You can get these at any hardware store)

Step 1: Begin by laying out your tile spacers however you want them to appear on your fabric when printing. There are so many different combos:

Step 2: Place some glue on each spacer and lay out your design. Allow to dry. ( I was VERY impatient)

Step 3: Grab your paint. I ended up mixing my own color as I was looking for something a little springy. This is a combo of blue, yellow and green Speedball Screen Paint.

Step 4: Spread some paint on your newly created fabric stamp.

Step 5: Press on fabric and allow to dry. My prints are not perfect, I actually like it this way. I have done ones that were more identical prints as featured below, but I think it gives it more interest to be a bit different.

Step 6: Allow to dry and Press.

Step 7: Make a pocket Pillow. Place your pillow form on top of the printed fabric and trace allowing a 1inch seam allowance. Then do the same to your backer fabric allowing slightly more. Cut the backer piece in half and press down an inch on each side and stitch across. Line up pieces so they overlap and place right side down against the right side of your printed fabric. Pin and sew all the way around. Turn and press. Insert pillow form.

I love them because they versatile and can really go with any piece of furniture.

Like this tutorial? Please join the sweet people to the left.

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Thrifty Thursday: A Gem of a Find

2011-03-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at keeping to the days of the week but I guess I'll give it another go.

Here's to the return of ' Thrifty Thursdays!' Ta-da!

Normally Thursdays aren't the best day to thrift. Mondays and Saturdays are great days because most of the stuff comes in on the weekend, but hey, I like the title and honestly I shop thrift like its Target so, let's just keep it to one day...

Today I had a wonderful find...

In my quest for sewing apparel it's as if the sewing gods put this little gem out just for me. How CUTE is this?! It's a size 4 toddler which can totally be tailored to my tall 2 year old. LOVE. Best of all it was a great price of 50 cents. I think I shall make a little easter suit with a darling bowtie.

Did you pick up anything good at the thrift store this week ? If so, please share!

Sickness has passed.. back to blogging!

2011-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I can finally say the sickness has passed my poor little Giraffe after 4 days! He's back to being 2 and has started demolishing the house. I have a few minutes to blog and not a moment more!

First and foremost, I have to say I am so saddened by all that has happened in Japan. I am keeping them all in my prayers to the universe. I am currently researching some crafting efforts to benefit Japan, if you have one you are doing please share !

I am catching up on my reading today and thought I'd share some sweet little things I've found along the way:

Isn't this the cutest little set from Craftiness is not Optional ? Handmade from thrift store finds! Love this.

Beautiful vegan lent meals from NYT Definitley adding to my menu plan this week!

How unbelievably cute are these bow tie paper clips from How About Orange?
They would make a sweet gift!

All I can say is WOW. Seeing this beautiful tablescape from The DIYShowOff this AM made me think wow, I need to get my butt in gear Easter is around the corner!

And last but not least, not a project, just a beautiful thought that I need to remember daily.
Image is from Mary Janes & Galoshes:

This is what I'm doing instead of blogging :)

2011-03-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

Toddlerdom & Recycled Hoodie

2011-03-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Its been a busy week so I haven't been writing much. How have you all been?
Someone is officially two according to their actions so finding time to blog has gone by the wayside. It amazes me how the TWO switch just clicks. He's a great kid- but the tantrums. Oh the tantrums...

Sorry to make today's post short... I promise something really good later this week.

I did finally finish this hoodie for Giraffe from a wonderfully easy pattern by Lil Blue Boo. I love it, and so does he:

I think I am wanting to start making kids ( mostly boys) apparel to sell, not entirely sure but almost. Do you have any favorite patterns with a limited commercial license ?

He's growing up and so is his furniture...

2011-03-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to the changing table because he started climbing it. Then he climbed out of the crib at 14months. Just yesterday, I took Giraffe's rocking chair out of his room. ( Sniff Sniff) I loved rocking him when he was little but now he's just a bit big and he couldn't climb into the chair on his own.

I bought this chair at the thrift store for 8$. Slapped on a 3 coats of black gloss paint and made custom covers from an Ikea duvet cover. Volia:

It's low enough that he can climb in on his own!

He ran around chanting ' new chair! new chair.' Too cute!

And the winner is!

2011-03-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

And the winner is....

Staralea said...

"LOVE LOVE LOVE this! P def needs this hoodie!!!"

Congratulations!!!

We will be contacting you to claim your prize.

If you didn't win, we will be adding some of our etsy shop in a few weeks.

Thanks to all for the lovely comments.

Mantles: How to Decorate Between the Seasons

2011-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

After each and every holiday I cringe at the thought of redecorating my mantel. I love to decorate don't get me wrong but there are certain times of year where its tough to pick something. I am not fully committed to spring as there is still a righteous amount of snow almost blocking my backdoor and the St. Valentine's chocolate is long gone. Le sigh.

There are 4 few rules I follow when decorating any space in my home:

1) I try not use store bought decor items if I can help it. ( aka Pier One paintings) Remember that found objects are always best. Vintage buys are chic, save you money and don't look contrived.

2) Fake shrubbery and flowers are ok... in moderation. Silk can work within reason. I don't know many people who can afford real flowers weekly.

3) Have FUN with decorating. Remember, your home doesn't have to look the same way it did when you moved in. I am always changing things around, that is what keeps it interesting and your guests always guessing! Just this morning I had someone say,' You changed it all around!" made my heart jump.

4) Lastly, keep it all in the same theme. I say this only because I want you to learn from my mistakes. Case in point? I have a BRIGHT RED KITCHEN. Why? Because I went through a red phase. It matches nothing else in my home. Keep your new favorite colors to your clothes and accessories NOT your walls. ( The exception to this rule is kids rooms. )

Let's play a bit...

Some tulips that have a few more days tops, a photo of Bay and I in a beautiful Potterybarn mustard frame I snagged at the thrift store last year for $2, a thriftstore Winterthur print in a terrible frame. Some dried lavender from last years garden, a teacup, galvanized lantern, a Crate and Barrel crystal candle holder and candle and a fake shrub. Kinda boring...let's jazz it up a bit...

Way to many things. Lots of cool things but they don't work all that well together. Why? Too many items at the same height. Too similar colors and feel. Moving on...

Ok, getting closer here. Still lots of objects. Like the height of the window shutter but it still looks a bit cluttered and a little too close together.

Can we just stop and take a peek at this owl. Isn't he beautiful? It's my husbands, a lovely old owl flute from some antique store. Next:

Mmmmm. Not feeling it. I do love the green mixed in but the flowers will die soon and then the whole look will be shot. Do you love the vintage MASS plate? It was my grandfathers. Someday I will buy a vintage Jag and put those plates on it. Ah, to dream.

Success! Why it works: Love the differences in height. Similar color schemes across the board with a pop of green and yellow from one of my old watercolors. Break down: Old interior window shutter from our house, antique owl, vintage mason jar with twigs leftover from the holidays, yummy old books and one of my prized possessions: a little ceramic jar from Antro I got for 50 cents.

And there you have it. I'll update soon for spring.

Please be a dear and join the sweet people to the left if you liked this post.

We now have 30 wonderful followers. Thank you so much!

Also, did you enter our giveaway for the stego hoodie?

One more thing:

See that lovely muslin pillow in the front?

I'll teach you how to make it next week.

linking to:

I might just be the luckiest girl in the world...

2011-02-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

Wow. Can I just say it again W-O-W. I know I am not dreaming because

I am actually able to type right now.

Let me start by saying this- just when you think you're down, the universe really does have a way of pulling you right back up. It was a tough weekend and I was looking forward to starting a fresh new week. I scheduled time for projects, have the blog planned out etc. Got myself organized! I and many other bloggers who are moms have very little time to create although sometimes it looks like we do. I now I have something that will definitely make it all a little easier!

I won a Silhouette SD from The DIY Show Off! I actually started jumping up and down when I found out. No one was home ( but the dogs), so I just kept jumping and they started jumping too. It's a funky electronic cutting tool that cuts fabric, card stock and vinyl. And best of all... freezer paper! Lots of tutorial ideas starting to brew here!

A BIG Thank you to Roeshel at The DIY Show Off. If you haven't visited her blog you must. She has awesome tutorials, linky parties and a tour of her beautiful home. Fantastic spot for ideas and inspiration.

Head on over to her blog and become a fan!

Sweet Makes: Sweet Stego Hoodie! + Giveaway!

2011-02-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

As I've mentioned before, I am quite tired of buying boring boy clothes. Inspired by Dana over at Made I have decided to make some clothes for Giraffe, which I will of course be sharing! Just because he's a boy doesn't mean he has to wear navy blue every day. Orange, turquoise, red etc, now those are colors for clothes!

On to the tutorial....

Are you excited yet? Yes your boy ( or girl!) can have a Stego hoodie just like Giraffe's. I made it for his dinosaur themed birthday party. Download and print the pattern below for the applique and stego spikes...

Stego Sweatshirt Pattern

You'll Need:

1/2 a yard of fun fabric

Hoodie

Rotary Cutter or Scissors

Heat n'Bond

Cotton poly fill

Sewing stuffs ( thread, sewing machine or serger)

1) Start by selecting your funky fabric. I found this shirt at the thrift store and had to have it.

2) Grab your hoodie and lay it out flat on your cutting surface. Use a rotary cutter or scissors to splice along the hood. Try to cut straight, as you can tell, I didn't. Not to worry you'll be resewing it again anyway. You could also continue cutting all the way down the back of the hoodie and put in more spikes like a real Stegosaurs. I may try that at somepoint.

3) Cut out the pattern pieces. After you determine how many spikes you want trace on to fabric and cut them out. Place pieces right sides together then sew around the edges using a 3/4'' seam. {My apologies for no photos of this process!} Turn them right side out and press. Stuff with cotton fill and topstich around the edges.

4) Pin your stego spikes into your hood and zigzag stich all the way around twice for stability. Or serge if you own a serger.

5) Turn right side out, ta-da!

6) Now for the applique: Follow the directions on your package of heat n' bond and trace your dino and cut it out. Iron per instructions and then stick onto your shirt. Volia! Any questions feel free to contact me!

7) Take them outside to play! My little guy loves his new hoodie and was pretending to be a dino. Can't wait for him to be able to play on the playground once the snow melts!

What do you think ? Did you like this tutorial? If so, please leave a

little love by joining the sweet people to the left.

Giveaway!

Do you love the Sweet Stego Hoodie but want one premade for your little dinosaur ? Well today is your lucky day! Our giveaway prize is one custom made hoodie! Pretty awesome right?

How to enter:

1) Join the sweet people to the left and become a fan! ( 1entry)

2) Become a fan of SweetHours on facebook (1 entry)

3 Retweet this post on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did (1entry)

4) Leave a comment on the blog ( 1 entry)

5) Post about this tutorial on your blog ( 1 entry) please leave a link on our blog so we know where to go)

5 Chances to WIN!

*please leave your email in the comment so we know where to contact the winner

( example: sweeterhours(at)gmail (dot) com )

A drawing will take place on Friday March 4th!

Good luck!

Linking to :

2011-02-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

Been a little busy this week. Not sure with what but nonetheless busy. I have a few things cooking in the creative kitchen that I will share shortly so don't worry!

I had the entire house to myself on Monday as I am between teaching sessions and Giraffe was at school. I felt I should do something nice for the person who is the rock in my life. He listens when no one else will, shares in my joys and sorrows and supports me beyond measure. He is a wonderful father and I love him.

My husband like me loves a good mess....

We have an endless amount of things to fix and do to our home and like everyone else we have a ton of fix it stuff, tools etc. With my husband's schedule he can't really do work on the house at night so that leaves just Sundays ( as I usually teach Saturdays) The past few months his tools and fix it stuff has been a bit, well messy you could say...

So, I did a little spruce up for him...

I plan on making him a fix it space of his own soon and will chronicle the journey.

Stay tuned for a VERY exciting tutorial tomorrow...

Homemade Butter and Sweet n' Sneaky Pudding

2011-02-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

I had lofty craft goals for this long weekend but alas a cold has taken me down. I haven't been sick in so long that I honest to goodness thought I was having an allergic reaction to a cookie last night. Silly me. It came on so sudden and I had some difficulty breathing. Thank goodness I didn't call 911. Whew!

In any case, I did have some dear friends over last night for dinner. At the last minute I decided to run to the store for salad fixings and decided to buy some heavy whipping cream for butter. Mind you, I have never made butter in my life but I have always been intrigued since seeing this. WOW. Homemade butter is MIND BLOWINGLY good.

Homemade Garlic & Herb Butter

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tsp salt

1tsp dried herbs ( I used Herbs to Provence)

1 garlic clove ( I used two but I suggest one)

Pour cream into food processor or food chopper and blend for 8 minutes. Add garlic clove and herbs and pulse again. Pour out excess liquid and blend again. Store in airtight container.

My little Giraffe has a thing for chocolate pudding. While on a non-eating binge he refused to eat anything but pudding so, I had to become inventive. Cabot sells a wonderful vanilla greek yogurt that is so creamy you'd swear it was vanilla pudding and it has 18grams of protein! I often add chia seeds for added nutrients as they are a magical food. Super high in omegas, protein and fiber. We purchase ours from Navitas at Wholefoods. They are also great in muffins and other baked goods.

Sweet & Sneaky Pudding

1 cup Cabot Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 heaping tablespoon All Natural Kozy Shack Pudding

Optional: 1/2 tsp chia seeds

Combine together and serve!

Linking to:

Sweet Makes: Quick Cupcake Toppers

2011-02-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

As I've gotten older I have had a really hard time buying things at the store. I do mean the regular store for our new readers, heck I could buy out the thrift store any day. Things in most stores just don't have enough character for me, thus I usually try and make things or buy second hand.

The night before Giraffe's birthday I realized that I should probably send in some sort of goodies to celebrate the day. Out I went for organic cupcake mix. At the store I passed cupcake toppers of different sizes and styles and realized they just wouldn't do for my little one. So, I decided to make some...

Quick Cupcake Toppers

You'll need the following:

- Large 1'' paper punch

-Exacto Knife

-Dot stickers

-Cork

Toothpicks

-Ink Pad

-Inky Pen ( I love Japanese micro pens)

- Fun paper

{NOTE: Cork stamping is NOT a new idea. I have seen this technique featured on a number of sites ( who seem to claim its their idea) and in a few crafting books. Martha has a nice tutorial for clothes. So please, don't think I was this brilliant.}

1) To begin draw out the design or letter you wish to use for your stamp. Try and keep it simple as you will be carving it later. Then, while the ink is still wet place your cork on top to absorb some of the ink. After you have a basic outline on the cork draw it in a little darker. As you'll notice the design will be backwards on your stamp. Perfect!

2) Begin carefully carving around the outline of the letter in small sections. It's a bit of a tedious process but well worth it.

3) This is what your stamp should look like. It's ready for stamping!

4) Test your stamp on scrap paper to see what color ink you would like to use. In the end I chose black because it showed up best on the polka dot paper.

5) Stamp on the good paper and be sure to leave some space in between for the paper punch. I first chose green ink but then switched to green as it was more visible.

6) After stamping, place the punch around your design or letter and punch away!

7) Allow ink to fully dry. Flip over and place a toothpick in the middle then take a dot sticker and push down on the toothpick and paper. Easy right? Press firmly. ( You may rip the sticker a bit, no worries its on the back) That's it!

8) Enjoy! You could even use them for appetizers.

**If you like this tutorial please do me a favor and join the Sweet People to the left ** Thanks!

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Things I Can't Wait to Make...

2011-02-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

I have a bookmark folder in Safari called, ' Things to Make.' I figured I share a little of

what is in my brain:

1) A Doll House for Giraffe. This one is from Darly Blog. So many beautiful details! Look at the beautiful papers on the walls!!!

2) I vow to make a bag for the spring inspired by this beautiful Anthro bag. I think $198.00 is a an astronomical amount of money for a tote bag. Don't you ?

3) Easter can't come soon enough! A little chalkboard paint can do anything!

4) The simple slipcovers from In My Own Style would be a perfect way to freshen

up my chairs this spring!

5) Thinking about making a dino mobile for my kiddo's room...

6) And last but not least... I just bought this pattern from Lil blue boo last week.

SO excited about this shirt!

Stay tuned, tomorrow I am releasing a tutorial

on DIY cupcake toppers!

Happy Valentine's Day to You!

2011-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend celebrating Giraffe's 2nd birthday! We will be sure to share some tutorials from the party, don't worry.

Welcome to our new followers! So glad to have you onboard!

I hope that you are having a day filled with love and kindness. In this fast paced world it is important to stop and take a deep breath. Do something nice for a stranger. Visit an elderly neighbor. And of course, tell your family you love them everyday!

Giraffe made terrific valentines for his school mates today. Here's one for you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Printable Valentines!

2011-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Looking for some valentines for the kiddos? Look no further!

I had some really sweet feedback on the owls so I decided to turn them into a valentine. The owl was lonely so, he needed some friends. A whale, cupcake and of course a hedgehog.

The best part is your kids can color them. (mama score!)

Enjoy!

SweeterHours Printable Valentines

In exchange for printing these little valentines will you give a a sweet little follow on the left? You'll be glad you did!

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Sweet Pick-me-ups

2011-02-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

Ever have those days where you just need a pick-me-up?

You seek cozy yummy things that make your heart sing.

Here are a few sweet little things I would grab today:

Compliments are nice: from Keep Calm Gallery featured on design*sponge

This simple yet elegant piece from Beads Down South makes me instantly calm

Keep it organized:I love egg holders. They can also double as jewelry holders!

This one is from Anthro but I just snagges the exact same one at Christmas Tree Shoppe for $1.89

Sweet little birdy aims to please: Stefeny Stanyer Etsy

This print from Kathy Panton makes me melt into Candyland.

Dinosaur on the brain...

2011-02-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

I've been a little MIA lately as I am in the midst of planning a birthday party for my little Giraffe. The big TWO! For the record I didn't want a big party this year. But, I am now working on embracing the fact that we are in for quite the little shindig. The rsvps are trickling in and Mama is getting tired. Lots to do in a week. I work better under creative pressure. Always...

Giraffe chose a dinosaur theme this year mostly because he likes making a dino noise. Someday I will be sure to put up a video as its hilarious. I digress.

I scoured the web for a little dino inspiration and here's what I found....

Check our these adorable fondant dinos from A Baked Creation.

Check out this party featured on Hostess with the Mostess from the Celebration Shoppe. I am in love with it all! From the bright colors to the wonderful details this party is amazing.

**Side note: If you haven't checked out Hostess with the Mostess you must. It is unreal. It will have you wanting to plan parties in no time.

I love this invite. Check out Minted for another awesome color combo.

I love their little google eyes! Such personality from Once Upon a Cupcake.

Uber cute cake from Contemporary Cakes. Such a cute dino!

Meri Meri has some beautiful cupcake liners and toppers

I look forward to sharing some little projects with you this week leading up to the big day.

Dinos aside, I can't believe I am the mom of a two year old! Wow.

Cord and Charger Catch All for $1!

2011-02-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

We have a serious issue in our home. Organization with a capital O. This year I am working to get us into a groove of some sort of organizational system that will kick the clutter, recycle the junk mail and fold the laundry. I think all that is spelled M-A-I-D!

In any case one of our biggest issues is cords and chargers. There is a charger for EVERYTHING nowadays. There is one for each iPhone, the work Blackberry, the ipods, the camera, the video camera, the computer etc. That is not even including all the earphones that go with each device! Ugh. We are up to our necks in cords and chargers! Well, I now have a system that is the answer to everyone's prayers and it cost me a whopping FREE99.

In the dollar section of Target there are often clear coupon organizers or clear file folders. These make PERFECT cord and charger catchalls. I had one laying around and affixed a pretty Martha Stewart label I had onhand and then made little labels with the ones provided with the organizer.

In order to accommodate the bulk of the organizer I made a new little elastic tie ( mine was worn out, yours might work just fine!) I looped plain old sewing elastic around the organizer and used two little wooden beads for decoration.

There you have it! A way to store all the clutter neatly and nicely. Looking forward to your thoughts!

Sweeter Hours Studio: A Tour

2011-02-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

"It's been a long time coming....

but I know, a change gonna come, oh yes it will"

- Sam Cooke:

It's a very very cold room, reads 20 degrees right now- but hey, it's all mine. In this space I can close the door, crank the heat, turn up Pandora and craft out. Here's a little tour with a couple tips for your own creative space. What a wonderfully sunny window right?!

This is a vintage bulb starter hanger from a garden shop up in NH. I am in love with anything galvanized. Looking forward to putting some plants in it come warmer weather. The black rack behind it is a magazine holder that I use for drying watercolors.

Inspired by I Am Momma Hear Me Roar's quote wall, I decided to paint a mirror. The quote is, " She thought she could, so she did." Love it! I look forward to finding an inspirational quote each month to keep me motivated. Any suggestions?

What a sweet vintage table right? It was the great price of FREE. I plan to paint it a saucy color in the spring. This glass container was marked down to 5$ because it was missing a tap. Also a great find!

This is a wall of some accomplishments. My bachelor's degree of course and also a post card from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival where I performed. My ugly broom! I plan to get a pretty one next trip to Ikea. Oh and don't forget the sexy space heater...

I am so lucky to have these built in shelves. I am looking forward to putting wallpaper behind each shelf this spring to give the room some pop. I love using a mix of vintage and modern, showcased by the two cosmetic bags on the shelf. Vintage wooden Shaker style boxes hide thread and bobbins. Hit up the thrift stores for interesting containers and mix with regular store bought ones ( like the brown kraft photo boxes.)

This vintage oak desk is massive-but a perfect workspace area. I keep sewing materials in a little caddy so that they can be quickly tucked into a drawer in case I need more room.

The orange table found a home with his mish-mosh of a cute stool I refinished and a vintage school chair. It was important that Giraffe have a space in the studio so that he can get artsy too! I encourage you to make room for your little ones in your creative environment.

A view from the desk...

One of my first handmade creatures I just couldn't part with.

Filled with repurposed containers these shelves are my favorite. Mixing and matching creates interest. Mmmmm vintage pyrex.

This twig window box makes a lovely perch for these owly calendar cards from Gingiber.

Here are some other lovely calendars for your creative space featured on How About Orange.

I have had this old window for 8 years sitting in my garage. I had hoped one day to restore it but alas a little chicken wire and some clothespins and it serves as a great inspiration wall!

It may not be color coded yet BUT at least its not in paper bags strewn across the floor right? Fabric now has a home in the closet which still needs a little work.

I have a thing for birds, don't you ? Check out Spool for the free pattern.

So there you have it, a place for Sweeter Hours to grow. I have to admit, I have had a creative block since the room has been clean. I apparently thrive on mess.

I have to retrain my brain to embrace the lack of clutter.

I really look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on my new space. Anything you'd add? I would like to paint in the spring, any color recs? I also am pining for a rug, what color would you pick?

A Winner!

2011-01-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

And the winner of our last little bloggy giveaway is...

Lauren!

Thanks for your support and comments. Comments make my heart sing as its always nice to know someone is reading!

Lauren is the proud owner of ScrapSoup making beautiful things for kids & adults! Please follow her on FB and check our her wonderful products locally at Mothers & Company and globally on Etsy!

SweetReviews: Jam Time Maynard, MA

2011-01-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

Stir crazy from the snow days we have had over the past few weeks Giraffe and I decided to trek out to Maynard to Jam Time. Jam Time is a large indoor kids play space and enrichment center.

Let me start by saying, this place is immaculate. I mean beyond clean. Granted it is new but- I did note one of the owners cleaning and tidying frequently. Carpets were vacuumed, trash was emptied and restrooms were spotless. I was pleasantly surprised. Even the snack area was well kept.

Here's a quick bulleted list of the facilities features:

-Large play structure complete with monkey bars, 2 slides, see through plank to walk over, mini climbing walls, captains walk, climbing tunnels and more
-Smaller play structure for little ones with two slides
-Large inflatable bouncy house
-Large play house with kitchen set up (fully stocked) Baby dolls and accessories
- Work bench with tools
-Lego table ( larger legos)
-Train Table with Thomas trains
- Separate baby play area with soft toys and exersaucer
- Small Ball Pit
-Doll House with Barbies
-Farm Table with play animals and tractors
-Snack area
- Basket ball hoop on the wall with lots of balls
- Cozy Coups
-Shopping Carts
-Ride on digger
and much more...

I probably forgot a few things as I was chasing a toddler. I was very impressed with the climbing structures. They are made by a company called Cedarworks. Simple, not a lot of plastic, very imaginitive spaces. They do bedroom furniture too! Drool...

Each space contained the things toddlers love most, stuff to throw, things to ride on and of course things to climb. I enjoyed this place because Giraffe could just run, run like the wild little toddler he is.

Giraffe loved the adorable playhouse that featured a full kitchen complete with dishwasher There was even a little coffee maker. All kitchen items ( including food) were wooden.

There is a small area for snack time. Jam Time carries a small amount of snacks, bunnies, organic milk, water, juice, Cliff Bars, fruit packs and Keurig coffee. You are also welcome to bring your own food and drink.

They also offer classes, $160 for 8 weeks, Mommy & Me, painting, Jam Time for babies, Jam Time for 2-3, and 5-7. With purchase of a class you receive play time for the duration of your class session.

Overall we had an awesome time and will definitely return. I highly recommend Jam Time. If you are looking for a place to let your child run wild in a clean, safe, imaginative environment this is the place!

And more Snow... More Things to Do + A GIVEAWAY!

2011-01-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

We got slammed again today. A million inches but who's counting? I can't see my deck, my big dogs are up to their necks in snow and the little dog can't even walk outside poor thing. Ah, old man winter I shake my fist at you.

In any case we need some more stuff to do with our little ones so I have scoured the web for a few things that might suit your child's fancy...

MAKE BUTTER

This is one of my fav tutorials, make butter. So simple, so genius, so oldskool. Maize Hutton is a genius. All you need is a pinch of salt, a baby food jar and some heavy whipping cream. This would be delectable with some of my homemade bread. This tutorial even includes a lovely printable for you to gift your creation.

Decorate VALENTINES / Write Holiday Thank yous

We all wait til the night before and dread the process of making last minute valentines. Get a jump on your card making. Get some paper and use markers, stamp, potato stamps, handprints, foot prints to capture your child's love for all.
Yes, I have STILL not done our holiday thank yous. I know. I know.

RECYCLE CRAYONS and make new Ones

I did this for Giraffe's first birthday favors. It was fun but I wished he was old enough to help. You can have your toddler just peel off the paper, or split the paper first to help them out. Pie Birds, Buttons and Muddy Puddles has some great instructions.

BOTTLE FUN- DIY Snow Globe

Sorry for no photo, we have an energy audit in progress...

Take a small plastic water bottle or 2 Liter and place objects into it. Pennies, dimes, glitter, small pebbles, beads and water. Close the top and watch your child glow. Giraffe brought one of these home from school and plays with it almost once a day.

COLOR, COLOR, COLOR

Once you make your lovely crayons head on over to Make And Takes for free printables to keep your kiddos busy.

Good luck today with your activities!

Giveaway!

Something for your to do at naptime.... Win this beautiful hand stamped Mother Necklace from ROBAYSTUDIO...

To enter:

Lots of chances, here we go:

1) Tell us please, what is your favorite snow day activity? Does it work? Do your kids love it? Please leave your comment on the blog so everyone can see!

2) For another chance follow us on Twitter @hollieiv

3) For yet another chance to win friend us on Facebook and leave a quick hello! (if you haven't yet.)

Winner to be announced on Friday AM :) Happy Snow day everyone!

Tutorial: Sweet Valentine Boxes

2011-01-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

As you may know I decorate for almost every holiday ( with the exception of St. Patty's and The 4th.) I usually put heart shaped doilies in the window and have little twig trees decorated with hearts. I have collected some pretty decor over the years but I love handmade things. I saw these sweet little heart boxes at The Dollar Store screaming for a makeover.

Tutorial Sweet Valentine Boxes

Dollar Tree Plastic Heart Boxes
Chalkboard Spray paint
Scissors
Chalk
Optional Cotton Twine for hanging if you want ornaments

Open up the boxes and place tops on a piece of cardboard or heavy paper. Spray paint tops with at least two coats. ( I tried one coat and scratched one of the boxes with chalk.) Be sure to coat the sides evenly.

Allow them to fully dry then draw to your hearts content! If you wish to use the boxes to give gifts spray with a sealant so the chalk doesn't smudge.

*To make hanging ornaments cut a few inches of cotton twine and loop into the box.

I love that you can redo these each year!

How do you decorate for Valentine's Day? Any traditions ? Do you make handmade Valentines for friends and family ?

Linking to:

Very excited to be featured on:

Sunday Morning Sketches

2011-01-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

As I continue to plot my new shop I have been trying to sketch more. I used to draw and paint a lot when I was in H.S. and college but as life got in the way I just stopped. I am trying to hone my crafts more. Working on focusing, something I lack. Maybe I shouldn't say that on the internet. Oh well. Blogs should be honest. There is a difference between focus and drive. Drive is something I definitely have. It's hard to focus as a creative person. There are so many mediums that jump out at us creative people. We are always looking for the next big thing to make. Sketching is nice, painting is nice, sewing is fun, fabric is distractingly amazing. Wool, don't even get me started!

Over the past two years I have made items that I thought would sell about 60% of the time. The other 40% I worked on items I wanted to make. That 40% is the key to my success as an artisan.

The lovely husband made the family waffles this morning with our new waffle maker. ( If you don't have one, you simply must get one, best 20$ I have ever spent!) So easy, I can't believe we were actually going out and paying upwards of $10 for waffles. I digress.

I know owls are at their peak in the craft world but I still love them. I felt inspired today as Giraffe was chanting 'hoo-hoo' all over the house:

I love this guy. He might end up on a shirt. Or a fabric! Wouldn't that be fun? I have never made fabric before... focus!

This little one reminded me of Giraffe. All over the place and funny. Oh 2 is such a fun age.

Sweet Things: Another *&$^#@ snow day! This time mommy is prepared...

2011-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, yet another snow day. It's up to you to decide if you think I swore in my title. It is not yet 8AM as I am writing this and I was already was told by my two year old, " Mommy, timeout." Peed on the floor and spilled a container of o's all over his room. I know, lovely.

I am deciding to have a positive attitude about this snow day. Today will be different. Today, I will embrace the snow with creativity and grace. Why? Because I have to or I will run screaming from the house out into the snow in my pajamas begging for the plow man to take me away.

I read a handful of homeschooling blogs and I am always enthralled with the ways they manage to entertain their kids every single day. For Sweet Things today, I am going to feature some of the best ideas I have seen for educational ( yet crafty) projects so that YOU TOO can keep the crazies away today.

BAKE: Get your kids baking! Toddlers love to mix and cut and do all the things adults do in the kitchen but on a wee level.

I have always wanted to try this recipe Healthy Pop Tarts from Heavenly Homemakers. Looks super easy and toddler friendly. I suggest making shapes with cookie cutters to liven it up.
A list of fun finger foods from Parenting.com

MAKE SOMETHING: No you don't need to be crafty so get that out of your head! Little ones have such creative brains its amazing to watch them color and paint.

Card Craft: Have some holiday cards hanging around? Cut them up and give your toddler some glue. Start gluing! My son always comes home with these types of projects at school. He LOVES glue!
Potato Stamps: We've all done this project at some point. Cut a potato in half and cut in a little design. Be simple! Stars, hearts, circles. Give them some paint and paper. Stamp away!
Pudding Finger Paints- Enough said!
Does your toddler like to color? FamilyFun has a list of free coloring page printables!

DO SOMETHING: Toddlers always want to be doing something. So, let's do something.

One of favorite ideas that my daycare provider told me about was snow painting. Check out the tutorial here from one of my daily read blogs, I am Momma Hear Me Roar. This looks awesome!
Build A Fort: Pull two chairs together drape a sheet over it. We did this last snow day and Giraffe played cars in it for at least an hour! Someday I'll make this.
Dance Party. Throw on some tunes and rock out. My son loves when we dance.
Plant a bean in a cup. While this one takes some time its still fun. Start by soaking some kidney beans. Talk about what will happen to the bean. Read Jack & The Beanstalk. Plant the bean in some soil in a small cup. Water bean daily and in a few days it will sprout!

Good luck today. It's going to be tough but we can do it. How do you entertain your kids on a snow day? What types of projects? recipes ? Enlighten us all.

Sweet Things: These are a few of my favorite things... this week

2011-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

Did that title just cue the Sound of Music? V Clear visions of clothes made of curtains and amazing musical numbers? Great, I succeeded today.

A new little feature for my blog, Sweet Things. There are days when I feel that I have nothing to blog about, if you can believe it. I loathe taking photos and having the hassle of uploading editing etc so this is a little easier for this mommy of an almost 2 year old. Sweet Things will be posts about things I am liking, no LOVING at this moment. So let's begin!

I am digging embroidery work. I have no plans to start doing it myself, but there is something that lingers deep in me each time I pass the section with embroidery hoops at the craft store. Isn't this one from LilacSaloon sweet?

This room from Design Crisis encourages me to step it up a notch with Giraffe's room. Dare to be different it screams! Love the custom made curtains and thrifty style. Yellow is sooo going to be a part of my life in a big way.

Dottie Angel never ceases to amaze with her vintage mashups and lovely taste. Love this tea towel. Its too pretty to use! Would make a lovely wall hanging.

Excuse my language but- holy crap this is the best body moisturizer hands down. The price tag almost had me fooled and kinda made me want to walk away. I splurged on the 13$ creme and haven't looked back since.

One of my fav daily reads is IKEA Hackers. This is one of the best and most simple hacks I have seen.

Really? Why didn't any of us think of this before! ?

Quick Sneak Peek at the Studio...

2011-01-18T18:31:00.001-08:00

FROM THIS....

This was my work space a few months ago. My last show my stuff exploded into the living room. My poor family. It was chaotic. A creative mind is priceless.

TO THIS...

2 DAYS LATER! Its coming along, right?

I am currently in the process of organizing fabric. Pressing and putting together scraps, sorting wools and winding ribbons. It's exhausting. All the little knick-nacks are sorted through and in their perspective storage jars and boxes.

Here is a little sneak peek at my idea board for my studio space:

Wall Color:
At the moment I am stuck with the colors on the walls as its too cold to paint, so bright ass yellow and country blue will have to do. I am thinking of getting some interesting wall paper to tack into the built ins. I am stalking the PaperSource and Papyrus for something of interest. So far I am liking this:

Storage:I am utilizing some kraft colored photo boxes from my previous attempt at a studio. Lots of lovely IKEA boxes and accents including the white modern chair.

Furniture: The desk features only four drawers and is very similar to the one pictured. Large and oak for 19.99 at Savers. It has a HUGE workspace. I am in love with it. Perfect for the room.

Lighting: Lots of natural light in the new room. Not sure about the lamps quite yet. Any ideas?

Giraffe's corner:I have a cheapo table I painted orange ages ago. I think its going to be painted in chalkboard too. I found a sweet little wooden vintage chair that it will pair nicely with. I'd like to do some canvas wall pockets for his artsy things and a few clothespin hangers for his art.

Decor: I am in love and might just marry my new owl calendar from Gingiber. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever owned. It was an impulse buy that I will never regret.
I plan on making an idea board from two drawers and painting them with chalkboard paint. I also plan to purchase some fun prints.

Alas back to ironing and folding...

Smile!

2011-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Holy snow. We have a lot of snow. Spent the day entertaining Giraffe, it was quite fun!

During my blog reading tonight I read a new post series from I am Momma Hear Me Roar, a lovely craft blog by a momma, Cheri. She is doing a weekly post called, Wake Up Wednesday. Basically she is working on stretching herself a bit more each week by doing a variety of things for others. Last week she made lentil soup for a lady at her church she didn't know well which was a big hit.

This week she plans to give compliments to strangers. I love this idea! Think about when you are in the grocery store and you are passing another shopper. You both lock eyes for a moment and then look away. Perfect opportunity to SMILE say hello and say, hope you have a nice day! I plan to employ this throughout the week to see how it goes. Maybe I've been feeling a little lonely lately with all this snow but I feel like we humans have lost our sociability. Texts, tweets, facebook and email are the culprits and I would like to get back to what we do best. Face to face human interaction...

On an unrelated note lots of things are happening on the craft front. I am branching out and starting something new! Robay Studio will still be around but in a different capacity. Stay tuned for announcements on that at a later date. After our last show, my biz partner and I have realized that we are on different pages. She knits (and is damn good at it), I sew, I use modern fabrics, she uses vintage. We love working together and will still but we are moving on out to the east side, or so they say. Looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead, now if I could just get my studio finished...

SweetReviews: Food Rules By Michael Pollan

2011-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

I'll admit I haven't finished a book since the Twilight series last Spring. I know, pathetic. Whatever, I'm over it. I have always loved books about the world behind things, like Color Stories and Animal Factories. There is just something about reading about how your food is produced, or make up came to be that excites me. Don't get me wrong- I loved Twilight and I am not ashamed to admit it. It was great writing but- I've never really been a fiction kind of girl.

I first encountered Michael Pollan on NPR talking about his new book The Omnivores Dilemma. It's a great interview that you can listen to here. I picked up his second book In Defense of Food and couldn't finish it. Not sure if it was that I had just had a baby, hormones, lack of attention span, you name it. Just couldn't finish it. I stumbled upon Pollan's newest book Food Rules at the library and decided to give it a try.

Food Rules is 140 pages of short tips and tricks about what you should eat, how much, and what kind. Its a really quick read. I read it in less than a day, picking it up from time to time between diaper changes and laundry. Needless to say, its readable.

I loved the the ' rules' written in Pollan's quirky style:

Rule#2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

Rule# 3: Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.

Rule#10: Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not.

Rule#19: If it came from a plan eat it; if it was made in a plan, don't.

The book is filled with lots of layman's explanations of why certain foods are better than others, doesn't get too technical and isn't verbose ( like this sentence!) Its not a diet book per se, its more of words to live by, lots of which we heard from our grandparents. For example ' eat a colorful plate.' the rules remind us to go back to simpler times, less is more, eating on smaller plates, eating meals not snacks etc.

Overall, I recommend this book for a nice quick reminder of the things we should be eating. We all need a swift kick this time of year to jumpstart healthy lifestyles.