This Week

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xoxo,
Rachel

On Display

After

Before

I love having some open shelving for displaying our vintage kitchenware to keep our tiny kitchen as cheerful as possible. I've recently changed out a few things that keep this space feeling fresh.
I spray painted the frame that holds Sebastian's artwork and changed out the acid green rack with a natural wood rack in a larger size. It feels much easier on the eye in an already crowded space as this is directly across from our washer and dryer.

Before

After

I used to have the mugs displayed on the rack and everything was limited to three or four colors but I've since added in some pink and replaced the hanging mugs with our vintage pots. (The rest were in the dishwasher waiting for a full load!) I think the pink and brown mix well and soften things up a bit. It's a more casual set up that has an affect on the way I feel when I'm drinking my coffee in the morning.

Before

We got rid of the kitchen cart and bought a hookup dishwasher that slides over in it's place. It's ugly so it doesn't get to be in the picture. I moved the microwave to the corner of the counter top and gave the faux vintage radio to my MIL as it was too hard to find NPR without dealing with super loud static popping in your ear. The teal vintage chair is in Sebastian's room but we keep one in here so he can help me pour and mix muffin batter.

After

I'm a firm believer that your environment can affect your mood which is why I like to change things up a little here and there as time passes. I obviously don't want a million holes in my walls so I look to rearrange things that work within the limitations that present themselves. I also like the challenge of working mostly with things you already have and adding as you go on a budget. Most of my home decor was picked up from the flea market or a local thrift store and given a little TLC. The biggest challenge these days is just keeping it picked up!

Have you made any changes in your home this year? Do you go all out and switch things up with the seasons or enjoy the comfort of things always looking the same?

xoxo,
Rachel

Tutorial - Soft Baby Blocks

Ruby is spending more and more time on her tummy to help strengthen her neck and back and lately I've noticed her staring at things in the studio with bold, graphic patterns. It's common knowledge that babies notice strong contrasts in color so I decided to make her some soft blocks to place in front of her while she's on her tummy to distract her from 'the burn'. No pain, no gain, Ruby.

It's an easy project for beginner sewers that has been around for a long time. I've seen some sweet ones made from vintage linens, embroidered on, and embellished with felt letters and numbers. You can add sound affects by adding bells, crinkly paper, etc. It took me about 30 minutes to finish the second one while the little one napped.

I chose two patterns with colorful, strong patterns and decided on two blocks with one block having more of the black and one block having more of the white. This turned out to be six squares of each print measuring about 6" squared.

I lined up my squares in a cross shape, as shown above, and pinned them together horizontally. I sewed them at the edges and then ironed them flat. Before you start pinning, decide which direction you want your fabrics with print to face.

Finish pinning the vertical pieces and stitch them together. Iron flat.

Make sure you stop just short of stitching all the way to the edges so that when you sew the corners together in a cube shape, you have a little room.

Proceed to sew the edges together so that you end up with an inverted jack-in-the-box shape. Then stitch two of the three remaining edges together. The open edge will allow you to stuff your block.

Turn it right side out and stuff with poly-fil. Add some jingle bells for even more fun!

Tuck the remaining sides together and pin. Hand-stitch with machine thread using a blind stitch for a seamless look!

Two or three blocks will keep your baby's attention now, provide something soft to stack when she's a toddler, and something light to throw around your house when they are stuck inside because of a snow storm.

Ruby is demonstrating for you. She's a good demonstrator.


We're enjoying the beautiful snow from the confines of our couch this evening. Tomorrow we might venture out to the Expo Center to the largest garage sale ever to be hosted in January anywhere. At least I hope.

Be back soon!
xoxo,
Rachel

Help a Girl Out...Army Wives Edition

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An army wife is the one category I never thought I'd fit into but these days I find myself washing PT uniforms and ACU's on a regular basis. The floor space behind our closet door is littered with gear and I'm slowly learning 'the language'. I've adjusted to the mil spec haircut and the huge biceps aren't so bad but there's this thing coming up that I'm still in the dark about and could really use a briefing on.

The Military Ball.

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I have less than one month to lose another five pounds of baby weight (crossing fingers), tone the arms, find a formal, and learn how to impress the Sargeants.

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If you've ever been to one, have a sister who's hair you did for one, or a friend of a friend who knew someone who attended, I'd love to hear what it was like. What do I need to know before I go? Also, as of this week, I don't know any other women who will be attending. I've met a few of Brett's male friends from R.O.T.C but I doubt any of them are going to walk with me to the bathroom so we can adjust our pantyhose together.

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And just in case you were curious, Brett is in Army R.O.T.C. getting his Masters in Counseling. He is also in the Reserves. He won't be commissioned for a year and a half so we're not quite worrying about deployment yet. It's a good place for us to be. Unlikely but good.Thanks in advance for your advice and you can be sure you'll be getting a follow up post near the end of February with a story of how it went.

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xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. The last formal I attended, I partied like it was 1999. Because it actually was.

The Perfect Chair

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I couldn't decide. They're all perfect.

I love my Modernica rocker and thrift store fixer upper but most people that come to visit are afraid to sit in them. So, I've been searching for a more comfortable alternative to the wire chair that someone would be able to relax in. I want one so comfortable that I could potentially fall asleep in it while watching an episode of The Bachelor on my computer. Although I could probably fall asleep watching that on the cold, hard floor.

The thing is, there aren't a lot of comfortable chairs out there that aren't either fugly, expensive-orama, or sitting in an IKEA warehouse far from MY house. So, the search continues. There's always craigslist...

xoxo,
Rachel

Organizing the Studio

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I've painted, sewed, purged, rearranged, filled, and gathered together. It's getting closer.

And I hear we've got a little ice storm headed this way. Nice.

Ruby had a tummy ache for most of the evening so my regularly scheduled post will go up Thursday afternoon. She's just fallen asleep in my lap and typing with one hand is not conducive to an interesting read. Be back soon!

xoxo,
Rachel

They're Finally Stocked!

As featured in TheKnot.
Get 'em while they're hot.
You'll want to buy a lot.

xoxo,
Rachel

EDITED: SOLD OUT! Second batch coming soon!!!

Going On A Bear Hunt...

I was checking my stats via Google Analytics this evening to see who has been stopping by and decided to take a peek into a few familiar and not so familiar blogs. This is a little sampling of what I stumbled upon... Enjoy!

Pretty scallops from Sparkle Power.

Found on ScoutieGirl.

I'd wear one. Dainty Daisies.

I know how long that must've taken.

A well decorated, vintage boy's room at The Pleated Poppy.

A fun woodland craft.

A reminder to finish my Thank You notes.

Adorable felt shoes from Martha via Paxton Crafts.

A new bag to covet found via The Patriotic Peacock.

An Easy DIY Photo Album.

Thanks for your readership!

xoxo,
Rachel

Giveaway #4 Winners!

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"Oh dear! I think mine was a boy called Alex Biggs when I was about 6!"
-Caketin

You've won five Valentine sets of your choice.

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"Oh young love! My first crush was on a boy named Brent. We shared many games of kissing tag and many lunch time snacks. Oh to be in kindergarten again! "
-Amanda

You've won two sets of Printable Valentine cards.

Congrats, girls! Just send me your info and we'll get your prizes sent out!

xoxo,
Rachel

The TaskMaster

I've had an old ledger in my studio space for months and finally decided to make it earn it's keep around here. It used to have a dusty blue canvas cover and gray insides but I painted the canvas a peachy pink and covered the insides with vintage wallpaper that I've been saving. It contains about 100 ledger sheets that I usually keep for art journaling but they're the perfect size for list making.

I'm trying to stay in the habit of listing off large projects and small every day duties so that it's easy to pick something I have the ability to work on depending on how much time I have, resources available, etc. Can I squeeze in the start of a blog post while S is quietly playing trains and Ruby is still napping, or put away the dishes with Ruby in the Moby sling while S is 'reading' to himself?' Most days my list is blindly optimistic at best so when it doesn't get done it gets moved to the next day's list. I usually prioritize them but sometimes they get extra stars or exclamation points next to them so they don't get skipped over at a glance. Being organized doesn't come easily to me but writing my lists in a pretty book helps!

How have you been keeping yourself organized this year? What has/hasn't worked for you?

xoxo,
Rachel

Guest Blogging Today

Peekaboo! Head over to Polka Dot Robot today for my Favorite Things post and tell us about your favorite thing in 2010. Thanks for having me, Vivs!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Giveaway below.

Sponsor Giveaway #4

Shabby Chic Crafts just released our new Valentine line perfect for all your Valentine projects this year!

We have added some popular Valentine Coupons that come with a perforated ticket. SO cute! We have so many styles and shapes to choose from. Check out these adorable

Valentine stamp embellishments.

Also, PRINTABLE Valentine cards are back! You can print out and cut as many as you need making these the perfect cards for your child's class party or your favorite co-workers.

Make sure to check out our blog next week (Feb 1-7). Our new design team has a fun filled week of LOVE in store for everyone. There will be inspiring projects, give aways, free downloads & more!

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One winner will receive 5 Valentine sets (winners choice) & the second winner will receive 2 sets of Printable Valentine cards. All you have to do is leave your name (or working link) and the name of your first crush in the comments section below. I'll pick two winners on Tuesday evening and announce them then.

xoxo,

Rachel