Penelope's Bedroom Makeover!

I fell in love with this bedroom makeover when I came across it on {IS*LY} today. The part of this that inspired me was the way they were able to find ways to cut cost by picking up some great deals and doing some DIY along the way. In total this cost $300. Not bad if you ask me!

Fabric Yo-Yo Mobil :)

Here is another one of my sewing projects! I decided to made a nursery mobile out of fabric yo-yos. I am not a huge fan of the mobiles with hanging plastic toys, so I wanted to come up with a shabby chic elegant option. These will soon be for sale on my {Etsy.com} shop - check back soon :)

AND THE WINNER IS...

#4 - Lexsea Mann - CONGRATULATIONS!

The winner was selected using {Random.org}

Here is her selection and reason for picking it:
"I loved the {Alessi - Mediterraneo Kitchen Jar Collection} with the red coral pattern over the clear, crisp jars. I inherited my mom's sand collection (little jars filled with sand from all over the world) that I keep in the kitchen. I think these jars with the whole mediterranean, ocean-feel would look great next to these smaller glass sand-filled jars. Plus, I love keeping my kitchen looking neat and contained... and these would be perfect to keep something I use often in."

Here are some of the other items selected by readers:

Thanks for entering and thanks so much to {AllModern.com} for this opportunity!

Baby Shower! Cupcakes! Decorations! Sewing!

So, last weekend was my friend's baby shower - it was amazing! This was also my friend {Natalie} and my first attempt at doing a dessert spread - A few different kinds of beautifully decorated cupcakes, brownie pops, and fruit skewers. Many props go to our friend Tabitha, for her amazing decorating skills - it looked wonderful down to every little detail: the hanging onesies, the cute drink buckets, the appetizer table, the chalkboard, the small vases wrapped with beautiful ribbon, the stylish paper chains, the adorable "about to hatch" egg timer favors for everyone, and much, much more! Check out the handmade elephant stuffed animal and handmade flannel burp clothes made by our friend {Tricia}.

Below is the gift I sewed for the guest of honor ~ a nursing cover!

Felt good to sew again!

It had been far too long since I had last done a sewing project, so what better time than a baby's first birthday!? Here they are, the blanket and dressed I sewed for baby Tveen :) Check back soon for a picture of her wearing the dress!

The pattern for the dress is my own take on one from {Mani-Mina} on Etsy. The pattern for the flower was found on {Sew Ritzy Titzy}.

I was gonna just wrap it in a usual gift box, but I felt like using a plain brown bag instead and dressing it up with some paper and ribbon I picked up at {Paper Sky} here in {San Luis Obispo}.

Beautiful Attic Conversion

This kid-friendly and kid-inspired attic conversion is simply amazing. There is a full, furnished playhouse - with the most awesome play kitchen, full of light, various play areas (pool table for the adults), a built-in window seat with a trundle bed, and an overall great atmosphere. I absolutely love EVERYTHING about this. From the layout, the creative ideas for kids, and the overall design/decor style. I am in love :) A great find from {Apartment Therapy}, of course.

Why didn't I have a playroom like this?

This is probably one of the coolest playrooms I have ever seen. Even though this is not realistic for the average home, there are a lot of great design and storage elements that cant be used. With the high windows and support beams, this is assumed to be a converted basement space.

Some great elements are:
• Storage In The Floor
• Wrap Around Painting/Mural
• Built In Work and Play Areas
• Rope Wrapped Ladder
• Tree Wrapped Support Beams

This space was designed by {DorNob Design}. I recommend visiting there site and seeing more about this room as well as {other} great design projects they feature.

It doesn't have to have ducks and bunnies...

Expecting parents of a baby boy have designed this beautiful nursery by mixing old and new - baby's grandfather's display cabinet next to a modern crib - with warm vintage colors and decor that is gender-neutral. This {nursery tour} was found on Apartment Therapy's {OhDeedoh}. They gave themselves a challenge by staying away from typical light blues and greens associated with boys, even though they knew early on that they were having a boy. The bedding is from the {Litto Kids} line. The Sasquatch poster was bought from {Invisible Creature} in Seattle.
They say their biggest indulgence was the {Monte Luca Glider}, of course. Their best advice to anyone else who is looking to decorate a nursery: A baby’s room doesn’t have to have ducks and bunnies if you don’t want it to! I couldn't agree more.

DIY Upholstered Toddler Bed

This is a great DIY project by Gabrielle Blair of {Design Mom} She is a designer/art director and mother of five in New York who posts on where design and motherhood intersect. This toddler bed was featured on {Design*Sponge} - check it out for detailed instructions.

Beth Armsheimer Photography

Meet Beth Armsheimer - an amazing new photographer find here on the Central Coast! She is a wife, mother, and self-proclaimed "moment capturer". Photography is her passion and she is self-taught which I admire - truly inspirational. It all started when she had her first child, her son Wesley, followed by her daughter Chloe. She has not spent a day without a camera since. As she says, she is not a traditional photographer and enjoys a more fun, uncommon, experimental, storybook, fine art, photojournalistic style. Say that 5 times fast! Her favorite subjects are happy people and love. So as you can see I had a hard time picking just a few to highlight in this post, so I just went ahead and put up all my fave. She has much much more, so take a look at her {blog} as well as her {portfolio site}.

Fashion Plates!

I was checking out one of my fave blogs, {Pattern of Life} today and came across a post from a week ago that truly brightened my day and brought back some really great childhood memories. I really hope that many of you out there remember drawing with Fashion Plates and are feeling what I felt when I was reminded!

Organic Quilt Company

Becky - mother of 3 in Montreal, Canada - created {Organic Quilt Company} after her quest to find sustainable quilting cottons. Being a long-time quilter, she became more and more concerned with the thought of chemicals being used by the quilting industry - and as a mother she did not want to wrap her babies up in these chemically-laced blankets. She was even more inspired after finding beautiful organic cotton fabrics and decided to create a line of luxuriously soft quilts and receiving blankets - all sustainable and high quality. Aside from blankets/quilts, she also makes hats and fun/stylish, yet soft and very absorbent, burp cloths. She is able to custom make any product to match whatever color or pattern you are drawn to.

Tiny Whales

This great Etsy shop, {Tiny Whales}, is all about merging the gap between infant and children's clothing. This is being done by creating fun, imaginative, and modern designs that are loved by all ages. I am not surprised that the most common question they receive is from adults wanting the same thing in their size! They are breaking the mode of having girls only wearing certain colors and designs and the same for boys. The goal is to have babies looking hip and stylish through their choice of colors, bold prints and modern graphics. The motto is that rules were meant to be broken and therefor they are changing the way children should be dressed.

Olli&Lime - A Modern Nursery

If you haven't been able to tell already, green is one of my favorite colors. I was initially drawn to these high-end designs for fashion-conscious parents because of the lime green! The products designed by {Olli&Lime} are so adorable and stylish - all from the blankets and pillows, to changing pads, wall paper and framed artwork. I also really liked the crib that was used in the photoshoot. It is so cool! it comes apart in 3 stages - crib, in between a crib and bed, and then a bed. This is a great way to be able to buy one piece of furniture and have it last several years - all while keeping with great design!

"Ernestine, my bride, I love you so much..."

These were the words spoken by my 90-year-old grandfather last Sunday at 2:30pm. My grandmother and my cousin Sarah were each holding one of his hands. He passed away at 3:05. I am so thankful that he was able to say these words to my ailing grandmother, his wife of over 66 years. He was smart and alert right to the end (he was sitting up in bed reading the Sunday paper that very morning!).

As my children and I travel to his funeral, it causes me to reflect on those things that are important and long-lasting on this earth. My dear brides, your wedding day is special and important, no doubt. But I wish you deeper things than a gorgeous, fun wedding: May you dance at the wedding celebrations of your grandchildren. May life give you challenges that show you and your husband that your relationship has the staying power you hoped for. May you see your great-grandchild born, grow and mature into young people of whom you are very proud.

Planning your ceremony and reception is difficult and sometimes stressful, but remember to keep your focus on the important things. When you are at the end of this life, you will not care that your flowers were not the exact shade of pink that you had in your mind, or that the DJ played the hokey-pokey when you asked him not to at your meeting 8 months ago, or that Uncle Fred got a little too tipsy at the reception and told your new in-laws about the time you were 5 and shoved a pea up your nose at the Thanksgiving dinner table. These are not the enduring things that define your life. Have the best, most gorgeous wedding you can, for sure. But be ready for 60+ years of ups and downs, a lot of joy, some sadness, and a lot of surprises along the way.

All the best! - Emily