Monday, October 31, 2011

I've Still Got It, Vintage Snowsuits and Our Fall Family Photo Fail.



When 8 inches of snow falls in less than 24 hours in Hometown, New Jersey on the third to last day in October, it is most definitely a blog-worthy event. 

Although I spent an unmentionable amount of money on a brand new outfit, super cute clutch and brand spanking new makeup only to find out that my 10 Year High School Reunion was cancelled a mere two hours before it was scheduled to begin, it was worth it. 


The blister I'm rocking on my thumb thanks to the curling iron and the most successful curl-down I've achieved thus far? Again, worth it. It was just nice to know that after 15 months of Motherhood? I've still got it.

Dressing Carter up in a myriad of warm clothes so that he could frolic in the snow? Once again, worth it. Even if it included stuffing him into the "vintage" snowsuit and boots that my brother rocked in 1992. Yes, you read that right. 1992. It's a good thing my Mom holds onto all that sh*t. 

Remember how I said I was a major Mom-fail and hadn't yet bought C a Halloween costume? Solved. Thanks to my mother for holding onto one of my brother's very first Halloween costumes circa 1993. 

I don't think I've mentioned this much around these parts but my Dad is a great photographer. He's taught me all I know and I really love his eye for small details. Another one of the reasons why I was so excited to come home this weekend was so that he could, once again, shoot our family Christmas card. On our drive up from Maryland I couldn't stop talking about how ah-mazing all of the trees looked and how thankful I was that we're able to squeeze these pictures in before they all fall to the ground. 

And then it snowed. So? That *perfect family picture* that I had in mind? You know, the one of us all frolicking in the leaves and crisp Fall air? Yeah, not gonna happen. Looks like I may need to rethink our wardrobe and plan for something a bit more "Our Aspen-like Family Getaway." Lame.

Such is life, Loyals. Such is life. 

Apologies for the hodge-podge post this morning, Loyals, but once again, Monday sneaks up out of nowhere and b*tchslaps you across the face. Or wait, maybe that's just me. Happy Monday, Loyals!

Friday, October 28, 2011

When Not To Live Vicariously Through Your Child {Via A Ball Pit}

I'm sure we all have those toys that although we may have begged and pleaded for them growing up, they never quite made it into our hands. For me, that toy was the Barbie Styling Head. Apparently my parents missed the memo or rather the giant circlings in the Sears Christmas Toy Catalog each year that indicated my dying love for said creepy doll head. 


Loyals, I am 28 years old and to this day I still remind my mother that she never bought me that godforsaken doll. Perhaps I am still waiting for it to show up under the tree one year? Let's be real. As a child, I did not go without. Instead of that creepy doll head I was given kitchen sets, easels, motorized cars and any piece of clothing a girl could have ever wanted. But there was something about that doll. 

Since Carter wouldn't find nearly as much joy in the Barbie Styling Head as I would prefer, I figured I would get him the next best thing. 

A ball pit. A giant blow up ball pit. Because once again, Loyals, how cool would it have been to have had one of those growing up? 

Shortly before Carter's first birthday I went out in search of the best deal. I came across this ball pit and immediately decided it would be The One. 



Not only did I purchase the ball pit but upon further inspection, I noted that it only came with 24 balls. Now, Loyals. In hindsight, I clearly understand why a ball pit would only come with 24 measly balls. But at the time? In my moment of sheer motherly weakness, I thought to myself, "BALL PITS ARE NOT COOL UNLESS THEY COME WITH AT LEAST FIFTY BALLS."

So? I bought 25 extra balls. Worst move of my life, Loyals. Worst move. 

If only I had known that I would spend roughly 17 minutes of every single day corralling said forty-nine balls and throwing them back into the pit? I think the initial 24 balls would have sufficed. Been more than enough, actually. 

17 minutes every day. That's 119 minutes every week. Which translates into roughly 6,188 minutes per year. Picking up fu*&ing plastic balls.  

Because what is Carter's favorite activity? Oh, only running around the playroom, diving headfirst into the Super Awesome I-Have-The-Best-Mom-Ever Ball Pit and throwing every. single. ball. from it. 



So, Moms. Aunts. Sisters. Whatever your kid-friendly relation may be, the next time you have a hunch to run out and buy your kid a ball pit? Think about those 6,188 minutes. That's my friendly PSA for the day. 

And if by chance you suffer the same lapse in judgement as did I, well then, you only have yourself to blame. Say goodbye to your sanity. 

Happy Friday, Loyals. Have a great weekend! We've already arrived in Hometown, New Jersey and in less than 48 hours I'll be getting my "10 Year High School Reunion" on. Don't worry, IHA. I don't think it will become blog-worthy and if it does, I'll be kind enough to change your names. 

I'm kidding! Maybe.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Four Years In Numbers And Pictures.

1 Villanova Nursing Student
1 Villanova Finance Major

10 Bottle N' Babes
3 Fraternity Formals

Countless Hangovers
Countless Cram Sessions

2 College Graduations
2 Full-time jobs 

Over 875 Marriott Stays
Platinum Airways Status

Wine.

13 Letters/Numbers Added To My Last Name (BSN, RN, OCN, CN III)





4 Years of Dating
A Gorgeous Wedding



2 Weeks In Hawaii
Our First Apartment




More Wine.

Lake Tahoe
San Francisco
Dallas
West Palm



Our Second Apartment

Even More Wine. And Champagne.

4 Kenny Chesney Concerts
3 OAR Concerts
1 Toby Keith Concert

Chicago
South Beach
Sonoma
Napa Valley
The Cape



Joining Our First (Few) Wine Clubs

1 Old English Sheepdog Puppy




Countless Sleepless Puppy Nights

New York
Martha's Vineyard
Bahamas
Turks and Caicos




Our Third Row Home

1 New Car
1 New Job

1 Pink Plus Sign




A Big Move To Maryland


Another New Job
One Less "Paycheck" Job

Buying Our First Home
Making It Our Own

1 Baby Boy
All Things Baby, Baby, Baby

A Family of 4




It's been a full four years. Full of travel, laughter, friends, family and adventure. Our hearts grew more in this last year than we ever knew they could as we fulfilled our roles as Mommy and Daddy. Some days, better than others

I'm so thankful we chose each other and for the life we've created together. I cannot wait to see what this next year holds for us. 

Happy 4th Anniversary, Husband!



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

How I Spent My Tuesday Morning... Picking A Winner!

First, I grabbed a cup of coffee and went through all the entries. I painstakingly wrote them all out so that I could give extra juju to those that tweeted. A promise is a promise! 


Then, I plugged the numbers into Random.Org. I had grand plans to have The Husband participate in some way but well, that was a big fat fail. So, Random.Org it is.


And the winner! Lucky Number 94.



Congratulations, Stephanie! I cannot wait to see which design you pick! Enjoy your 75 FREE Holiday Cards from Minted! I have no doubt you'll love them as much as I do! Keep an eye out for an email that will contain your coupon code! Happy Tuesday!

Don't forget, use code AUTUMN10 to enjoy 10% off all Holiday and Christmas cards through 10/31 at www.minted.com

Monday, October 24, 2011

Random City. 15 Things You May Not Know About Me. And Maybe You Get To Ask A Question.

First and foremost, did you see today's Plum District deal? $25 for $50 worth of Erin Condren products. If you need an invitation to scoop up this deal click here! Okay, moving onto more important things. 


I thought I would waste today's take today's post and share with you just a few things you may or may not know about me. Mostly because that's all I'm capable of this Monday morning.


1. I don't work out. I never have. I just don't and I likely never will. I'm quick to jump on the bandwagon and try out P90X or Insanity, but I consistently and sorely lack motivation. I haven't been to a gym since 2008. Remember my short stint with Stroller Strides? Well, that was just for Mom-Friends. 


2. I only cook because my Husband and well, now my child, need to eat. If it weren't for these two? I'd be having peanut butter sandwiches and a glass of wine for dinner every night. Throw in a bowl of cereal or two for variety and I'm happy as a clam. 


3.  I've never mowed the lawn but secretly would like to try it out. However, I'm fairly certain my Husband wouldn't let me near his yard with a ten foot pole. Especially near it with something that has blades. 


4. When The Husband isn't home? I let Sheepie lay on the couch. 


5. It typically takes me 4 days on average to finish a single load of laundry. This includes being cycled in the dryer at least twice and eventually making its way upstairs where it will sit for roughly 24-36 hours before it actually gets folded and put away. And typically the folding (and putting away) is done by The Husband. Except for C's clothes. I love folding and putting away C's clothes. Bizarre, I know.


6. I hate to dust. It is my least favorite "chore." But vacuuming? I love vacuuming. If it were an Olympic sport? My vacuum lines would kick your vacuum lines any day. Bring it. 


7. Before having Carter I wore a 9.5 shoe. After having Carter my feet grew to a 10. I hate being a size 10. Seriously? I might as well just wear the boxes. 


8. My big feet do correlate to my height. I am 5'7". I've never considered myself "tall" necessarily, but apparently I am. 


9. I used to be one of those women who refused to wear the same hairstyle every single day. You know, the side bun or the messy bun or the low pony or the side pony, etc. I used to be one of those women who's hair was straightened and blow dried every single day. I am now one of those women who rocks the same hair style every day. And? It's called Mom-Hair. 


10. Speaking of the woman I used to be, I used to be the kind of woman who went every 3-4 weeks religiously for her OPI gel mani. Now? Well, let's just say I haven't seen the inside of a nail salon in ages. Specifically, C's age


11. I cannot ever be in the bathroom with the lights off. All thanks to that stupid Bloody Mary game in junior high school. You know, the one where you're supposed to say her name three times in the dark bathroom and she's supposed to appear in the mirror? Yep, that game. I know, I'm 28 years old. But I just. can't. do. it. 


12. My underwear and bra NEVER match. I always wish they did. More so before I had a child. Now? I'm lucky if I get dressed for the day. But I always wished that I'd had a plethora of those matchy-matchy lace and frilly sets.


13. I am addicted to Peace Teas. They were recently at the local Wally World for $0.97 and you can bet your bottom dollar I practically walked out with a shopping cart full. 


14. Even after 19 months of living in Maryland, I still want to move back to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania felt more like home to me than Maryland ever will. It's a crappy feeling but it's the truth. 


15. I'm attending Blissdom in February. If you had asked when I first started blogging back in December '08 if I thought that I would ever attend a blogging conference I would have laughed at you. Now? I may or may not have a countdown running in my Life Planner. 


Well, Loyals. That's about all I could muster up this Monday. I have a feeling it's going to be a list-full, picture-full kind of week. Don't forge to enter my Minted 75 FREE HOLIDAY CARD giveaway here. It ends tonight! 


Anything else you're dying to know about me? Leave your question in the comment section and maybe I'll get back to you before 2012. Okay, no really. I'll get back to you later this week. Do it. 


Happy Monday, Loyals!




Friday, October 21, 2011

The Day I Loved Having Little Hands In My Lunch.

Yesterday, lunch took over an hour to eat. 


After having cleaned Carter up from his smorgasbord of mac-n-cheese, steamed peas, Honeycrisp apple and a Jammy Sammy, I let him loose in the kitchen hoping he would occupy himself long enough so that I could eat my lunch, of angel hair pasta, steamed spinach and sauteed mushrooms mind you, in some semblance of peace. 


No sooner than my tush hit the couch did I hear that telltale pitter-patter of feet running through the kitchen. To be frank, that sound is truly no longer a "pitter-patter," but more like a stampede of toddler wildebeests. Regardless, he was coming. 


As quick as lightening he's up in my lap with his hands already in my bowl. Within minutes he has my fork and begins twirling pasta around and around, graciously offering it to me in heaping forkfuls. As he would do so, his little dimpled mouth would seamlessly form into the "Ahhhh" that I now mindlessly make when trying to coerce him into eat his last bite. 


I couldn't help but laugh. 


So? We sat there. Noodles and spinach on the couch cushions. For once? I didn't jump up to find my camera. Or my phone. I didn't interrupt him. I didn't tell him, "no." I didn't tweet. 


Laugh, but it's so true.


C would offer me a forkful, followed by a handful or two before he would turn and lovingly offer Sheepie some, too. Oh, yes. God forbid Sheepie feel as if he is missing out on anything involving food. 


And after making sure we both were fed, C would then take a huge bite, exclaiming "Mmmm." 


I didn't get to eat my lunch in peace. A mess was made. In addition to the messes that hadn't yet been cleaned up for the day. Toys were strewn around the living room. The family room. Mixing bowls were askew in the kitchen. 


But somehow? That was the best lunch I'd had in a while. Proof that I needed to slow down and say, "yes." 


Toddlerhood is exhausting. 


More exhausting than just simply Motherhood. However between the "Mmm's" and the "Ahhh" moments? The "tate you's" after I would swallow? 


I wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy Friday, Loyals. Have a great weekend!


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

I'm Addicted To Pretty Paper. A 75 FREE HOLIDAY CARD GIVEAWAY!!



It's no secret that I have an unhealthy obsession with fine paper goods. It's true, I am addicted to paper. Flat note cards, folded note cards, mommy calling cards, monograms, embossed letters, ribbon embellishment, you name it. I practically have hoards of stationery overflowing from every little crevice in my house. Why? You never know when you're going to need to quickly write up a tiny thank you or a quick note of love and mush. 


I even have stationery stashed beneath the bathroom sink. Well, that's mostly because if The Husband finds another piece of pretty paper, he threatened to throw it out. But, as I was saying, you can never have enough stationery. 


Speaking of stationery, it's creeping up on that time of year when I begin thinking about all of the holiday cards we will send out. And not just Christmas cards, Loyals! We're talking Halloween cards and Thanksgiving cards, too! 


Here's when Minted comes in. If you haven't yet heard about this awesomely unique paper company, you're truly missing out! How could you not love a company who refers to themselves as "a haven for paper lovers?"

"What makes Minted so unique," you ask? Each and every single one of their designs is sourced from indie designers all over the world. In fact, that's what is most important to them. Fine paper and a really good design. How can you argue with that?



I was first introduced to Minted when I ordered a set of Mommy Calling cards and was just pleased as punch when they arrived. The feel of the paper and the textured font was divine! From that moment on I was hooked.

It goes without saying that we will be ordering our Christmas cards from Minted this year, as soon as I can narrow down my ever-increasingly long list of favorites! Here are just a few that are in this year's running:



"Beautifully Penned"

"Gallery Classic"

"Holiday Letter"


"Joyeux Noel and Reindeer"

"Trimmed Wreath"

Each year, not only do I stress over the family picture but the cards! The paper stock. The colors! Will I go with a monogram or perhaps a wreath? Horizontal layout or vertical? With Minted? I don't feel stressed. I trust their quality and know that our card will be a total stand out on the fridges and cardholders of our family and friends worldwide.


Be sure to check out Minted and their simply amazing collection of fine paper goods. You won't be disappointed. And when you do? 


Come back and enter to win 75 FREE Holiday cards of your choice! 


That's right, Loyals. All I'm asking is that you visit Minted.com and come back and tell me your favorite holiday card. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, you name it!


For 1 entry: Visit Minted's website and come back, leaving a comment about which holiday card you would choose! 


For an additional entry: Click to "Like" Minted's Facebook page. 


For extra good juju: Tweet about this giveaway. 


This giveaway will be open until Monday, October 24th. A winner will be drawn and announced Tuesday, October 25th! 


Happy Wednesday, Loyals!








Tuesday, October 18, 2011

How Could You Not Love These Tushies? .. And A Winner!

Last week I was feeling way crafty. And domestic. If you need evidence, refer hereherehere and here. That type of motivation strikes the M house few and far between. Actually, scratch that. The Husband? Is a veritable poster child for domestication. In fact, if push came to shove, he would probably win a housewife of the year award long before I would even be nominated. He just has that kind of motivation. Me? I wait for the mood to hit. So sue me.  


I have a feeling this week will be much different. So here's to a week spent with these two lazybones. These two peas in a pod. Shucks, I love those butts. 



Happy Tuesday, Loyals!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who entered the Erin Condren Giveaway last week and veritably pimped me out! I wish I could give every single one of you a $25 coupon but the winner of this giveaway is "DMO!". Congratulations! You should be receiving your coupon code via email shortly!  

Pssst! For those of you who didn't win, you should really try code "SEEYOUSOON25." I have a feeling it works more than once and if it does, it's good for an additional $25 off! Happy Shopping!





Monday, October 17, 2011

Parenting and Hangovers Do Not Mix.

Disclaimer: After a few comments, I felt the need to reign in the sass and be clear. The Poor Parental Decisions that were made in no way put Carter in harm's way. The Decisions in question were made on Saturday night, to which The Husband promptly stepped up to the plate Sunday morning and eagerly tossed on his Mr. Mom Hat. Carter's clothes matched, meals were fed and there was only one slight mishap involving Carter's near brush with death and the dishwasher. All the while Mommy rested peacefully on the bathroom floor in her bed. Today I am parenting in my usually tip-top shape this fine Monday morning. Although still lacking an appetite, which I've noted has been good for a little tiny extra weight loss. But, I digress. 


Parenting, itself, is hard enough. Throw a hangover into the mix and it's damn near impossible. 


Loyals, I am not nearly as cool as I once was. Given that fact, I also do not have nearly the same tolerance for drinking as I once did. I am choosing to write of this godforsaken day that involved Poor Parental Decision Making mostly because if the feeling ever strikes again to hang out with our new Really Cool Parent Friends, I will have something to quickly refer to that will freshen my memory and have me choosing seltzer over a Stella any day. 


Tiny humans make any hangover approximately 150 billion times worse. That pounding in your head? Magnified greatly by the constant whining and "mom! mom! mom!" 


Those waves of nausea that seem to slap you across the face every 7 minutes? Only made more intense by having to change the tiny human's diaper. 


And if you think that your tiny human would love to lay with Mommy on the nice, cold tile of the bathroom floor, you are wrong. They will not enjoy it nearly as much as you do and all they'll want to do is stick their hands in the toilet while you're trying to dry heave and sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider. 


Loyals, I am not proud of my behavior this weekend. In fact, I am grounding myself. There will be no imbibing in the hair of the dog this week, regardless of how many 4:07pm Meltdowns there may be in my future. As it is, if I let myself think about it long enough, the room is still spinning just a teeny, tiny bit. 


Gulp. Happy Monday, Loyals. Stay tuned, I'll be announcing the winner of the Erin Condren coupon code later this evening! 









Saturday, October 15, 2011

Pumpkin-spiration: Yummy Pumpkin-Spiced Pancakes!



Friends, desperate times called for desperate measures. If you follow me on Twitter, you would have known the sheer devastation I felt shortly before The Husband's birthday when not one, not two, but FOUR local grocers were sold out of canned pumpkin. Talk about a pumpkin depression! I was forced to bake him a Ginger-Vanilla Loaf rather than my annual Husbandly Birthday Pumpkin Bread. Oh, the horror! 

So needless to say, when I saw that the local Martin's was restocking it's shelves at the exact same time I happened to be cruising by the baking aisle, I knew it was fate. I bought so many damn cans of pumpkin and it was a good thing I did! Shortly thereafter women were literally throwing elbows trying to scoop the stuff up! Crazytown

Before I share with you this divine recipe, I need to give credit where credit is due and thank my friend Aliya for not only the inspiration for this recipe but also the genius behind "pumpkin-spiration." Can you believe she thought of that before 9am? And she's a mom to a beautiful little chunker. Even more brilliant, if you ask me! 

Last Fall, the Husband and I enjoyed many a pumpkin french toast breakfast but after seeing Aliya post a picture of her pumpkin pancakes on Facebook earlier this week, I knew we needed to branch out. And branch out we did! Although I did not top said pancakes with homemade cinnamon-honey butter like Aliya did, I'm fairly certain my sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar goodness is near comparable. 

This recipe is ridiculously easy and as I'm sure you can guess, I barely measured anything and it turned out delicious. True AP-fashion, I tellya!

What You'll Need:

1. Bisquick Mix
2. 2 eggs
3. 1c milk (Aliya used buttermilk, I went with skim)
4. a shake or 2 or 3 of cinnamon
5. a shake or 2 or 3 of nutmeg
6. a shake of cloves
7. a shake of ginger
8. 1 small can of Libby's pumpkin
9. 2 pats of a stick of butter
10. syrup, cinnamon and sugar mix (to garnish)

What You'll Do:

Prepare pancakes according to directions on Bisquick box. The 'cakes we made yesterday morning were thick. We're talking really cake-y. You may want to cut back on the amount of Bisquick by say, a third-to-a-half cup, if you prefer your 'cakes to be less dense. 

Mix in 3/4 a can of the pumpkin. If your batter appears too thick, splash in a bit more milk.

Throw your 'cakes onto the griddle, wait for those sneaky little bubbles to start popping and flip when ready! 

Once done, I sprinkled them with the cinnamon-sugar mix, topped with a pat of butter and drizzled with delicious maple syrup. It was like biting into a warm slice of pumpkin pie. Believe me, Loyals. You NEED to make these Pumpkin-Spiced Pancakes! And once you do? Come back and tell me how divine they were! 



Happy Weekend!




Because When I Shared My Story? You Did, Too.

The pain of losing a child is unimaginable and something no parent should ever have to bear. 


October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. If you've been a longtime loyal, you most likely read my story back in October of 2008. Some of you have even gone as far as to light a candle for me on this day these past few years. 


For that, I thank you.


I'll be honest. It's not something I like to think about and in truth, it's something that I rarely talk about. When I do, it's simply "remember that first time I was pregnant?" I hate that it is a part of my history and truth be told, I struggled with sharing this story here again. 


But then I remember how so many of you emailed. So many. And shared your story with me, even if you hadn't yet shared it with family and friends. Or perhaps you had, but you hadn't yet written about it, sharing it with the blog world.


And I'm not sure I can ever tell you just how much that meant to me. So here I am,  sharing my story, once again, in hopes that it may give someone reading out there peace and hope in themselves. 


Click to read what I wrote back in October of 2008.

Tonight we'll be squeezing C just a little bit tighter and lighting a candle for all of those who have suffered and now remember.


Friday, October 14, 2011

A Plan For Those Saved Up Wine & Champy Corks!

Let's be real for a minute, Loyals. If you know me at all, you know that the Husband and I do love our wine. And over the past year or so? I've loved me some (okay, a lot) of champagne. Back in our dating days, we started hanging onto the corks from certain special bottles of wine. As the years progressed, we started hanging onto the corks from delicious bottles of wine. Needless to say, in that time we have amassed a lot of corks. Perhaps we just have a lot of, er, special occasions?


Prior to this week, the corks used to sit in a large glass hurricane vase as the centerpiece on our kitchen table. I, however, knew they were destined for something better. Enter my latest "Get Crafty" idea and most recent trip to Michael's Craft store. 



Yep, that's right. That would be a chalkboard center. Eventually, this cute little frame will find it's way to a sweet spot in the kitchen where I'll be able to write up a cute quote, a weekly menu or heck, just a cute doodle of a glass of wine.

Want to make one of your own? Here's what you'll need!

  • 1 Cheap wooden frame. I chose a clearance frame from Michael's, unfinished and it actually came with a mirrored center. 
  • 1 can of chalkboard spray paint
  • wine and champagne corks, quantity dependent on size of frame
  • hot glue gun
  • 8-10 medium-sized glue sticks.
  • painter's tape and newspaper to be used when spray the chalkboard center

Here's What You'll Do!

Start by taping off your frame and spraying the chalkboard center. According to the details on the can, you'll want to let your frame sit for at least 24 hours to dry. Disappointing, I know. At least if you know this ahead of time, unlike me, you won't get the sads when you realize you can't get your craft on for another 24 hours.




Next, gather up your supplies and begin laying out the manner in which you want to lay down your cork! Once decided, start glue-gunning! Can you believe I completed this craft without burning off any fingerprints? Now that's a feat!


Continue glue-gunning until you've completed the desired look of your frame!





Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your craft on! If you end up corking away one day soon, let me know! I'd love to see the finished product! Happy Friday, Loyals! Now, speaking of wine... 




Thursday, October 13, 2011

Easy DIY: Carter's Pinterest-Inspired Present For His Daddy

Weeks before Husband's birthday, I knew I wanted to do something special for him. Special as in "some sort of cutesy artsy-fartsy craft" that C could help with that he could hang on his office wall. I mean, isn't that what all Dads look forward to? An office full of their kid's arts and crafts? I mean, if you were to walk into my Dad's office you would be met with an over-abundance of soup-can meets modge podge pencil cups and handmade paperweights. 

It's kind of like a right of passage into Fatherhood, is it not? 

So, I turned to Pinterest. You can never go wrong with Pinterest. Here's the pin that started it all:






And here's the finished product:







I think for a first attempt it turned out pretty great, right? Granted, I stripped C down to his diaper and wasn't exactly sure how to go about painting his hands up- but with a hope and a prayer, we managed to keep the blue paint on the table and the intended paper. A win-win in my book!

If interested, here's what you'll need to recreate this project: 

  • 1 8.5x11" frame - I purchased mine from Walmart for $3.99
  • 2 Card stock in desired colors - You'll need at least 2 8.5x11" sheets for the background and body of the owl. I purchased a few extra just in case and also scooped up a pack of multi-colored 3x5" card stock for the owls.. parts (eyes, beak, legs, etc!).
  • 1 glue stick 
  • 1 small bottle of paint (I used acrylic because I had some on-hand, but i'm sure you could substitute something safe(r) like washable kid paint!)
  • scissors, glue dots and a marker.  

Here's what you'll do:

I basically free-handed the entire owl. I just went to town cutting out the body first and then working on his parts.

Then? I glued him down. 

I free-handed what I wanted C's gift to say and then I poured some paint in thin layer onto a paper plate.

I stripped C down to his diaper and went a-dipping and a-pressing. Wha-la! Super cute gift idea for Husband's 29th birthday. 

Needless to say, we had a blast and Husband can't wait to hang his new picture on the walls in his office! Oh, the first of many, Husband. The first of many... 



Happy Thursday, Loyals!

PS. You should really go check out my bloggy sistah-wife's giveaway here

PPS. Don't forget to enter my Erin Condren giveaway!

You can enter other Erin Condren giveaways over at these fine ladies' slices of Blog Heaven. Please be sure to visit each one and enter for some extra, extra good juju!:
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