: :weekly loves: wednesday edition ::

: : this blanket is adorable for a little boy! although my little man is too big for it's size, he would go crazy over all the construction "tucks" on it! ::

:: speaking of trucks, this is in the mail to our house for little O for christmas! Now he can take his cars and trucks anywhere he goes, and it is oh so cute! ::

:: I am in love with this iphone case. chevron makes me happy. colourful chevron makes me even happier. me want. perhaps for christmas? ::

:: how cute is this birth announcement picture. what a great idea! ::

:: i have been eyeing this watch for some time. the color and diamonds make it girly, without making it too girly. you know what i mean? we purchased O's crib bedding from this site and had a great experience! ::

:: christmas is just around the corner. there are so many cute ideas out there on pinterest. like this ornament, this tree skirt and this adorable that will soon become a tradition every christmas eve in our house! ::

:: these words are a great reminder for everyone.

: : i stumbled upon this shop on etsy. love their vintage lockets. great gift idea for any female in your life! ::

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Lisa
XO

:: things I love: friday edition ::

:: i love chevron. and i love this quilt. how perfect is this for a little boy!!

:: september. fall. this season has always brought to me new beginnings. i love the renewal that the season brings. the changing colors, digging out the sweaters and slippers, falling back into routine, hearing the sound of the furnace kick in for the very first time, stews and crockpots, crisp fresh air, the start of the holiday season. these are on my list to make this september. yum!

:: this pillow is on my list of DIY for next week. my upstairs living area is in need of a pop of color. i love the chic and simple look of these!

:: my little man is obsessed with trucks, cars, buses lately. and it is a serious obsession! this would be perfect for him and would allow him to tote all his little vehicles around with us, while we are on the go!

:: it is my intent this year to make O's halloween costume. this is my inspiration. whoooo doesn't love an owl?!

:: this book is on my reading list. O is only 16 months and is already SUCH a boy! i may be in trouble!!

happy friday!! this is a short post, due to my first attempt seemed to disappear somewhere in the internet vortex!!

:: things I Love: Friday Edition ::

:: Things I Love: Friday Edition ::

:: Wrap watches. I have seen these pop up over and over on pinterest lately and me want. I currently do not own a watch, so it is a purchase I do not have to justify! love those type of purchases!

: : Traditions. As toddler O grows, I think more and more about the importance of these, and the power that we have as parents to shape our children. this tradition and this one will be brought into our home!

:: How adorable are these for your little one?! Perfect for the chilly fall weather will be here before we can say pumpkin!

:: I feel this way often. I hope to pass this feeling on to my children. There is nothing like home.

:: I love to read....and this book made me smile. How inspiring....EVERY child should have the opportunity to read, and to read well!

:: Adorable print for the play room. Love!

Growing, Growing, & Growing

I have slowly been adjusting to my new "normal" as a work outside the home mom. I desperately miss my little boy during the day as well as the free time to craft, blog, etc during nap time! I look back and always laugh at the fact that I thought I had little time before baby!

O is growing like a weed! Everyday he seems to get bigger and develop that much further. He is such a little charmer these days. As a result, I have been looking at buying a growth chart so we can mark his growth over the years. Gone are the days of pencil markings in the closet wall.....they have so many cute, move with you charts out there.

Here are just a few of my favourite:







Inklore





PetiteLemon





bopeepbaby


I absolutely love the bunting one! I think I may have to order it for O.....in a little more boy-ish colours!


-Lisa

: : Things I Love: Tuesday Edition : :

: : Easter is this weekend and how cute would this garland be strung across your mantle or fireplace. adoorrrable!

: : I love to spike my little man's hair every once in a while (he looks like such a big boy when I do!) and I have been using my all natural hand lotion to make it stick. However, I stumbled upon Le Baby Hair Gel today and must purchase! 100 percent safe and chemical free for your little one!

: : This makes me smile. I have always told the Hubs that if we would have had a girl, our bank accout would be in real trouble! Too cute! (On that note, we better start saving, just in case the next one IS a girl!)

: : My boy is in love with this blanket that Grandma-ma-ma and Grandpa got him for his birthday. He got the brown and blue one. I love seeing him snuggle up to it!

: : We are a lover of book in this family. I had seen this line of books before online, and actually stumbled upon them locally this past weekend. I was so tempted to pick up one or two for little O, however, he is a bit past that stage. I must make a mental note for future baby!

: : I am not a regular coffee drinker, however, I do enjoy my frappuccino's every once in awhile. After a night like last night (one year molars- boo!), it was a good purchase this morning!

xoxoxo
-Lisa

Owen's 1st Birthday: Alphabet Flashcard Party (With A Vintage Touch)

The little boy who made me a momma had his first birthday party yesterday. Despite the spring snow falling ALL day, we had a wonderful time with friends and family as they gathered in our home. We are incredibly blessed and loved having those who have supported us over the past year of parenthood celebrate such a special time with us. We thank you for the wonderful company, the love you have shown us and for more than spoiling our little boy!

Upon many requests of details and pictures of the party, I am more than happy to share with you the different elements of his party and the creations behind them.

: : Planning Process : :

The first big step in planning any party is to decide on a theme. After tossing a few different ideas back and forth in my head, I finally decided on an "Alphabet Flashcard Party". As a first birthday party theme, I thought it was simple, timeless, age appropriate and fun! After this decision was made, I then proceeded to come up with a colour scheme. Our baby was born in the month of April, so I thought it was only fitting that we go with spring-like colours and decided on three different ones: orange, grasshopper green and aqua blue. I love the freshness of all three of them!

Once the ball was rolling, I immediately jumped on a must "go to site" for party planning prep (and anything really that you need in life!): Esty. I came across the shop yellow mums and loved her clean and simplistic look of her printable in her shop. After a personal conversation and custom order request, I had the invitations, banner, water bottle labels, food labels and favour tags (which stated, "this party was brought to you by the letter Mm, and held chocolate chip cookies!) at my hands ready to be printed (I used Staples to print these items to add a more professional touch). The entire custom work package was very reasonable priced and came to under thirty dollars. I was thrilled!. (yes, that is Owen on the front if his invitation! A friend did a line drawing of him and it turned out wonderfully!. Thank you Courtney!)






: : Decor : :

Tissue Paper Pom Pom's

Using tissue paper (all from the dollar giant!), I created some fun pom poms to hang and add some color to our overall decor. Using this tutorial, all five of them took me less than an hour to create, fluff and hang. They are perfect for any party, and I have seen a trend of using them in a little one's nursery to add a pop of color and some eye candy for your little one!




Birthday Wreath

I am a little wreath obsessed. So, of course, I need to create a very special wreath to celebrate my baby's special day! Using a wire frame wreath from Michael's, multi coloured balloons from the dollar store and left over scraps of material in his birthday colours, I was able to create a very simple but appropriate wreath! ( I simply tied the balloons and ribbon around the frame until it was full enough to my liking). I then picked up a wooden frame from the dollar store and painted it in a vibrant orange, added one of my favorite pictures of him to it, and hung it in the centre of the wreath with a bold blue ribbon! The best part about it? It can be used every year and all we have to do is paint a new frame and put a current picture of him in it! I love projects that have long term use!





12 Month Window Frame

I really wanted to showcase how Owen has grown and changed so much in his first year of life and this was the first aspect of the "vintage" details of the party. Our house is 102 years old and full of charm and character. We have a ton of spare window frames that came with the house and were hiding up in our garage for years. I went searching, and found the perfect frame to showcase all twelve pictures of Owen over each month. I sprayed the frame with robin's egg spray paint to match the decor of the party and hung all the pictures with decorative ribbon. I LOVE how it turned out!

In keeping with the vintage theme, I also rounded up some steal wired storage baskets that I used for craft storage which originally game from my dad's barn. I also sought out old, vintage books to display around the party area. I visited our local library to sign out modern ABC books that also added a decorative touch to our party, and once again - there was not cost to us!






Candy Bar

To add more color and some ol charm, I also set up a candy bar. It is a very simple way to add a decorative and edible touch. Using vases from around out house as well as my mom's house, I was able to fill them with candy in our color scheme. The bonus? I had a gift card from bulk barn that was sitting in my wallet from Christmas, so it ended up costing me nothing!





Streamers, Pinwheels

I know that I wanted to add more color to our white walls, so I created some very easy scrapbook paper streamers. This is a very easy project that anyone can do. All you need is 12X12 scrapbook paper in your colour choice. Cut the paper into 2-3 inch sections, lengthwise. Once you are done, you are going to take a pair of scissors and cut into the paper, but not fully. Alternate sides that you do this on, and once finished, pull apart and you will have your streamers! I also made pinwheels to add some flare (in my opinion, pinwheels are a must at any party!). There are many many tutorials out there, like this, that can assist you in creating these. I used white candy sticks as my bottom, and it worked out great!

For some of the smaller details, I added little white flags to the drinking straws, that said "happy birthday" in my own writing. I created lines that looked like an old school scribbler, to give it that vintage charm!. I am also obsessed with buntings, so I made one to hang on his highchair out of scrapbook paper and ribbon that said "one". In keeping with the "alphabet theme", I strung giant sized letters from our chandilier in the dining room using my cricut machine. very simple and very easy peasy!. I also created a fabric square bunting to drape across the cake table out of old scraps of materials!







I found an old single window frame in my parent's barn back in the summer and thought I needed to use it somehow to add some more vintage charm to his party. I spray painted it green and found some old, rustic wire to string across. Keeping in the overall theme of his party, I found these library cards from Etsy shop Knot and Bow. They were perfect! My goal was to have guests write Owen some life long lessons and advice that he could take with him throughout the years and we would pull them out every birthday to read and reflect. Unfortunately, amongst the business and fun of the party, I forgot to tell most guests of this. However, I am packing those library cards with me and will catch them next time I see them personally!





Attire

Owen's birthday shirt, party hat and bib were all through Etsy. I used this shop to have his shirt made, and loved the wide variety of fabric choices that I could choose from! His party hat was created by this sweet Australian shop, Sweet Tashie, and was made out of 100 percent wool felt. Although it may have been a touch to small for him, it was still very endearing! His bib was made from a local WAHM, Bitsy Jane, and it was very cute and affordable and did the job on the big day!






Cake

Owen's cake was made by a close friend. If you live in the Lethbridge area and need a cake, you MUST be in contact with her! I wanted to have alphabet blocks stacked upon each other and was originally going to have the letters "ABC", but stumbled upon a cute idea to have the letter blocks stacked and spell "I Am One". Although the cake did not quite work according to the bakers and creaters plan (she was so devastated!) and the blocks were beginning to sink and topple from the heaviness of the entire structure, it still turned out great and many people thought the unevenness was done on purpose, as if a little child was stacking them! The cake made it through without toppling over and it was devoured by many!




When it was all said and done, it was a fantastic day. I fully realize that Owen will not remember any of the details of this party, however, that is what pictures are for, right? His first birthday is more than just him.....it is a celebration of first time motherhood and fatherhood. The details that I have created over a period of a couple months allowed me the time to celebrate this. I had immennse pleasure planning and creating.....and I would do it all over in a heartbeat! (or maybe in another year...)

I hope you have just as much planning and celebrating you little ones (and big ones) birthdays!

xoxox
-Lisa

Things I Love :: Monday Edition

: : I adore these fabric storage bins from Etsy seller SewingMomma. They would be wonderful for storage anywhere in your house: nursery, bathroom, living area, craft room. The fresh print and spring like colours have me wanting, wanting and wanting!

: : Yogurt. (yes, I am blogging about yogurt). I recently stumbled upon two new creations for our little family, and we are in love! Little O is in love with Dairyland's Li'l Ones. Li'l Ones yogurt is sweetened with fruit juice and made with whole milk. It is free from from any artificial flavours, colours and gelatin. It is a source of vitamin D and calcium and is made with fruit puree to prevent choking hazards. Although we do enjoy sneaking little tastes for Little O's yogurt, for a more grown up taste, the hubs and I are loving PC's Greek Yogurt. . It is so smooth and so refreshing!

: : We have a party on the brain this week. A first birthday party to be exact. I am busy wrapping up all the last minute details and am looking forward to celebrating with our close family and friends. We used this wonderful Etsy Shop to assist us in creating our vision for the special day. She created the computer templates for our invites, banners, food labels, favours, etc. I am hoping to create a blog post on his party some time next week so stay tuned!

: : I have been wanting to create a DIY All Purpose Cleaner for some time now and when I spotted this post via monpetitamour, I was inspired! We currently are a fan of water and vinegar, but I can just imagine how yummy this mixture would smell!

: : I will be the first to admit that cooking is not one of my fortes. I have very little patience and would rather spend my time crafting or creating. However, I am striving to become a better cook, especially as Little O grows from baby into a toddler. I love this recipe blog and have made quite a few creations from it that have turned out fabulous! As spring and summer approach, sandwiches are a key staple. Just staring at this makes me hungry!

: : Little O loves to explore everything and anything!. He is very detail oriented and pays attention to the smallest, smallest details. To aide in his development, I just picked him up a buckleyboo bear for his Easter Basket. His little fingers will have so much fun matching, bucking and unbuckling as he grows!

Have A Lovely Week!

Lisa

Things I Love :: Monday Edition

: : Little Golden Books. I had quite the collection when I was little, and when I stumbled across them at Costco this weekend, I just had to snag two for Little O. We bought him this and this one. You can also find a ton of Vintage Little Golden's at many thirft/consignment stores. My husband's favourite as a child? The Pokey Little Puppy. We can't wait to start reading them to him!

: : How cute is this from Etsy seller Blackbeary Mountain. It is perfect for spring and it would make such a cute gift for the Easter Basket! I love the Waldorf and Montessori Concept of play for children.

: : We have been through sippy cup, after sippy cup, after sippy cup in this household....and have finally found the perfect one for Little O. Let me introduce to you the Boon Sippy Cup. The ONLY one he chooses to entertain. Now, if only we could get him to hold it himself.....sigh. (Baby Bot is one of my favourite websites. Canadian based and free shipping on every single item. We purchased our Skip Hop Play Mat and Quinny Buzz Stroller through them!)

: : I am beyond excited to read this book. April 14th cannot come soon enough! I have been a follower of his blog for many years. Just a warning - you WILL need a box of kleenex beside you!

: : This drink reminds me of spring and summer. I had my first of the season yesterday. Simply Refreshing!

Have A Happy Monday And A Happy Week!
xoxox

Things I Love :: Monday Edition

: : Creative ceiling decor for newborn babies to look up at while they lay in their crib. I adore this idea!

: : I have been busy researching wagons for my parents as they will be buying Little O one for his first birthday. I have narrowed it down to this one or this one. Any thoughts? I can't wait to make memories with him in his very first little red wagon!

: : We just ordered this beautiful necklace for Mother's Day. I can't wait to wear it proudly!

: : I am loving these Tiny Tom's for Little O. With every pair you buy (child or adult), a pair will go to a child in need!

: : I am always looking for new and healthy recipes for our family and especially Little O. These Zucchini and Yam Fritters look yummy! I can't wait to see how our little eater does with them!

: : I just received this bubble bath/shower gel for a birthday gift - and love the scent of it!. Any one who knows me, knows that a long soak in a hot tub is a must at the end of the day!

: : I have said it before and I will say it again - I absolutely adore Kelle Hampton's blog. It is a must visit for me. I feel uplifted and inspired with EVERY single post she makes! You must visit it, if you have not already! (She also has a great playlist that I love to have going in the background while I tackle house work!)

Have A Happy Week!!
xoxoxo

Things I Love : Monday Edition :

: : Little O is loving table food and all the yummy snacks that come along with this (anyone else always stepping on a never ending trail of cheerios?!), I picked him up the amazing loopa bowl the other day. Say hello to hand's free, no spill, snacks on the go!

: : We saw a little glimpse of spring this past week (although we are now currently under a heavy snowfall warning - boo!), and I am loving all the spring projects that are popping up in the blog world - this lovely little wreath is adorable and oh so simple!

: : Little O is 11 months old today and I have been planning his first birthday party for some time now. His very first birthday is so special to us - not only are we celebrating a year of his life, we are celebrating a year of survival, growth, and love of our family and close friends. I may go big with the little details, but I know how to plan a party on a budget (the dollar store has become my best friend!). Here is a sneak peak .

: : One of our goals since Little O was born was to become more eco friendly. This winter has been horrible for dry skin, and I absolutley love the live clean baby products to keep our Little O's skin soft and smooth. We love the body wash for tub time!

: : I may have a slight obsession with Etsy. I just found this. So many cute things for baby out there!

: : We are working on identifying babies first words with Little O. The DK Touch and Feel Flashcards arrived on my doorstep last week and O absolutley loves them. We are working on just four right now: ball, kitty, puppy and baby. I also ordered this edition and this one.

What Are You Loving On This Week?

-L

Things I Love Wednesday

In the hopes of getting back to regular postings, I am aiming small...and will start with weekly posts.....and what better way to do this, then to profess all my current loves, smack dab in the middle of the week?
i thought so.

My current loves:

- Little man has been fighting an awful viral infection. this humidifier has been a lifesaver for us. i highly recommend it.

- Hung artwork in little man's play room. this print and http://www.etsy.com/transaction/42051816 look just perfect on the wall as he plays.

- Filing all my future DIY projects using this. and they have an app on iphone for it!

- This print via monpetitamour blog. i think we are all longing for spring.

- The show Parenthood. love, love love.

- The amazing contingo coffee cup, purchased from costco. love the unique vaccum seal to keep those drinks warm in this brrrrr weather!

Happy Wednesday!!!
xoxox