[easy breezy KIDDIE...]

Remember these Easy Breezy End-of-Summer scarves? Well, as temperatures are dropping and fall is at our door step, I've been itching to make a few more of them, but this time for the Littles.

And if you think the first version was easy breezy, you'll be more than happy with how quickly you can whip these mini-little variations out.

In fact...it's so easy you'll probably want to bring your Littles in on the fun. And I can think of no better beginning sewing project than these. It is a perfect "learn how to sew a straight line" kind of endeavor. And depending upon the age and ability of the child you can have them just sew the initial straight seam which connects the two ends of the fabric together and then sew the french seam and hem it for them. Or you can have them do it all, walking them through it step-by-step, offering any needed help along the way.

And as for sizing, I would have fun with it. Choose whether you want it a little larger and billowy (Like Little O's in the above three pics) or if you want to have it fit more snug and slightly bandana-like (such as Little A's in the following two pics). Mix it up. These things are so fun and easy to make you won't want to stop experimenting. In fact, I've got a mind to cut up a few old sweaters for when things get really chilly.

(And can I just insert that I've had to start bribing Little A to pose for pictures? Now that he's a grade school super star, he's too cool for mom and her photo shoots. He still loves the crafts mind you, but posing for the camera is so blasé. So yea, he gets a couple of marsh mellows and then he's off to conquer dragons and pester his brother).

And, with all this cowl fever going on over here, I couldn't let the boys have all the fun.

So I made a variation for myself, using my newly-most-favorite-fabric ever - a gorgeous indigo Indonesian Batik found at the tried and true, JoAnn's.

This fabric came in a 45" bolt so I solved the "too tight to wrap around twice" problem by simply leaving it hanging as one simple loop. And I must say, I completely love it.

And you don't have to twist my arm to pull on a cardigan (my new all time favorite wardrobe staple) and wrap around a scarf to cozy up to a delicious cup of hot cho (especially when served in this little mug that I seriously don't use as much as I should!) in front our first fire of the season in our new fire place.

HELLO FALL.

You are indeed welcome here.

[from boring bin to a...]

I'm not a big fan of run-of-mill office items, so whenever I would look at this boring wire mesh office bin (which held my wrapping paper rolls) I would cringe a little. I'm not even sure where it came from. My college dorm days? Jon's? I don't know. Wherever or whenever it came from, it needed a face lift. So with a little gold spray paint and minimal effort I was able to transform this drab little bin into a gilded win (I know...where do I come up with these fantastically cheezo titles, right?...).

Now I love it so much that I can't bear to hide it in the back room with all the rest of my craft supplies. So it makes a statement here in the living room/office area.

Oh how I love simple transformations that have a pleasing and strong impact in then end. Total win.

[DIY costume ideas on...]

Hi Friends! If you are like me, you are anxious to get your kids costumes in the works in order to leave time for lots of Spooky fun during the month of October. And if you want some great, yet simple, costume ideas, Look no further than CountryLiving.com. Our knight costumes from last year were in the line up as well as several of other clever costumes, including some great ones from a handful of friends such as Brooke, Christy (an old art school friend who is the queen of clever costumes! See more from her here and here) and Gabby. You are sure to be inspired!

And for the knight costumes, if you don't happen to have a vintage art smock pattern lying around, I think the bias trim apron, from Leisel's Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, would do just the trick.

So my question for you is, when do you start making your kids costumes? Do you wait until the last minute or are you scheming up ideas throughout the year? And do you dress up with the kids?

[Crayon installations and...]

So things are starting to look more like home around here and I can't tell you how much of a relief that is. I don't do well amidst clutter and boxes - let's just say it doesn't bring out the best in me. For better of for worse, I'm highly influenced by my surroundings. So I'm happy to report that I'm feeling calm and happy now that things are more or less in order and I'm ready leap right into fall.

The boys are also really starting to feel more at ease here. Little O is our assertive explorer and has discovered what to do with every nook and cranny in our new home. Such as this creative crayon installation that he initiated.

Little A jumped right in to join in the fun. And I have to say, I'm quite taken with their creative eye. Those clever little artists.

And so my only question is, is it too early to delve into Halloween? When do you start your frightful festivities? Do you wait until October or do some of you sneak into the spooky fun before the harvest month begins? Do Share!

[Back-to-Fall wardrobe]

There was a sneaky bit of crispness in the air today which got me all giddy inside in anticipation for the upcoming fall weather. Little A has two week's worth of Kindergarten under his belt (and soaking it all up like a rock star). Things are starting to look a little more livable here in our new place and just in time for the delightful onslaught of fall-to-winter holidays (my kids have already emphatically declared what they are going to be for Halloween. Completely not what I expected - and they don't go together as a theme, so we're trying to see how we can pull it all together. Should be fun!).

But before we get into all the Halloween costume making, we had to suit Little A up with some back-to-school/fall duds. I love to sew as much as I can for the boys but with the move there was not time for this so we had to turn to our trusty shop spots. And we had such a fun time doing so - mixing and matching hi end finds, such as designer looks from Tea, with a clustering of more economical, yet equally fab, staples from places like H&M, Target (my quick go-to source for boys shoes) and more.

So when shopping for kids clothing, there is a lot to consider. Durability (particularly with my boys), comfort (will my kid even wear this super adorable yet somewhat constrictive jacket?) the price tag (what do I want to spend when they grow out of these things so fast?) and finally the fun one - style (which, depending on the age and disposition of the child, they will weigh in on from time to time).

For me, I happen to know that Little O will be wearing these items again in just a few short years which definitely influences my shopping choices. What I try to do is purchase a few really high quality items that will last for the long haul, and be carried on down to Little O in a not so "I'm so worn out its a dead give a way that I'm a hand-me-down" sort of way, and then mix them with an assortment of more affordable staples and kid-appealing graphic items.


For example I felt like a splurge on this stunning kimono robe sweater from Tea was well worth it. Not only for the quality of the piece, but also because of it's versatility (it's almost like a jacket really) and for the fact that it will stay in good shape for Little O (and if we ever have a little girl I will totally hand it on down to her as it's a neutral enough and if taken care of, should last that long). We then paired it with a couple of more affordable pieces from H&M kids, such are these super fun and vibrant red pants and simple striped long sleeve T. As for shoes, I typically find myself at Target as I seem to need them like, yesterday. I'm always rushing my Littles out the door only to find that NONE of their shoes fit anymore! Seriously, how is this possible? So off to Target we go. And thanks to their line up of our favorite All Stars, we always seem to find something to please...and just in the nick of time.

in the above pic:
-striped T from H&M kids
-red pants, H&M kids
-kids black cons, Target


Now another thing I like to stock up on are an assortment of interesting and kid appealing graphic tees. At times I think I'd love to dress my little darlings as fine little French gents, with not a graphic in site. But let's face it, with Sponge Bob and Super Mario Bro's out on the loose you're going to have to find some pretty cool duds to combat the onslaught of licensed characters running around (especially if your child is in public school). This tiger Tee from Tea does just the trick. It's super cool and invites a myriad of inquiries from both your kids friends and their parents. (And if you hurry you can nab one on sale for for only $12.50. Score!). Don't worry, I'm not that controlling of a parent. When it comes to pajamas and underwear, there are no limits. Recently their aunt gifted them a new set of Sponge Bob pajamas when we arrived to our new home, and it was like Christmas for them. The boys LOVE getting ready for bed because of this. So totally a win win, right?.


One item that I wanted to be sure to acquire in our shopping extravaganza was a shirt for Little A's school photos and I think I found just the thing in this Chapultepec Polo from Tea. This shade of blue is a winner for Little A and I like the somewhat sophisticated yet still casual look of it. We also went for some fun denim harem pants from Zara Kids to keep things playful. Little A is still getting used to them but I just can't help but die from cuteness when I see him in these. They might fall in the "not so sure my kid will wear these all that often, but I just had to have them anyway" category which is something all of us moms need to indulge in from time to time, right?


And what fall wardrobe would be complete without a great scarf? We got this H&M plaid scarf for Little A some time back and luckily he loves it and will wear it as the weather cools (which blows me away as he has a myriad of tactile and textile particularities). I also managed to stock up on a slew of items from Forever 21 Kids, such as this pearlized button up denim collared shirt, before they nixed their boy department all together (they apparently are now only carrying kids fashions for girls). And of course, we came back to our tried and true, Target, for these simple slip on canvas shoes.

Whew... So now that back-to-school shopping is out of the way, we can start thinking about those Halloween costumes...maybe...in just a few weeks...or more...now where is that box with my sewing machine at?...

[we are the mighty, mighty...]

OK, so Fridays are serious business at Little A's school (and consequentially, for Little A as well). They are spirit days and if you wear red or a viking shirt (or both!) you get a treat and earn points for your class. The class that gets the most points wins the "Viking" to keep in their class. At the end of the semester, if your class wins the "Viking" to most number of times, your class wins a class prize. And, more importantly to Little A, you get a treat every Friday if you show up to school sporting your school pride.

At back to school night they had t-shirts to purchase if you so desired. I took a look. They were nice and all...but, if I am my mother's daughter*, I was pretty sure I wanted to make my own version (I mean we're talking about a viking graphic here! Talk about a cool subject matter!).

So we ran out to Target and got the only red blank t-shirt we could find. It was a bit short (Little O will be sporting this pretty soon I'm sure) but it was all we could find as we were up against a clock. I drew a quick image of a viking on freezer paper, cut out the stencil and ironed it on. I've done a number of freezer paper stencils before but never with a white paint on a red cotton fabric. Let me just tell you, you will have to make several applications of the white paint. We were in "pink" territory for sometime and I was really starting to get worried. But persevere, because it does eventually whiten up. (I'm just pretty sure that we'll never be able to wash the thing as it will most likely end up being too small and I'm afraid Monsieur Viking will be pink all over again...). And if you want to get a bit of beard texture, like mine, just take your sponge brush, hold it upright, and stroke the paint back and forth across the stencil until you are satisfied with the results.

So needless to say, when Little A woke up this morning to discover his newly decked out Viking shirt, he was over the moon (and can I just share that he included a plug for spirit Fridays in his Thursday night prayers? So I'm guessing that this is pretty important for the little guy).

And because vikings are just overall totally cool (whether or not they are your school mascot), I've offered the graphic for you to download and use as a stencil as well. Just click on or copy and paste this link into another browser and your download should begin: files.me.com/merrileel/h2j4mz. If you need a freezer paper stencil refresher, you can take a look at this one.

*and if you are wondering about the "I am my mother's daughter" comment, I'll share. While growing up my mother would never purchase the school, dance, drama, you name it, required attire. She would simply look at what they were offering and make her own (typically an exact replica for much less $). It drove us crazy as kids (we wanted store bought over handmade every time) but now that I'm grown, I admire her gumption and skills to be able to do so. And in case you are wondering, my viking is not an exact replica (it's an original design) but I felt that it still fit within the spirit day requirements.

And if you are wondering about Little A's first day of school, it went smashingly well! I was so proud of the little guy. So thanks for all you well wishes!

[Anticipating Kindergarten and an....]

Little A is going to his first day of Kindergarten tomorrow and we had to pull together an "All About Me" poster for the event. Being up against a clock and having most of our stuff in boxes (I can't seem to find the boys art supplies anywhere and we are all going a tad crazy as a result!) I was worried about how "creative" we could be. So I decided to come up with a simple design that was full of photos and spaces where Little A could write in his likes, etc. I was lucky enough to find our 13x19 glossy photo paper (which also happened to perfectly fit the poster we were given for the task). From there I printed out the images (that Little A helped to pick out) and then had Little A write in his interests.


Little A took to it immediately and began filling it out (it didn't hurt that I let him use a permanent marker, his favorite taboo writing utensil of choice).

He then chose to draw a self portrait on the star and I loved how it turn out.

I loved how proud he was of the poster and he insisted on bringing it to Back-to-School night. And me? Well I was wiping my brow with a sigh of relief, glad that I didn't let my "I'm not so great with changes" little guy down in the midst of all these transitions.

Here's hoping the first day of school goes so well!


And in case you are interested, I'm giving you a template (designed in Photoshop) for you to use as well. As I mentioned earlier, It's a nice large size of 13x19 but if can be scaled down if need be for a smaller paper or for scrapbooking, etc. And if you do want to use the larger size, and don't have a large format printer, you can just take your design, via cd or thumb drive, etc., to your local copy center, such as Kinkos, and have it printed out there for you. It fits perfectly on an 14x22 poster board. Just add a title up top and you are good to go.

Download the template here and enjoy!

*sorry, for some reason blogger won't read the link but if you copy and paste the following link into a new window, you should be able to download it. Link here: files.me.com/merrileel/1m0t3l

[paying homage to our south pasadena home]

As we've been unpacking and trying to get settled in to our new place I've been having a few nostalgic pangs while remembering our previous place of residence. Mostly because it was already in order (there are few things in life more stressful than moving!) and in the two short years we lived there, many memories were made (little O pretty much spent his entire life here and little A's preschool years were all in this home). Even though it was short lived, it was a special place for us, and one that we will always hold dear.

On that note, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite spaces and moments from our South Pas. home. The first pic is of Jon's desk where he would work, and his wall - which grew into a wall of family photos, painted portraits, momentos and more.

Below is the same room opposite Jon's desk which was our "all purpose room". Seriously. Both Jon and I would work in here (so it was a home office), our kids would play and watch movies in here, and I had my sewing machine and all my craft/fabric storage in this room. Yeah it was a little crazy but luckily the room was large enough that it was able to comfortably accommodate all of these needs. This is where we spent most of our time and definitely the room I miss the most.

I finally managed to frame some of our photos that a friend (Chris Lindsay) took of Jon and I back when we lived in Brooklyn, NY. They served as a fun reminder of our newlywed years in NY.

I love this moment. Little O is at my desk, concentrating seriously on his imaginative play - something that was a very common occurrence.

This next room was our dining room which, when not littered by cherrios, was also a pretty great place to congregate. I really love the above pic (take after we had recently moved in and Little O was still in a high chair) as it shows the light in this room as I loved it the most.

I loved the little moments in the home that reminded us of the ocean and the beauty that could be found around us.

I also really loved this Asian inspired with-a-nod-to-vintage-Hollywood-glamor dresser that I found at a thrift store upon first arriving in California. We ended up using it as a hutch in the dining room to store extra linens and educational activities for the boys to entertain themselves with while at the dining room table. We unfortunately couldn't fit this lovely item on our moving truck so it was put on the street (along with the kitchen table and several other items!) with a FREE poster in front (time had run out to sell anything). It, and everything else, was snatched up pretty quick.

The above and below a pics are a few shots of our small yet functional kitchen.

I'm more of a "tuck the kitchen away instead of having it be the center of the house" kind of girl so this worked for me. Jon, the master chef in the house, would definitely have liked more room to explore his culinary talents. Thankfully, our new place has just that.

I really love the above pic of the boys in their room (also another favorite place of mine). Back when Little O would take naps, I loved laying down with him for a few minutes. Everything was so calm and serene and the world outside seemed to melt away. To me, it was a room to dream in. I think the boys liked it as well and I hope Little A can remember at least a few special moments from this room to take with him as he grows. (As I go back in my childhood memory, I find that 5 yrs is the age that my memory really starts to become solid and more clear. I cherish these memories and hope that Little A will as well. And who knows, perhaps Little O might have a few sense memories as well).

And finally I love this last pic only because it show my two littles as if they are merely apparitions running through the halls. Little happy ghosts that will hopefully have left their giggles and childhood optimism within these walls.

So yes, we will miss our old home but are excited about having a backyard (I can count at least 5 messy mud fights the boys have already indulged in) and the mid-century modern vibe of our new home.

And I just have to say a little something about the wonderful people I was able to associate with while living in South Pas. You really don't know how good you've got it until you move. Whether it was old Brooklyn friends who invite you to their private beach for one last bash, complete with home made crepes in the morning. Or South Pas friends who offer to watch your kids while packing and loading the moving truck (and then when half of your stuff doesn't fit so you have to take another day unpacking and repacking the truck and giving away a number of large items, they offer to watch your kids again). Or whether they send you away on your journey with a road trip care-package full of sunflower seeds, beef jerkey, sour gummy worms and more items sure to keep you senses awake and alert, or kind cards with kids games and activities for the road, or Great Harvest pancake mix and locally made raspberry syrup (yum!), or Williams Sonoma's fabulous Pina Colada mix to toast to you new place, or mouth watering home made granola...You know you are loved and had it good. Thanks you guys. You know who you are and have made it so a return trip to our old stomping grounds just can't come fast enough.

And now on to life in the present. There are still so many boxes to unpack and a back-to-fall wardrobe we have yet to share with you. Little A starts Kindergarten tomorrow so we are full steam ahead here. I'll be sure to try and check in here as much as I can so stay tuned.

[DIY coral-motif pillow]

These past few weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of moving, getting Little A ready to start Kindergarten (sigh..) and working on a number of illustration jobs. To keep me up at night and plowing forward, I consumed a marathon's worth of HGTV Design Star, Dear Genevieve and finally managed to get caught up with Secrets From a Stylist (loving that Emily Henderson. Does she not have the coolest style or what? Not just in design but I totally want her wardrobe, right?). So after being inundated with tips and tricks for the home, I couldn't help but take a little time out to do my own little home decoarating. And what better way to add a little pop in your home than a throw pillow? And one with a touch of gold, ikat and a nod to the sea? Even better.

I'm sure by now most of you are experienced in the art of freezer paper stenciling (or are at least familiar with the technique) but I went ahead and showed you how I went about creating this hand painted motif in a step-by-step fashion.

1. First decide what size and shape of throw pillow you want (I found a good guide for this here). For mine I used a down pillow form from a old throw pillow that I already owned and wanted to update. I then cut out a sheet of freezer paper that that was roughly the size of the pillow case. From there I drew the design I wanted right onto the freezer paper.


2-3. After the drawing was complete I began cutting. To do this, place the freezer paper over a self-healing mat and then use an x-acto knife to cut out the design. Intricate designs like this take a little bit more time but are worth the pay off in the end, so hang in there :).


4. After cutting, iron the paper (shining side down) onto your choice of fabric. For mine, I chose a linen for the front and a bright silk Ikat pattern (purchased from eBay) for the back. (For pillow sizing/sewing techniques and instructions, I always refer back to this Design Sponge tutorial).


5. Once the freezer paper is securely ironed onto the fabric, you can begin painting (be sure to place a card board box or something similar underneath so that the paint doesn't bleed through to the surface below). I was really feeling gold for this so I chose a metallic gold fabric paint. I like sponge brushes for this as they really help to get smooth and precise coverage.

6. Once you have painted all of the necessary areas, set it aside and let it dry. Some recommend letting it dry over night before taking the stencil off. I did that with my first freezer paper stencil but have since found that I can get just a good results if I let it sit and completely dry before taking the stencil off. Could be an hour or more (or less) depending on the size of stencil and amount of paint used.



7. Once the paint is completely dry, carefully remove the stencil. This is such a fun part, as you finally get to see the finished painted design in all it's glory. Sit back an enjoy it.


8. Then complete your pillow by sewing together your newly custom painted fabric with your choice of back side fabric. (Again, I used this zippered throw pillow tutorial to do this).




When it's all complete, toss it on the couch and sit back and enjoy your new creation!

And...if you are interested in doing a coral-motif like mine here, I've offered up a stencil for you to download by clicking here. It's created on 8.5x11 paper for you to print out but if you want to increase the size you can take it to your local copy center and have it enlarged there.

Enjoy!

(Oh and if you make a pillow, tote bag, shirt, etc. using this motif, I'd love to see how it turns out so shoot me an email. Thanks!)

(Oh and today is Jon and I's 10th anniversary! can you even believe it? Happy Anniversary Jon!!)

[camps, crafts and a...]

So I've been a busy, busy bee this past month. In between a number of illustration projects, preparing for a move and trying to keep my littles entertained in the California heat, I've managed to squeeze in a 2-day, day camp that I just happened to be in charge of planning and carrying out. The camp was for girls ages 8-11 and I couldn't have asked for a more ideal age range or group of girls. This age is the most common demographic for which I do much of my illustration work for and I love it. These girls are not jaded, are full of life, ready and excited for the future, are amazingly resilient and willing to see the good and beauty in everyone and everything. In short, I love these girls and had a fantastic last couple of days.

We did a number of crafts and activities on the first day including sewing 20 minute tote bags (thank you Jordan for being the power house on that one!), cooking calzones, sweet rolls and cookies, making scrap paper notebooks, creating rolled felt flower hair ties and yarn flower head bands and much much more!

It was such a treat to see how each girl would light up when seeing her creation come to life and to realize just what she was capable of. I also really loved seeing a sea of flower adorned heads bobbing up and down throughout the camp and most every girl proudly brought along their newly sewn tote bag to the field trip on the second day. All in all it was a great success!

Now that the camp is over, we have loved having the tote bag around here as well. It makes the perfect library bag for little A.

On our bag we varied a bit from the Purl tutorial and used an old elastic belt for the handles (which worked great!) and then I added the stitched "x" marks where the handles are attached.

I was also fond of the illustration that I created for the camp flyer and thought I'd offer a print variation of it for you in the shop! Enjoy!

[bees, beards and...]

We celebrated Jon's birthday on Wednesday and I can't believe how time flies. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were celebrating with donuts and custom cards. Well we had a great day starting with breakfast at Marston's and ending with a Menchies custom frozen yogurt pie.

In celebration of Jon I wanted to share a gift I gave him, a Beard of Bee print by artist Meagan Donegan, in honor of a recent commercial he was in. (I actually gave this to him for Fathers Day but I thought this a good occasion to share). Go ahead and watch the commercial and you'll see how it all connects. Oh and Jon's the goofy one in the white bee keepers suit.



Fun huh? You should check out the entire campaign as it's pretty funny. And I'm not a big chicken girl but I do sort of crave their chicken (even if I've never had it) so job well done.

And and because I know you are curious:

- yes those are real bees
- yes the actor with the bee beard was stung - about three times around the eyes
- yes the actor with the bee beard was an experienced animal handler but this was his first time working with bees
- yes we're assuming he was well paid for it :)
- yes Jon was initially more nervous about the bees than his co-actor
- yes you can see this campaign on TV...if you live in the South, where the Bojangles Chicken chain resides
- yes Jon is really that funny in real life, only a little less surfer dudesque
- yes Jon is a fabulous actor and...

- yes he is available for hire! :)

Happy Birthday Jon!