Wild Things

Unfortunately I didn't accomplish all of my Halloween crafting goals. Lack of time, supplies, and inspiration simply got the best of me this year. I can't wait to be in a home (and craft room) of my own. Hopefully we'll find something we like this weekend. We have our eyes on a beautiful Victorian, but as our luck would have it there is a bankruptcy addendum on the property. House hunting and other drama aside, I did manage to whip up at least one costume and make a part of another.

One of Elliot's and my favorite books is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Using Mark's wonderful illustrations as a guide I created my own pattern, used fleece, a little bit of felt (for the teeth), and some batting (for the tummy and tail) to create a dino suit for Elliot. If you are new to sewing I recommend experimenting with fleece. It is a very forgiving fabric. I also used fleece to construct a hat for my friend Jonathan's Max from Where the Wild Things Are Costume. Jonathan added the whiskers for the perfect finishing touch.

Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Life over the last couple of weeks has been consumed by work, moving, house hunting, and adjusting to a new 1 hour commute from my temporary residence in Williamsburg to Richmond. We may be closing in on a house, but I am trying not to get my hopes up. I promise to keep you posted.

My life has been so busy and chaotic that I haven't had a chance to slow down and enjoy my favorite season and second favorite holiday. I hope to get in the groove this week by somehow fitting the following activities into my schedule: finish sewing Elliot's Halloween costume, whip up a Where the Wild Things Are Max hat for a co-worker, carve some pumpkins, and create some cute and festive treat bags/boxes for a Halloween party at Elliot's daycare.

Since I have nothing to show so far for this year's Halloween, I thought I'd share one of my favorite craft moments from a past Halloween. I think this photo is circa 1997/98 (sometime in college). Me and my friends, Susan and Stephanie, were Budweiser frogs (remember those commercials?). I wish I had better pictures. We are wearing green turtle necks and green mini skirts (all sponge painted), with green tights. I made these giant wire and felt frog "hands" and feet that tied over our shoes and hands. The Budweiser word bubbles were made out of foam board. The only problem with the costumes was that if we weren't standing in order or if we got separated from each other, they didn't make any sense.

Any crafty ghosts from Halloweens past that you'd like to share?

Camp Baby Girl

Setting the Stage
For Camp Baby Girl I took a slightly softer approach using pink, brown, and white accents. To set the stage I’ve selected a soft green for the walls. To add some depth and interest to the walls I would paint murals (all white silhouettes) or use white decals such as the Birch Tree Decal by Pop Wall (1) and White Fox Decal by Grey Wolf Graphics (14). I would place the trees on one wall, perhaps behind the crib, and I would tuck the fox in a corner or next to a window. He could even be slightly hidden by draperies.

Riley Blake Just Dreamy - Medium Dot - Cream/Orange fabric; My Folklore, My Forest in Chocolate Brown - Lecien fabric (both available here); and a Pink Minky Dot fabric (11) would be used throughout the room. The Riley Blake fabric would be used for floor length draperies. I would also use it for the outward facing side of the crib bumper and as a 3” trim along the bottom of the crib dust ruffle. The Pink Minky Dot fabric is perfect for the inward facing side of the bumper. For the bulk of the bed skirt I would use the rich brown My Folklore fabric. I would also use the My Folklore and Riley Blake fabrics to whip up some of these great storage bins.

Furniture
I love the simple lines of the White Simple 6-Drawer Dresser (7) and White Straight Up Crib from Land of Nod (16). I have selected a bright white finish for both pieces to play off of the white wall art. The American Rocker and Ottoman (9) is also from the Land of Nod. Its rich dark brown fabric compliments the My Folklore fabric nicely, and the rocking chair seems like it would be right at home in a quiet, cozy cabin – perfect for our camping theme.

Accessories
To add some polish to the room I’ve selected the following accessories:
Bird Branch Mirror from Urban Outfitters (2) – I love this mirror! It compliments the birch tree decal/mural perfectly and adds another natural and very stylish element to the room.

Flower Hooks from Pottery Barn Kids (4) – These add a whimsical touch to the room and will be the perfect place to hang dress up clothes down the road.

Hoot, Hoot Switch Plate from Anthropologie (5) – This little owl is one of many that I have incorporated into the room as a nod to the little vintage owl collection that my sister inherited from our father.

Cheeky Squirrel Bookends (8) – I used these in the original camp baby and couldn’t resist using them again. They are so fun and will surely enhance my future niece or nephew’s love of reading.
Bird Pillow by Joom (10) – This white and green pillow really pops against the dark brown rocker and adds another nice graphic element to the room.

The Braidy Bunch Rug from Land of Nod (12) – The style of this rug says "cabin", but the colors say "little girl".

Owl Family Bamboo Mobile (13) – This is another wonderful mobile by Etsy seller Petit Collage. I featured her tree friends mobile in the original camp baby post

Lighting
Oopsy Daisy - Mod Owl Night Light (15) – Now that my son is two hes developed a little fear of the dark. At bedtime he insists that I keep his door open and the hall light on. Although baby won’t want it right away, a night light may make for better bedtimes during the toddler years.

Twiggy Lamp by Moth Design (3) - More white and more natural elements, what’s not to love?

Pendant I would use the same or a similar drum shade pendant light from the original camp baby, but in white and hung close to the ceiling so that it doesn’t draw attention away from the wall art.

Art
I have kept the artwork to a minimum so that the murals/decals stand out. The woodland ABC print (6) I have selected is another great print by Etsy seller The Paper Tray. Its like ABC print that I selected for the original camp baby but with pink letters mixed in.

Transitional

I love fall. It is hands down my favorite time of year. The only complaint I have about the onset of fall is the challenge of transitioning my wardrobe. Its even harder now that I am pregnant (yep, you heard me right - 12 weeks) and nothing seems to fit.

This lovely Rain Necklace by Otis B is the perfect transitional accessory. The shiny turquoise beads are not only reminiscent of summer, but are also perfectly paired with the warm gold of the leaf. I must have this necklace. Maybe it will be my reward for planning , coordinating, and surviving our move next week.

Back to Camp

My dear friend (who, I can now share, is my sister) is absolutely loving the Camp Baby nursery e-design board that I put together for her last week, and I am loving finding more and more adorable woodland inspired baby finds like this bouncer by Fisher Price.


Stay tuned for more Camp Baby fun! I am working on a more feminine version of the room (in the event that my sister finds out she is having a girl).