Father's Day Card

Because I think Hallmark cards cost too much, and because I wanted to make a card for all the fathers and grandfathers in our lives that was a little more personal, we did foot print and hand print cards this year for Father's Day. Unfortunately, it wasn't as much fun as I'd envisioned, given the fact that Hilton acted as though I was amputating his foot when I plunked it down into the ink pad. It took me and Will to overcome the sheer will of an 18 month old.

The hand print was even more difficult. You wouldn't believe the places a toddler wants to stick his hand once it has big bad blue paint on it, or black ink. I though I'd try acrylic paint to mix it up a bit, and I would not recommend it. Unless it's painted on very thinly, and who has time to monitor how thick or thin paint is when you're trying to do it with lightening speed, it wound up being one big blue blob. The ink did turn out a little better.



My disclaimer is this: this is a somewhat messy project. Be armed, don't be outnumbered, and be ready to wash hands immediately afterward, or your stove will be "personalized" too! :)

A Tisket a Tasket

So my dear friend Suzanne and I decided, being the fabulous new moms that we are, our equally fabulous boys deserved a homemade Easter basket. Suzanne had heard of a woman selling baskets for $25 or $30, but she thought we could definitely make them cheaper and cuter. So off we went to King's Hardware and Tuesday morning; she purchased a pink basket and I bought a red one. ** Mistake #1, just buy one in white for goodness sakes! Suzanne was able to cover the pink with some white spray paint, but 3 cans of paint later, mine was a runny red still!

So off I went to Michael's, and found the perfect white(!) basket for $5. I got the seersucker fabric monogrammed with Hilton's name, and voile la!

Next we laid the fabric down in the basket and put cans in it (to make sure the fabric was truly filling out the basket). Then I cut the fabric to the appropriate length and sewed it inside out and finished it off with some ties. I wanted the cloth monogrammed so I pinned it so it would be centered (approximately). You will notice I was fitting this for my larger red basket - I had not yet gotten the reality check about painting white over red; thankfully, my new white basket was comparable in size and I am practicing not letting perfectionism get the best of me, so there. It fits close enough.




All in all, when Suzanne and I totalled out what we'd spent on our little craft project, it was more than having the lady do it for us, and obviously less work. But, you know, sometimes craft projects just take longer than expected, cost more than you'd bargained for, etc. But I am a big believer in doing some things yourself (not including laundry, ironing, and yardwork), and Hilton will have a sweet little Easter basket to enjoy!

A Purse and a Dress

Part of me always hopes my husband reads my blog, even though I know he doesn't. If by chance you are, though Will...dearest Will, I would really really love to own these two items. The first is a fabulous dress by Ella Moss, super comfortable, with pockets and a really fun slit in the back. My sister in law wore it to go to the pool, she had it in orange and white stripes, but it's just a great summer dress!

http://www.revolveclothing.com/DisplayProduct.jsp?product=ELLA-WD793&c=Dresses+-+Casual&s=C&sc=Short+Sleeve&currency=USD&source=shopstyle

Below, is a new purse by Tory Burch, also inspired by my sister in law (man, do those girls have a wardrobe! :). I had actually seen it first in Village Taylor (terrific boutique in Oxford, MS), and then saw it in person. It's so fabulous draped across, as the gold really stands out and it's just beautiful.

http://www.toryburch.com/toryburch/browse/productDetail.jsp?icProduct=20109821&icSort=&icCategory=cat70012