This year for Mother’s Day, we joined up with Anthropologie to host a floral crown workshop at my hometown Southlake, Texas location. The afternoon of the event I started to get messages that there were major storms rolling through Dallas and folks were staying safe at home rather than venturing out. I thought the event would be a bust and that I might be alone making floral crowns (read: shopping for a new Spring frock) but right on schedule the attendees rolled in ready to craft. They came from all over DFW, and even from Oklahoma (thanks Ashley &Jenny)! We had so much fun! Here are a few of the photos by the amazing Kelsey Foster.
I love that we had 3 mother/daughter duos!
Check out the tasty spread that the lovely ladies at the Southlake Anthro set out for us to enjoy! I bought the tray that goes with this flower vase a while back and now every time I look at this picture, it taunts me. Ahh, the one that got away!
Here are some of the beauties wearing their own stunning creations. This makes me so happy!
Then I couldn’t help but grab my own camera and capture some of the loveliness… (more…)
This post is sponsored by Quaker Chewy. Quaker Chewy helps give kids the energy they need to play. That’s why Quaker and NERF are teaming up to fuel backyard fun, helping families get out and get active together, right in their own backyard. When you buy three specially-marked boxes of Quaker Chewy, you can enter the codes online at http://fuelfun.quakeroats.com to get a free Nerf sports item. School’s almost out for Summer and while lazy days with a lighter schedule hold some appeal, they fill many moms with dread. If you’re that Type A sort, your first instinct might be to channel Capt. VonTrapp and start assigning a whistle for each child but that can’t be right, right? Here are 5 ways to loosen up this Summer, loosen the apron strings, give the kids a bit of freedom, and keep everyone happy and relaxed. Deep breaths, we can do it together.
1. Set out some healthy snacks for the kids to grab and go. You may be surprised when they stop begging for candy or greasy chips and opt for fresh fruit, veggies, dried fruit, crackers , and granola bars when it’s conveniently within reach.
2. Create a station of art supplies to have ready and available. Gear it for your child’s age with crayons and blank paper for the little guys, and advanced options like paints reserved for the more responsible artist.
3. A full bookshelf is a beautiful sight but can often intimidate or feel like old news. Pick out a few books for the week and set them up in a comfortable, quiet, and well-lit reading spot. It will make the same old books feel fresh and irresistible. (more…)
I have had this project on my mind for a little while now, but was just waiting for the right fabric to land in my lap. I fell in love with this linen from Fabricworm and got straight to work as soon as it arrived. I am so happy with the results, partly because it was incredibly easy to do. I was able to spruce up all my hand towels in an afternoon.
Learn more about how to spruce up your hand towels after the jump…
With summer right around the corner, we wanted to share our favorite summer reading books for kids with you. Although they are all pretty different, their beautiful and original stories have us happily reading them again and again. Check them out and let us know what is a favorite on your bookshelf these days…
Wild is a book my friend Aubrey showed me after she bought it for her daughter Harper. I was mesmerized by the art instantly. The story follows a little girl who grew up in the wild. One day she is found and taken out of her home and into civilization with a family she doesn’t know. With each turn of the page you will be treated to some of the most beautiful artwork that tells the story of how you cannot tame something so happily wild.
Stuck is one of Jacinda’s top favorite books in their collection. Through a wonderfully absurd tale and adorable illustrations, Oliver Jeffers, tells the story of a little boy that will go to any length to free his beloved kite from the tree. Perhaps a front door, the milkman, or the family car can knock it down?
For bedtime, check out Steam Train, Dream Train, the beautiful rhythm to this book will lull even your most spirited conductors to sleep.
You know how that silent montage in Up was incredibly compelling and brought you to tears? Well, Flora and the Flamingo is like that, but happy! There is no need for words when the actions and expressions of the characters say it all. Turn the pages and lift the flaps to watch as this unlikely pair develop a friendship that ends in a beautiful dance.
Oliver Jeffers’ best selling book, Amazon, still remains one of our absolute favorites. What would happen if you opened your crayon box only to find notes from each crayon with a reason for why they quit? You can’t blame Black crayon for getting over just being the outline, or Beige crayon getting fed up with always being second to Mr. Brown crayon. If you haven’t read this one yet, it’s a definite must.
Before you head out on your summer vacation, read through a copy of Lately Lily: The Adventures of a Travelling Girl. This picture book follows Lily on an adventure around the world. This is a great one to read to help prepare the kids before their first flight, road trip, or even camel ride.
I Didn’t Do My Homework Because… It’s very possible you haven’t heard excuses quite like these before. How about because an airplane of monkeys landed in your yard? Or maybe it was because you were attacked by vikings that invaded your home? No? This silly book is packed with funny and off-the-wall excuses and creative illustrations you are sure to love.
One of Gordon’s top favorite books he got for Easter is Little Blue Truck. It’s great for little ones because they can help you by making the truck (beep!) and animals (oink, moo, quack!) noises as the Little Blue Truck drives through the countryside. Watch what happens though when the Little Blue Truck gets stuck in the mud and looks to the kindness of his animal friends to help him out.
Top off their summer reading list with How To, the whimsical illustrations make the everyday something extraordinary. Perfect for readers 1-100.
The weather has been heating up here in Southern California, so much so that it feels way more like the middle of summer than spring. There’s been a whole lot of skirts, sunshine, and swimming happening around these parts. Kelli, from True Bias, is going to show us how to fight off summer heat in style with the paperbag waist skirt. We have done elastic waist skirts, layer cake skirts, reversible petal skirts, but none with the paperbag waistline, so we are very excited.
I got lost in a world of amazing sewing projects and tutorials when I first found True Bias. Her Sewn section has inspiring projects she has made for women, children, men, and maternity. You can also see her adorable family and her sewn creations by following @Truebias on Instagram. Take it away, Kelli!
Check out the DIY Paperbag Waist Skirt tutorial after the jump…
Pull out your Puffy Paint and Puka Shell Necklace because we are about to throw down an 80’s inspired Malibu Barbie Beach Party in honor of Quinn’s 5th birthday (It seems like just yesterday we were sharing her first!) Our friends at Shop Sweet Lulu provided a boat-load of inspiration with their adorable supplies, making this party perfectly pink…and aqua, starting with a beautiful tassel garland which hung under my Barbie beach party birthday sign. It’s just a painted canvas with holes cut for the dolls! I repeat, I did NOT cut off your Barbies legs, QUINN.
Growing up I can remember the garage clothesline being filled with clean laundry and bouquets of flowers hanging upside down. My mom said she was first inspired to do it from an old movie (I can’t remember which). You may have noticed from this photo of my living room that I’ve adopted this habit and use the bouquets to decorate my place. I think it’s partly because when I receive a beautiful bouquet, it’s just too hard to toss it away.
You might recognize these particular Glasswing Floral bouquets from our Mother’s Day bouquet and May Day posts. Speaking of which, if you received a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet, this is a great way to preserve it.
Find out how to make a DIY Dried Flower Bouquet after the jump…
The accommodations which inspired this article were provided by DISCOVER Vacation Homes and PointeWest Properties – Vacation Rentals and Sales.Jaime and I both love to travel. We love to travel alone, we love to travel together, we love to travel with our daughters, and even our husbands, it’s true! The one type of traveling that takes some special planning to pull off successfully is traveling with many small children. As a mother of three children (ages 3-6) I’ve managed to pull off happy and even lightly relaxing family vacations and so I have some hot tips to offer before you head out by plane, boat or car this Summer. We have to stick together, us mothers of three. Here’s the scoop…
1. You don’t have to go far to have an adventure.
I can’t wait to show my kids the world and often dream about taking my artist Clare to Paris, my gastronaut Quinn to Japan and my busy boy Gordon to hike Machu Picchu but in reality they are most delighted by simple experiences. On a recent long weekend at a beautiful ocean-front vacation rental in nearby Galveston, TX, their favorite memories were flying kites on the beach, visiting a new zoo, and sleeping in bunk beds. I love that I have the means and ability to make them happy, to give them simple adventures and memories that we can share together as a family and so, Paris can wait.
2. Safety in numbers
Consider joining up with another family or the grandparents for a vacation. More adults means more hands for occupying busy kids on outings or at bedtime. It also gives you a built in babysitter for a vacation date night. Just make sure that grandma gets some down time too.
Read on for more tips for the Best Family Vacation Ever.
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because we are about to throw down an 80’s inspired Malibu Barbie Beach Party in honor of Quinn’s 5th birthday (It seems like just yesterday we were sharing her 
which is small enough to store at home, and safe enough for the kids to use. Imagine sweet icy treats all Summer! We classed it up with 
Jaime and I both love to travel. We love to travel 
1. You don’t have to go far to have an adventure.
