Elias & Grace

There are days where I look at my little guy and wish he was 8 months old again. I usually look upon those days when we have a terrible-two tantrum moment. For me, that time was the “Golden Baby Time.” He was animated, could sit up on his own, go wherever I went, slept through the night, and had the major baby chubs. So, I am looking back at all those cute baby clothes and lookie what I found.Elias & Grace not only have cute baby clothes, they have clothes for your little girls and boys too.

Made by Hand

Emily Baier of Tako Fibers, has created awesome embroidery kits for every skill level so you and your kid can have some embroidery sessions together over a warm cup of hot-cocoa. Each kit comes with a screenprinted piece of fabric, a hoop, a needle, wool tapestry yarn, a stitch guide, and detailed instructions. These aren’t your old grandmother’s patterns either. They are cute and updated for the new crafter. These will make great little holiday presents and stocking stuffers!

Ben’s Second Birthday

My little guy is already two years old. I swear I can still remember him kicking my ribs when he was in my tummy, but now I have to say that that was years, (yes, years plural), ago. The week of the party was a little nuts. Thankfully, my crafty-genius-mother-in-law, came down to help watch the little guy while I frantically started getting things ready for the party. Did I mention that I had to also work, teach, read a book for a book club meeting, and go to a parent board meeting that week too? Oh, and let me also mention that my husband also broke his ankle and had to have nine screws and a metal plate put in his leg. We probably wouldn’t have had a party if my mom-in-law didn’t come to watch the little rascal. I just hope that amidst all the craziness, we didn’t scare her and she will come back again.

Here are some pictures of the party. I baked carrot cupcakes and Ben’s birthday cake. I like simple things… haha, who am I kidding? I didn’t have time to make an extravagant birthday cake, so I was lucky enough to find a cute train set birthday candle holder to go on top of the cake. The suitcase which is holding the party favor bags was my mom’s from the 70′s. If you recall, the favor bags match the invitation I designed. Little Ben wore a t-shirt that read, “Choo choo, I’m 2!” from Cantaloupe Corner. And see that garland above the banner? I actually sewed that! Just cut circles out of felt and fed it through the sewing machine. Voila! It was actually simple and didn’t take that much time. It also helps to have the circle fabric cutter that I have.

Lemonade Anyone?

I can’t wait to have a lemonade stand with the little guy. I want to make him the most bomb-a** lemonade stand ever. I think these vintage looking beverage dispensers from Victorian Trading Co. are perfect for any party, wedding, and yes, the bomb-a** lemonade stand. It will be totally, (in higher pitch voice), awesoooome.

For the Boys

For those of you have boys, have you noticed that there is a serious lack of stuff for boys out there? For instance, when I go to a place like Target, I find myself in a sea of girls clothes and am so disappointed to find maybe six racks dedicated to boys. Shoe stores will have maybe two rows for boys and about seventeen for girls. Some stores don’t even carry stuff for boys. Apparently, boys don’t need to get dressed or even try to look cute. If we read into this further, we can say that society is already training little girls to shop. That there is a lack of things for boys because boys and men don’t need that stuff to be validated. And by the way, is God a man or a woman? (I hope you’re getting my sarcasm at this point.) Anyway, point is, there is a lack of stuff for boys.

I was super surprised to see this little Etsy shop by Mates & Rubbish, carrying a Customized Birthday Boy Cupcake Topper for boys. I looked around for the girl one, but did not find it! I’m sure they have one or can make one for the little girls too. But for once, I finally felt like this was one for just the boys.

Snack Bags. AKA – Favor bags

I can’t sew very well. Even straight lines is a challenge for me. When I need to make an absolute straight line, I draw a line on the fabric to follow it. I saw this awesome tutorial for snack bags about a year ago and wanted to give it a try. The instructions are so clear and so easy, that I knew that even I could accomplish this task. I designed the fabric to match the invitations and ordered it through Spoonflower, and loved the way it turned out. If you order from them, I suggest you do this way in advance because it took about five weeks for mine to arrive. They told me that they were backed up, so hopefully it was just bad timing. My amazing mother-in-law is a crafty genius extraordinaire. She recommended that I use a French seam for this project. At first, it sounded like a daunting task, but it was super easy and turned out great!

I’ll be giving out these little favor bags at the birthday party. Parents can use them again as snack bags. I made a couple mock ones before these and have used them for pretzels and crackers. You can even use them for or dirty socks and shoes bags. Oh, you mean that hasn’t happened to you yet? You know, when your kid decides to go play in the puddles and mud and you have to figure out what to do with his nasty socks and shoes? Haha, of COURSE you have!

Birthday Party: Part Deux

OMG. Is it really happening? I realize that veteran parents must be laughing at me, but what ev’s. I need to have my moment, and to all you first child mom’s, you deserve this moment too. The little one is turning two and dang, has time flown by that quickly? If so, then WHY?!?!?! I just looked at all the 1st birthday photos ooh-ing and awwww-ing over the cute little boy in his diaper eating his first cake, and missing the chub stomach rolls and chub thighs. Why is baby growing up so fast?! Too fast!!

Ok, I had my moment. Um. Alright. Yeaaahhh, I’m still obsessing about it.

So, on to birthday number two. The little boy is obsessed with trains. I realize that it probably isn’t the greatest idea that I feed his psychological obsession over trains with a train theme birthday party. Nonetheless, the party must go on! I started with the invitations and loved this train drawing on some wallpaper I saw a while back. (Yes, and I have an obsession over wallpaper, I know, I know.) I used that same train to put on the invitation. Then I custom made fabric to give out as party favors for the kiddos. I told myself that I would tone it down for this party since number one was a little insane. Hehe, I guess I just can’t help myself. No, seriously, I will tone it down.

Anyway, here is the invitation I drew up. I made it look like a train ticket and made little address return labels to match. I do not take any credit for the train drawing because that was wallpaper. As you can see, you will find no Thomas the Train theme here because the little one is actually a little freaked out by Thomas the Train. Weird, ain’t it? I’ll post the fabric bags next time so you can see what they look like.

What to do with Mirrored Doors and Walls

When we moved into our 80′s house, we knew that the house was due for an upgrade to present day. Our master bedroom has three sliding doors that were gi-normous. Not only that, they were mirrored closet doors, boo! I searched and searched for a solution that did not involved installing custom doors because of our budget. Plus, custom closet doors can run you thousands of dollars, especially the size that we needed. So, the handy hubby decided to take the mirrors out and replace it with plywood. We painted it and thought, “Hey, we can put wallpaper up!” Did you know that wallpaper is expensive? Well, at least the kind that I liked. I actually did know about this amazing vinyl wallpaper that can hang over mirrored walls and doors, but since the price wasn’t right, I nixed that too. So, I decided to go with stenciling. UNTIL, I found this awesome deal at ModCloth for temporary wallpaper made out of vinyl. It’s from a company called, Tempaper. I guess we could have kept the mirrors in the end, but if we ever get sick of this wallpaper, at least we know that there won’t be mirrors underneath. Think of it as high end contact paper. Yup, contact paper. But it’s a lot sturdier, nicer, and the patterns are great.

It took about a roll and a half to finish the doors. Now I want to line my cupboards with them. Not really kid related entry, but hey, Tempaper has some very cute wallpaper patterns for kids rooms too! So when your kid decides that he or she is not two years old anymore, you can rip that sucker off in no time.

Here’s the AFTER:

Missing in Action

Ok, I have sooo been missing from this blog. As the little one gets older, the less time I have! Gone are the days where he slept all day. Plus, I’m keeping busy doing other things like, work, helping with weddings, the Lolli Jewelry line, and trying to find music jobs that don’t exist anymore because of harsh budget cuts. (I shake my finger at you, US government, for not caring about education!) But I have thought about the ol’ blog. Haha, I know, not the same. I ran across this little suitcase from Smallable and had to share. I’ve been thinking about traveling with the little guy this summer and this caught my eye. When he outgrows it, I can use it for, um, me. Although he’s not really into flowers, I’ll probably get him the stripes version. I wonder if this little suitcase comes with a step-by-step guide on how to go on a road trip with a two year old. That would be helpful.

Before and After: Magazine Rack

BEFORE

My sister gave me this magazine rack about ten years ago because I just had my magazines in piles everywhere. They’re still in piles, but probably because I hadn’t used the rack in years. After ten years, it has become a little outdated and looks like it belongs in a college dorm room. Rather than throwing it out, I decided that it would be easy to spruce up with a bit of paint and new fabric. I wish that I had found a fabric pattern that was more modern, but this hipster pregnant lady at the fabric store had hoarded seven bolts of fabric. One of which I adored, but she bought the whole roll. Oh well, still like my new and improved rack. My son and I now share it with the books that we read. Re-purposing stuff feels great.

AFTER

Richard Lampert

I love interesting designs for children. Yeah, kids grow up fast and you probably won’t use a lot of the stuff for very long, but it still makes things look good around the house. I’ve spoken to many veteran parents who tell me that they are so happy that their kids are older and that the crap around the house is gone. You know what they’re talking about. The plastic toys that won’t shut up, the colorful stuffed animals that look like they were invented by a dude on shrooms, and all the Barney, Mickey Mouse, and E-l-m-o (we must spell his name or we pay the price), that are scattered around in your living room, your kitchen, your family room, your bathroom, and your bedroom. This is why it is refreshing for me to look upon designs such as these from Richard Lampert, a modern, furniture designer from Germany. If you like his pieces, you’ll also appreciate that his children’s furniture blend in with the entire line. Which in return, will blend in with the things in your home. Ahhhh, and that, my friends, is a dream that may come true in another life for me… wink with tongue sticking out ;p

Growth Spurt

My little one will be turning two in four months. Someone said to me the other day, “He doesn’t look like a baby anymore,” and my heart sank a little. Ho-hum, this is the way the cookie crumbles. Besides the tantrums, I do have more fun with the little one now. He can run around and play at the park, sing songs, copy and say words, and make us laugh. His growth slowed down a bit after turning one, but in the past few months, the kid just grew taller! For those modern houses out there, this Measure Me Stick by Donna Piacenzo chart’s your child’s growth and looks great as a piece of wall art.

For the Music Lovers

My first love is music. Yeah, cheesy as that sounds, it’s true. I even have a Master’s degree in it. Yup, a music nerd from the inside out. I’m so ecstatic that Julia Rothman designed this Opera Play Theater for Kid O. One of my friend’s husband asked if I actually like opera. Yes, I will confess that I actually do. But, as much of a music lover as I am, I can’t sit in an uncomfortable seat with little leg room and listen to an opera that goes on for 3+ hours. The music and plot has to be REALLY GOOD for me and my flat butt to handle that. Maybe if I had a play set like this, I can play with it at my seat to keep me entertained. I’m sure I’d get a lot of dirty looks from people from the opera house. Even from those in the nose bleed seats. Oh well, I guess it’s no Wagner for me.

PataPri

My little boy is almost 20 months old and will be two years old this June. Definitely not a baby anymore and I must say, I do miss my chubby baby. But with every age/stage (thus far), there have been new phases that I love and adore. He is now singing along to the songs we have sung to him a million times, and even does the hand motions. Okay, so this baby blanket from PataPri is bringing me back to the good ol’ baby days. I hear you laughing because it wasn’t that long ago, but I already miss it!
Anyway, this material is awesome. I have two burp cloths made of this material and it is so soft. Soft like cotton clouds, and a blanket that you want to sleep with yourself. None of that microfiber fabric crap here, so it won’t give you static shock each time you touch it.

How Sweet It Is

I bought the Elephant pattern from Heather Bailey for Benjamin’s first birthday. We gave out the elephants as gifts to the little babies. Heather Bailey’s patterns, fabric, and crafts are just so darn pretty and cute. When I was younger, I was a total tom-boy. But the older I get, I see that I’m getting girlier and girlier.  And well, this definitely satisfies the girl-iness in me!

This free pattern for a cupcake holder is so adorable. Plus, you can use it again to keep your little things that are lying around the house… which your kids should not be touching… and put up high on a shelf… you know.

Yes, This IS Cool

Okay, you as an adult might think, “this is over the top.” But I’ve got the pickiest of picky eaters in my house, and this is cool. Even if you don’t have a picky eater, this is cool. I remember the sandwiches that my mom made for us when we were growing up. We used to own a deli, so my sister and I always had fancy, homemade, deli sandwiches every day. And you “grown-ups” who remember their moms cutting the crusts off their sandwiches, don’t you think this is cool? The point is, kids remember, and kids love this stuff. If I were a kid and saw this when I opened up my lunchbox, I’d be so psyched. I also love little parties, so I think this would be the coolest thing at a kids birthday party. These sandwich cutters from Lunch Punch are, face it, F-U-N.

Okay 2011, Here We Go

I am letting out a deep breath that I have held since December. “hooooooooooooooooo.” The holidays are over and look, still here. It was a fun and eventful 2010 holiday, but let me tell you, I am ready for 2011. 2010 brought good and bad events, so I am looking forward to moving on. A book that always brings a smile to our face (the little one and I), is Leonardo the Terrible Monster. All the books by Mo Willems are fantastic, but Leonardo tugs at my heart. Maybe it’s because when I was a kid, I was the one who couldn’t run fast or was picked near last. I hated raising my hand up in class and dreaded the sound of my name if the teacher called upon me. I tried to be good at sports, but no matter what I did, my head seemed to be the target for flying balls. But, I made good friends along the way, and after going through 2010, I love my friends and family even more. My plea to everyone for 2011 is just to be nicer to one another, because you don’t know when they’ll go. Do I still have an immature sense of humor and act like a butt-head sometimes? Yes. But Leonardo couldn’t let go of all his ways either.

Tea Party

I love browsing around on Freshop to see what new products they have. They believe in eco-friendly and organic products, and they have great sales! They are having one now that is 40% off the entire store. I saw this Wooden Tea Set by Plan Toys on there that I would love to get for our little guy. He loves to play with cups and act like he’s drinking from them. Must get it from his dad, the perpetual coffee drinker. But alas, I think we have to save our money to get the little one new clothes because he just went through a growth spurt and has grown out of so many clothes! I wish he could stay 17 months old just a little longer. I love this age!

Annabelle’s Birthday by Emily

This absolutely gorgeous birthday party is a must see! I love the clothesline idea with the pictures of Annabelle. It’s such a sweet idea. Emily really did an awesome job and didn’t leave any details out! She sewed the garlands and the favor bags stuffed with a coloring book. Amazing!

All Things French

There’s something so charming about children’s dolls and clothes from France. When I’m bombarded with Bratz dolls and Transformers (although, I loved Transformers as a kid), it’s nice to take a step back and look at sweet items like these dolls from LeilaLou. A friend of mine loves cats, but not necessary things that have cats on them. Like cat sweaters, cat mugs, cat curtains… you get the idea. But I have a feeling that she may love this little kitty doll below!

Beehive Kitchenware Co.

We received a baby spoon from the hospital when our little one was born. I think it had the hospital name engraved on it. I can’t remember and I don’t know where it is. I suppose that just proves how much we like it. So, I let out a little sigh when I saw these adorable baby spoons from Beehive Kitchenware. They just came out with a 2011 baby spoon set with cute little rabbits to celebrate the new babies born in the year of the rabbit!

Linen Stockings

I am excited to have our first Christmas in our new home. I’m looking around for stockings and decorations, and can’t wait to get our first Christmas tree! I love some of these linen stockings I found on Etsy. The one above is from Tuuni. This one is exactly the one I imagined for my stocking. The striped one below is from Elegant Farmhouse, and made of antique German grain sacks. The last one is from Polka Dots and Blooms. One stocking for each person in the family! Oops, I forgot our dog, Nigel. Must look around for something for him too!

HOLIDAY SALE!

Okay, so we really aren’t into the whole Black Friday thing. We just don’t like standing in long lines and dealing with a ton of people looking for parking. We’d rather eat leftovers at home by the cozy fire and get fat. So, in the spirit of not having a sale on Black Friday, we decided to have one after. So, LOLLI is having a holiday sale! We’re giving 30% off the entire purchase until Monday, the 29th! Just enter the coupon code: thanks

Custom Silhouette Necklace

We’re excited to introduce our Custom Silhouette Necklace in our LOLLI line. The one shown above is one I did for my little one year old son. The pendant comes on either 14k gold filled or sterling silver pendants that are 1/2″ in diameter, and chain lengths are 16.5″. You send us a picture of your child, and we will draw it up for you. Pick a border and voila! A custom necklace of your loved one. I added a blue topaz stone to mine. You can order a birthstone to go with your necklace as well. We will be able to do silhouettes of your pets too! I’ll post the one I did for our dog, Nigel, soon.

You will be able to purchase these in our Etsy shop, or you can email us at: info(at)lolli-shop.com or convo us on Etsy if you have any questions.

Play Table Round Up

My little one loves to sit on everything. He will sit on his toys to take a break if he has too. At daycare, we have a picture of him sitting at a play table with his buddy eating their snacks. Something about mini furniture just tugs at my heart. So, I’m now on the hunt for a play table to put in his bedroom. Although, I might put it in the family room to replace the cardboard house we made together one day. As fun as that thing is, it’s an eyesore. Best to put that one in his bedroom.

I love the style of P’kolino’s table and chairs pictured above. It’s modern, cute, and in my favorite color, orange!

This Ecotots one in red is planet and parent friendly.

The Offi Chalkboard table is a cool idea, but the super freak mom in me isn’t too keen on the idea of having a dusty chalkboard table in the house. Yeah, I can be THAT mom. The chairs are super cool, though.

This set from Anka will match any home, anywhere. It’s a five piece set and the chairs are stackable!

And how can I leave Ikea out? Which, I will probably opt for since the rational side of me kicks in and says, “He will only be using it for a couple years.” Right? I mean, it’s just a matter of time when he’s gonna be growing out of this thing and it’ll be all Gulliver’s Travels up in there. So, this red stool paired with a wood table would be super cute. Plus, you can store crayons and such in it.

Pair it with this awesome rocker…

I was about to just buy the Latt the last time I was there, but they were out of stock. Maybe I was meant to get the P’kolino? hmmm….. Well, for $20.00, you can’t beat this deal.