Another Mother’s Day Gift

Here’s a great way to give a very personalized gift. I just received my metal stamps in the mail this week, and was excited to get to work on this gift for my mom.

The kids names were stamped into sterling silver flats, and then I added a cute bead to finish it off. She loved it!

Too Much Stuff

I feel as though we are constantly trying to simplify our lives, especially in the area of “things”. Last night I was trying to get the kids to clean up their room, and they came back with their typical response “there is too much stuff to put away by ourselves.” The three of us then had a long conversation about getting their room to a more manageable place so they won’t have to feel as though they are always having to clean up. In my mind - we got to get rid of the junk. They don’t really play with all of their toys, they just dump them out of the bins. This quote is so true: The things you own end up owning you - Tyler Durden in Fight Club.

Terrarium Obsession

I’ve been obsessed with terrariums lately, and then saw some that were made here. Also, Britt in our neighborhood makes some awesome ones that are sold at Kate Ross Shoes/Kalos Design in North Park. But for Mother’s Day I thought I’d try my hand at putting together some simple ones.

I put some rocks on the bottoms for drainage, mixed some sand with my soil, and topped with nice black sand and some clear rock beads. Here’s a great tip: I bought my potting supplies at Lowe’s, and they had a pallet in the back of the nursery with opened bags. Each one was 50% off - I only spent about $5 for a huge bag of rocks, sand and soil. Some of the plants were from our garden and I purchased a few at the nursery.

The clear containers are from IKEA, Michaels and random ones from around the house.

So, if you are looking for a last minute quick Mother’s Day present try making one. I think I’m going to have to keep one for myself.

1st Grade Art Show and More

I’m pooped after spending the week for preparing for Paige’s art show. Tonight we had the opening reception for the kids, family and friends and I would have to say that it was quite the success. 20 1st grade artist are featuring their work at Rebecca’s for the months of April and May, stop by and check it out.

I am supposed to be getting ready for the carnival tomorrow at the school, but my creative juices have gone to bed. I’ll have lots of clips to sell, and not much else. I have a few new designs that seem to be popular at the shop (since they have sold) and no pictures to show for them. I have to remind myself to take more photos.

Here’s a few upcoming events: April 22nd - Free Cooking Class/Workshop at the Hawthorn House. Join me to learn about creating a simple balanced meal. May 3 - Healthy Child, Healthy World from 10-12, location TBD - we will be looking at 5 simple steps to clean and green your home. May 3 - Glocal, Justice in Border Town 6pm at Mid City Nazarene. May 9 - Make Something Day Party at the Hawthorn House from 6-9. Email me for more info, or to RSVP for any or all of these.

I promise to blog more often

Yes, I’ve had this thought before, that it would probably be better to blog at least once a month, maybe even once a week, but I haven’t been very good at it.

I just wanted to post a few new items that are available at the Daily Scoop. I’ve been wanting to make some aprons for some time, and I finally got around to it. They have a vintage feel, but are perfect for everyday cooking in the kitchen. I also now have dishtowels and journals.

Some other exciting news for Fire and Flowers is that you can now purchase some of my clips and baby apparel at Niche Boutique in Little Italy.

I have also started working with clients for my new practice in nutrition. Check me out here: www.abundant-nutrition.com.

Stockings

I put together a few stockings this year to sell at the shop.  It was a really fun, easy project that can be accomplished in about 30 minutes.  I used scraps of fabric, including a shirt that I cut apart.  I am really terrible at making patterns, so, each one is a bit different since I just cut as I went. 

And yes, I did iron them before they went anywhere.

A Christmas Story

The kids watched the movie A Christmas Story for the first time this year.  They both loved it, and ask to watch it just about every weekend now.  Matt loves the part where the youngest boy eats like a pig, and Paige thinks it’s gross.  They both get a kick out of when Ralphie gets his tounge stuck to the frozen pole and has to wear a band-aid on his tounge.  And we all laugh when the “leg” lamp is pulled out of the box.  The kids and I were running around doing errands today, and we drove past this.

They were so excited to drive back by it again tonight with Jason, so, we had to take a picture.  We also saw this crazy house, the lights blink in rhthym to the music.  Paige thinks it’s beautiful.

 

My Kids

I love these guys so much, aren’t they adorable?  I’m using these pictures from the summer, for a Christmas card collage (I know I’m a bit late, but better late than never.)

Baby Gift

My cousin is having a baby girl at the beginning of the year, her name is Claire, and her older sisters and brother are excited for her arrival.  Here’s what I gave her for her shower.

I covered a travel wipe container with a layer of batting, fabric and trim.  This was an awesome “no sew” project, I haven’t used hot glue in awhile, and I had to remind myself not to burn my fingers.  The blanket is 20″ x 20″, the perfect size for use in the carseat and stroller.

We too are excited to meet Claire soon!

My Son is a Robber

Yesterday the kids and I went to the dollar store to pick up a gift bag before we went to celebrate December birthdays with my family.  While I was checking out, Matt (who is 3 1/2 years old) became mesmerized by a blue plastic necklace that had a huge lock hanging from it.  He asked if he could get it, and of course I said “no” and told him to keep his hands off of it.  A few stops later, we pulled into the parking lot of a Barnes and Noble, and out came the lovely necklace from his pocket.  I couldn’t believe he had shoved it away without me noticing.  We sat in the car and had a long conversation about what it means to steal.  We were finishing up our talk, and Paige looks straight at him and said “Matt you’re a robber.”  So, there you go, my son is a robber.