Alt Summit 2013: Swan Soiree

February 6, 2013

Well we are back home from Alt Summit in Salt Lake City and we are beyond thrilled and inspired by all the creative and wonderful people we met! For those of you who don’t know, we hosted a dinner and a lounge at Alt Summit-a huge blogger conference held in Salt Lake City.

Sarah Stuart and I have been planning for weeks and weeks for the event and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. Our lounge theme was Alice in Wonderland meets Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette! Those of you that have read my bio may remember I am obsessed with Sophia Coppola so this party was a dream come true!

I am obsessed with Swans so we decided to decorate the room with swans and we called the event the Swan Soiree!

The craziest element was the Swan Boat we purchased from a boat factory in Indiana. They had to make it custom for us and it almost didn’t make it to Salt Lake City! But luckily she made it and we named her Marie after Marie Antoinette and gave her a sparkly bow, because what else would you do with a giant swan?!? Everyone sat in her and got their picture taken.

We also had a long table in the room that was our ‘Mad Hatter’ table. We decorated it with candy jars, cake stands and more swans!

In case anyone is interested, the small swans were just the plastic planter kind you can get at the hardware store for your yard- we just spray painted them gold and black. And the book pages on the table we just glued together to make a table runner!

Then we had a crafting station where a bunch of super talented girls made crowns and fascinators. We had sequins, tulle, gem stones, fabric tape, glitter stars and hearts- everything you can imagine to make the perfect crown!

Everyone from Land of Nod was wearing fascinators, too!

I wore a swan dress, because what else would you wear to a Swan Soiree!?!

We even had a special guest drop by, the mega-talented Brooke White from American Idol fame.

So pretty much we had the best time ever eating tea sandwiches and macaroons and meeting the coolest bloggers on earth!! We didn’t want the party to end!

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I will recap our Alt Summit Dinner!

By Anna Passadori

Anna develops and designs exclusive product for The Land of Nod. She hails from the west coast and has traveled the world to source product. She loves anything Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola or stripes! (So, if anyone can get a photo of Sofia Coppola wearing a striped outfit by Marc Jacobs, please send it along.

Kira in The Land of Nod Catalog

Do you remember last July when Nola's name appeared on a banner in The Land of Nod catalog? We all rallied together to ask The Land of Nod to include Kira's name, and one of my very best friends even wrote a poem. Well, the January catalog is out and my sweet Kira was dancing for joy and singing a "I love Land of Nod" song when she saw her name in the catalog.

Kira says she wants the catalog page framed and hanging on her wall!

Just in case your kiddos want their name on a banner or in pretty letters for their room, The Land of Nod has a lovely selection of banners and letters that you can buy.

Post by Helen Bird : www.curlybirds.typepad.com

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut & Ginger

February 5, 2013

During this time of extensive baking and lots of comfort food, I was craving some colour and a little healthy zing. I had a generous amount of butternut squash lying around in my fridge, as well as a can of coconut milk in my pantry that had been lingering for quite some time. Butternut squash soup seemed like the perfect solution – it’s nice and comforting, but I added a bit of Asian flavour to it for a different spin on a classic.

I don’t usually follow a recipe for my soups – that’s the beauty of a soup, you can throw in most anything and end of up with a great meal. Here is roughly what I did, but feel free to adapt. We served the soup with naan bread and I ate it cold the next day which was great as well. My daughter loved it and my son didn’t touch it, which was to be expected because it’s a vegetable.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Ginger

2 pounds of butternut squash, cubed
1 generous tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of minced ginger
1 tablespoon of minced lemongrass
1/2 tablespoon of minced chilli
water
salt and pepper
cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a deep soup pot, add garlic and cook until fragrant – less than a minute. Add the butternut squash and toss until covered in the oil and garlic, let warm a couple of minutes. Add the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, chilli and stir well. Add a bit of water to cover all the squash.

Cover with lid and let it cook on medium-high until squash is soft and breaks apart easily with a spatula. Use a immersion blender to smooth soup (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender and blend it in batches. Watch out with the hot liquid). Once smooth, decide if you are happy with the consistency or add a bit of liquid if you like your soup not to be too thick. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped cilantro. Enjoy hot or cold.

Post by Giulia Doyle : Audrey's

Teacher’s Favorite Valentine

February 4, 2013

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

How could your student not be the teacher’s pet after distributing a classic pink school eraser to all her classmates on Valentine’s Day? Perfect right?

Bettijo’s oldest, Attalie, is now in first grade, so she is forever practicing her handwriting or drawing. (Remember the lined paper Bettijo made her? And our Wednesday Worksheets? Yes, these are among Attalie’s favorite activities!) So, we thought it fitting that she wanted to give her classmates sweet pink eraser Valentines.

As a side note, I sure hope Liam is on her distribution list: while doing his Kindergarten homework each night, I frequently observe him purposefully making “mistakes” just so he can erase them. It’s to the point that his pencil-end eraser is always gone before we even need to re-sharpen the pencil. Is this quirk just my kid, or do your kids love to erase, too?

TO MAKE: Download our free printable “Mistake” Valentine template, which includes full instructions. Print as many as you need and cut out. We got our erasers at a local grocery store, but I like these pretty Pink Pearl ones on Amazon even more. You’ll also need clear plastic baggies (like these).

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Lemon Crepes

February 1, 2013

We've recently fallen in love with making AND eating a new breakfast food around here. If my Caroline had her way she'd have these yummy crepes daily! She gets them as a special treat once or twice a week, and until recently, the thought of making them made me a little uneasy. They seemed difficult and fancy. But then I saw a recipe in Parents Magazine and just had to try it. It ended up being SO easy and you can make them a zillion different ways. Sweet. Savory. Tart. YUMMMM. Here's how we have customized them around here. (& these have 5g of protein each–and she usually downs three–just in case you were wondering if they'd fill you up!)

LEMON CREPES Found in Parents Magazine Yield: 8 crepes Ingredients (all but the cinnamon and powdered sugar were organic, making ours almost organic crepes!)

1 c whole milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of cinnamon (we load up on cinnamon—she shakes as much as she wants. YUM.)
Cooking spray (I use butter)
3/4 c powdered sugar
2-3 lemons quartered

Preparation

In a blender combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon on top of the liquid ingredients. Cover and blend for 25 to 30 seconds or until just incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. (this is caroline's favorite part–she is the official crepe ingredient dumper & mixer)
Coat an 8-inch nonstick skillet (I actually use a larger one, as we like them big and thin) with flared sides with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium (I cook them on low) heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter in the hot skillet and swirl to make a thin even layer. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. (The wetness will dissipate and the crepe will resemble a very soft pancake.)
Fold the crepe in half, then fold in half again; transfer to a plate. Sprinkle generously with about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; set aside. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve each crepe with a lemon quarter for squeezing (the lemon juice creates a lemony icing as it mixes with the powdered sugar).

Some tips:

Be sure to blend the eggs into the milk real well before you add the dry ingredients. The batter will look like this:

& not using too much batter is the trickiest part. I like ours really thin (they do taste very similar to a delicious dutch baby pancake if you leave them thick though…maybe I'll teach you how to make one of those next!) Just pour the batter in the middle and pick the pan up and swirl the batter around until all of the skillet is covered. Once it starts to cook, you can see the bubbles and you'll be able to watch the texture changing. Flipping is a breeze with a big spatula. I actually use a "Mater" one from Williams Sonoma (thanks, Jamie!) that caroline insists I use to flip them.

& lastly–the fun part! What to put in it! I am a HUGE lemon lover, so for me, powdered sugar and lemon are perfect. But the other two crepe eaters in this family have a major sweet tooth. We mix it up with the occasional Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips (which I melt after the first flip, on half the crepe before folding it up) or Justin's Nut Butter.

Have you met Justin? You could compare it to Nutella, but that's not the best idea. I have never had Nutella (again, not a major sweet tooth, nor chocolate fan here) but I hear it's delicious. However, Justin's creative packaging totally appealed to my inner health nut, and here's what you should know:

& recently we've added a raspberry perserves & cream cheese version to our menu. My 10 month old can't eat them fast enough! 🙂 The possibilities are endless!

Happy crepe making!

Post by shawna of styleberryBLOG.com

Despite days full of washing diapers & messy fun, Shawna is determined to make mommyhood a stylish adventure. Married to the military & mother to one feisty girl & a snuggly little guy, she is a passionate DIYer & loves sharing how to make the complicated simple. Shawna talks creativity, style, food, decorating, green-chic living & mommyhood atstyleberryBLOG, a daily-ish dose of something fab.

Garland Mobile DIY

January 31, 2013

Supplies : A paint brush, wooden beads (sixty 3/4 inch wooden beads + one 1 inch wooden bead), a needle, wreath frame, battery operated twinkle lights (I purchased mine at Ikea but have seen similar sets at Michael's in the floral dept), this garland is shaping up, spray paint, craft paint, string and a hook for hanging.

Step 1 : Spray paint the metal wreath frame.

Step 2 : Paint the wooden beads in 3 gradual shades for an ombre effect. I did 7 beads in the darkest shade, 5 beads in the medium shade and 3 beads in the lightest color.

Step 3 : String the flower lights onto the metal wreath, weaving in and out of the metal rows. It's also a good idea to start each set of lights on opposite ends so the battery packs balance each side out.

Step 4 : Thread the beads onto the string leaving room on each end for tying up. Repeat until you have 4 strands of beads.

Step 5 : Tie the strands onto the base of the metal frame. I find it a good idea to place a strand, evenly, on each side of a battery pack to, again, give balance.

Step 6 : Holding onto the 4 loose strings at the top, string on the larger bead to keep all of the strings together. Then give about 3 inches of string above the large bead and tie a knot. You can then use the slip through to hang onto a ceiling hook or wherever you like.

By Trina McNeilly. Who blogs at la la L O V E L Y, a lifestyle blog with an eye for design in all areas of life. She started la la a few years back to keep track of this + that + everything pretty in between. And, it just so happened that la la Lovely is where the lovely things land.

A Magical Place Called The Land of Nod

January 30, 2013

remember that really exciting project i said i was working on and that i couldn’t wait to share with you? well, today, i’m sharing and all starts like this…..

sometimes really exciting things can happen all because of an e-mail. you know, the kind of things that you might not even imagine up, even on your most, “i can do anything,” kind of days.

it all started last summer when i worked on the project of completing ella’s room re-design. i sent an e-mail to one of my fave kids stores, the land of nod, to see about incorporating a few of their products. then there was this super cute video reveal that i collaborated on with frank and harvey. when i sent it to the land of nod, they kind of loved it. not long after, i traveled to the land of nod (i like going to other lands, really i do). a few meetings and phone calls later we schemed up a really fun collaboration to feature my home as well as my friends nyc home in their upcoming spring book for their real families | real kids series. crazy, right? crazy and very exciting!

i got to planning, designing and working closely with the lovelies at the land of nod. it initially looked a little like this :

then there where those many moments in between here and there, where i pinched myself, squealed a bit and thanked god for such a fun opportunity.

i thought you all might like to see some a bit of the process and some of the behind the scene moments that i captured. before we get to my house, we should start with new york.. i think that is the most perfect kind of place to start, don’t you?

meet, the lyon’s family. they are long time, life long, friends of mine. gabe and rebekah live in a small, 2 bedroom apartment in manhattan with their 3 sweet children (and two super cute pups).

i had the fun job of helping to design their kids shared room (yes, all 3 in, one room) and living room, where everyone hangs out. i worked closely with the land of nod on incorporating many of their gorgeous pieces.

after all of the planning, i was off to new york to help style the space and see it all come together (these little sloane desks are my fave).

i had the best time working with the land of nod creatives, stylist and photographer. i would have been happy to just have been on a fly on the wall that day, but to be able to help out was tops. there is so much hard work and talent that goes into this type of work. i have a lot to learn when it comes to styling and the creative process but i feel pretty darn lucky to have learned a thing or two.

chalk artist dana tanamachi even came by to deck the walls

between traveling and planning for new york, i was spending late (ok, very late) nights planning and making a few updates around the house. now, fast forward a few weeks (with a holiday and sick kids in between it all) and it was time to shoot at my house. 3 days for shooting 3 rooms, again, with a wonderful stylist, photographer and crew from the land of nod (and this time we even shot video).

for 3 days my house was turned into a “location”

floor lamp = “wow, that’s a big lamp,” from land of nod. isn’t it insanely fabulous?

there was a lot of this going on….my kids had the best time!

and things got to looking magical :

and speaking of magical……i should tell you, the land of nod, really is just that. everyone (and i mean, everyone) is the nicest of nice (like i think my little la la’s were about to cry when they left…no seriously). but the thing is, when talent meets niceness there is just no telling what can happen – well, really great things happen, that’s what.

now, i can’t wait to show you the finished rooms for both New York City and myhouse. i promise you are going to love it. For the next 4 weeks, i’ll be posting each space and DIY’s that we incorporated, as well as a super rad video. so, check back each wednesday and thursday, there is so much pretty to share. first up is NYC, next week.

and be sure to sign up for the land of nod catalog (if you are not already on their mailing list. so you can see how it all turned out! you can sign up right here.

By Trina McNeilly who blogs at la la L O V E L Y, a lifestyle blog with an eye for design in all areas of life. She started la la a few years back to keep track of this + that + everything pretty in between. And, it just so happened that la la Lovely is where the lovely things land.

Contact Paper Sun-Catcher DIY

When the days gets cold, bitter cold…try 1 degree here in Michigan today….we all need some simple indoor activities we can do with our kids because it’s just too cold for little fingers outside. This sun-catcher DIY is the easiest thing you ever did see that you can do with a kid of just about any age. The results will be different depending on the ages involved, but the skill level is appropriate for kids from two to twenty. You can make these over and over and incorporate just about any paper crafting supply that you have in your house; scrap book paper, construction paper, stickers, vellum, glitter, bits of string, anything! Here’s what you need:

Clear contact paper, paper punches, scissors, paper scraps and bits.

Since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I cut our contact paper into the shape of hearts, big ones. Peel the paper backing off the contact paper and lay it sticky side up on the floor. And then? Decorate away! Just simply lay your paper scraps and decorations however you’d like onto the contact paper!

When the contact paper is decorated to your heart’s desire carefully stick it to your window where ever you’d like! Rub it onto the glass until there are no more air bubbles underneath it.

That’s it! A super, simple, cheap, fun way to brighten up your windows for the winter and fill up a little cabin-fever time.

Post by Maggie Terryn : Mom Colored Glasses

How to Make Felt Fortune Cookies

January 29, 2013

Post by Helen Bird of www.curlybirds.typepad.com

How to make fortune cookies with no wire, no glue and only 3 romantic stitches…

1. Cut a 3″ diameter round piece of felt

2. Fold the felt in half and pin. In like-colored thread (I used pink only so you can easily see my stitches), make 3 downward stitches from the middle of the fold. Finish off and cut thread.

3. Peel each side of the ‘cookie’ up and fold over the stitches. Manipulate the felt until you have the desired look.

4. Insert a special note to your love.

Perfect for Valentine’s, weddings, New Years, birthdays and pretend Chinese meals.

Post by Helen Bird of www.curlybirds.typepad.com

DIY Skate Deck Shelf

January 28, 2013

Whattya need?

Old skateboard decks (wheels & trucks removed)
Four large eye bolts
14 gauge coated wire (200 lb. test)
Wire snips

How do I make a Skate Deck Shelf?

Step 1: Screw first eye bolt to the ceiling 3" away from the wall.

Step 2: Screw second eye bolt an additional two inches away from the wall. Doing so will match the spacing of the holes in the skateboard deck. NOTE: For second set of eye bolts, measure 19" from first set and repeat steps 1 and 2.

Step 3: Run wire through each eye bolt.

Step 4: Run all four strands of wire through the outer holes on the deck.

Step 5: Decide what length you want shelves to be. Once you’ve done so, tie the wires into knots underneath the deck.

Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all additional shelves.

Step 7: Trim excess wire.

DIY Anthropologie Pom Scarf

January 25, 2013

I was browsing the ‘fresh cuts’ section of the Anthropologie website the other day hoping to find something for $9.99. Don’t laugh. One time I did. I didn’t find that magical “thing” but I did come across a scarf that was on sale. It was $80, on sale from $168. Still not a deal in my book. But what I did decide was that I could make it. And so can you!

I decided to make one for my daughter. It’s really more of an accessory than a scarf and I think it would be adorable on a little girl. I also went with colors that I knew she’d like a for a coat that was needing some punch like this. But of course, the possibilities are endless and you could make this in whatever color you fancy! The price for mine? About $10. And that’s not even the sale price! Here’s a picture of the original:

Here’s what you need:

Then, make some poms:

And then:

Finally:

Post by Maggie Terryn : Mom Colored Glasses

The Penny Game

January 24, 2013

Despite receiving MORE THAN ENOUGH gifts from Santa, by the end of winter break the kids started complaining of boredom. Luckily, the discontent began while I was camped on the couch reading US Magazine, which contained an advertisement for Cougar Town's newest season. So I immediately thought "PENNY CAN!!!" Yet how to stretch a game of penny can over a whole afternoon? Make it into a craft project!!

Here's the scoop:

1. Cut used three paper towel rolls into two, try to make all the tubes various different sizes (so you have six tubes total).

2. Find a piece of thick used cardboard and cut it into a rectangle large enough to hold all six tubes.

3. Ask the children to paint everything.

4. Let dry.

5. Write numbers on all of the tubes (ideally the higher tubes should have higher numbers, but T had his own ideas regarding tube order).

6. Use glue dots to attach the tubes to the cardboard rectangle.

7. Find all the pennies you can find and gather them into one container.

8. Toss!! As silly as the penny game appears (and, yes, I know that it appears rather silly), it's actually quite addictive. Seriously. T and I have now spent three afternoons tossing penny after penny. We can't stop. Even Dan admitted that penny toss was more fun than it looked. And don't worry too much about keeping score, just getting one cent into any of the tubes is hard enough.

Post by Darcy : bedtimemonsters.blogspot.com

DIY Branch Shelf

January 23, 2013

Whattya need?

Tree branch
Hand saw
Screw gun
4" screws
3/16" drill bit
Phillips head bit

How do I make a Branch Shelf?

Step 1: Find an appropriately sized and shaped branch. Carefully trim any oversized knots from the back of the branch with the hand saw (Grownups only).

Step 2: Find your wall studs. Drill pilot holes into branch that match up with the position of the studs (use drywall anchors if no wall studs are available).

Step 3: Use the screws to mount branch securely to wall.

Popcorn Party

January 22, 2013

Hi friends! One of the items on our Winter List is a "popcorn party." We experimented by making a bunch of different flavors of popcorn, and took the winning batch over to share with some friends. The flavors we made were: cinnamon, cookies & cream, spicy buffalo, and mint-chocolate.

Cookies + cream won by a landslide. Bonus: It's the easiest to make, too!

I don't usually make up my own recipes, but this one just kind of fell together. Popcorn + chocolate + cookies…pretty foolproof.

INGREDIENTS:
2 bags un-buttered microwave popcorn
1 bag white chocolate chips
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 pkg double stuff oreos

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pop the popcorn according to package directions; dump it in a huge bowl.
2. While the popcorn is popping, put all the Oreos in a ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin.
3. Mix the chocolate chips + vegetable oil, and melt in microwave; stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. (About 3 30-second go-rounds will do the trick).
4. Pour the melted chocolate chips and the crushed Oreos in with the popcorn and mix well.
5. Spread the popcorn on waxed paper until the chocolate sets up.

A couple notes:
Finding un-buttered popcorn can be kind of a challenge. There's usually some in the organic section; and I believe Orville Redenbacher makes a "Simply Salted" variety. That'll work just fine.

While I'm sure regular Oreos would be sufficient, the extra filling in the double-stuffs kind of mixes with the white chocolate creating a more authentic "cookies & cream" experience. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to Oreos, the more filling the better.

ENJOY!

Post by Christina Williams : justcallmechris.blogspot.com

Design Your Own Dishes

January 21, 2013

I’ve been seeing all sorts of hand-drawn dishes popping up on Pinterest lately. Using no more than Sharpie markers and plain dinnerware, it seems you can create gorgeous designs. I love the look of these – and the idea of my daughter designing her own set of dishes – but was a little skeptical about how well the markers would work. We tried it out this weekend, and the results are pretty awesome.

We started with a few of our plates, Sharpie oil markers in silver and gold, and a black porcelain marker.

We each drew our our designs on the plates. For me, it was a little intimidating to get started. I don’t draw very well and there’s little possibility for correction with the markers. I tried to wipe off an area that I wanted to redo, but the color didn’t budge. It seemed to dry immediately. I later discovered that the color doesn’t hold up very well in the dishwasher, so if you end up with a design you don’t like, just wash the dish in the dishwasher instead of baking it in the oven and it will likely come off entirely.

Once we were finished with our drawings, we baked the dishes in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and let everything cool in the oven before removing.

This was a ton of fun and the markers worked really well. I’m not sure if they’re supposed to hold up in the dishwasher. I tried washing them in the dishwasher and the design of one plate was perfectly intact, while another disappeared entirely. For now, I’ll probably hand-wash them.

I think our designs are pretty adorable and would work great as teacher gifts and Valentine’s Day gifts. This craft would also be a fun children’s activity during a birthday or dinner party.

Post by Julee Dyer : Warm Hot Chocolate

A Room of Her Own

January 19, 2013

Thanks to a variety of our furniture, décor and bedding (plus a little creativity), our good friend and blogger Raechel Myers now has a beautiful new bedroom for her daughter, Hazel. It's comfortable and functional, and it looks pretty darn good, too. Visit Raechel’s blog, Finding My Feet, at raechelmyers.com.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12

“Better Shape Up” Playdough Valentine Free Printable

January 18, 2013

Post by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

Continuing with our weeks worth of printable Valentine freebies, we created two girly and two boyish designs. Plus every one of our printable Class Valentine features a non-edible treat that will delight the kiddos while still being kind to all the parents, teachers and dentists out there!

Ladies first, right?

My four year old specifically requested a playdough Valentine, but Aimée and I drew a blank on a clever Valentines-ish verse to go with playdough. It took us hours, and I mean LONG, slap-happy hours tossing out ideas that were either too stupid or too suggestive, before we finally came up with “Better Shape Up.” Inspired, of course, by Olivia Newton John’s performance in Grease. (It’s been FOREVER since I’ve seen that oldie but goodie. Anyone up for a movie night?)

TO MAKE: Download our freebie printable Playdough Valentine template, which includes full instructions. Print as many as you need and cut out. Buy the mini Play-doh cans or make your own. You’ll also need clear plastic baggies (like these).

Do you love it?

Reposted with permission by Aimée Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi from PagingSupermom.com

DIY Feather Wall

January 17, 2013

Whattya need?

Feathers (any color you like)
Hammer
Nail
Ruler
Pencil

How do I make a Feather Wall?

Step 1: Determine the size and shape of your feather wall. Use the pencil to mark the corners and edges of your shape.

Step 2: Grownups only. Starting at one of the corners, use the hammer and nail to create a ½" deep pilot hole.

Step 3: Within the shape, measure and mark additional points at 2" intervals.

Step 4: Grownups only. Make a ½" deep pilot hole at each new point.

Step 5: Insert feathers quill first into each pilot hole until the shape is filled.

DIY Mobile

January 16, 2013

This is one of my favorite DIY projects. It has all the right ingredients. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it makes an impact. I made one of these mobiles for my daughter when we found out she was on the way. We had six weeks to get ready for her and I wanted her room to be amazing, but I couldn’t find a mobile that I liked…..and isn’t that breaking the rules of ‘baby rooming 101′ if you don’t have a mobile? I had an old ‘picture display thingy’ that I’d used in my classroom for years and decided to turn that into a mobile that I could get behind.

Here’s what you need to make your own:

1. Scrapbook paper in the color palette that the nursery will be. Make sure it’s not too matchy matchy. You want lots of patterns and shades and variation.

2. Something to cut out circles with. My favorite of all time are from Creative Memories. I’ve tried a lot of circle cutters in my time and nothing comes close to the Creative Memories one!

3. Rubber cement.

4. Ribbon to match your color scheme.

5. The Wee Gallery Mobile by Kikkerland. You can find it on Amazon for less than $8 and you’ll have it within four days!

Then, start cutting out circles in a variety of sizes. Make sure you have at least two of each size as you’ll be gluing them back to back.

Once you feel like you have enough circles cut out, start gluing them together by placing various lengths of ribbon between each set and creating strings of circles. I usually glue three to four sets of circles onto one length of ribbon.

Keep going until you have enough ribbons to go into each alligator clip of the mobile. You can see that I trim the ribbon on the ends so you don’t see it peeking out of the bottom set of circles and I randomly put together different sized circles onto each ribbon. You want this to look whimsical and not so calculated.

And then……find your nearest friend who has a baby coming her way any day and surprise her!

Here’s the one I made for my daughter, almost four years ago! We’ve moved since she was born but I hung it up in her new room because it’s so much a part of her space that I couldn’t bear to get rid of it……and besides…..it’s still in perfect shape and adds dimension and interest to the corner of her room!

Post by Maggie Terryn : Mom Colored Glasses

A Bright Idea

January 15, 2013

The right combination of colorful items can lighten up any room. Mix and match playful décor, cheerful artwork and playful accent pieces to create an uplifting mood.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8