Couture Kids Clothing {Girls}

I just love fashion.  But particularly on the tiny pints since everything looks just ridiculously scrumptious on them!!  So I set out to find some of the most off-the-hook girls' items out on the market, and wanted to share them with you!  They are loaded with detail & femininity and just scream "Wear Me NOW!!!"  So I hope ya'll enjoy these finds as much as I do!  Treat your girly to one...I promise you'll be so glad you did when you get milestone photos back of your little dollies in these! :)

toddler fox dress from wild thing dresses

Giggle Moon "lily" dropwaist dress and leggings from pinkyscout.com

liliputians kimono cupcake dress from pinkyscout.com - can you just imagine this on the birthday girl??

luna luna copenhagen juliette dress from littlefashionsboutique.com - love its whimsy!

"florette" jacquard tights from littlefashionsboutique.com...love these!

floatimi aqua and red petal swimsuit from littlefashionsboutique.com - seriously want to buy this for my punkin!!

lemon loves lime holiday rose skirt from littlelunablue.com

have you ever seen a more adorable outfit? didn't think so. from littlelunablue.com

persnickety gray ruffled leg warmers - i must have these!!!

rosette belts for toddlers - i'm in love! from littlelunablue.com

cranberry stella jacket by persnickety.  okay. i want the entire persnickety line!!!

all by persnickety...of course. ;)

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Art Turned Softies

If you were like me, you made some absolutely outrageous pieces of art as a kid, did you not?!  Drawings that only you and your completely creative, totally unbound mind could come up with, right??!  Would it not have been the best EVER to have your drawing (creation) come to fruition in "real life"?? Well, that's exactly what Wendy Tsao at Child's Own Studio is all about: taking their drawings and turning them into tangible "softies" {sooooo clever & fabulous, I just LOVE it!!!}!!

Just take a peek at a couple of her creations {but be sure to check her site for more ~ they're quite unbelievable!}

And here is what appears to perhaps be a unicorn seal spider? Whatever it be, I love it!

The details that a child's mind can conjure up are brilliant, truly.  Their ideas are completely untamed, untainted and widespread with magic!  And I just LOVE that about children {Ahhh, if only we, as adults, could keep that same spirit!!}!   So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered "Child's Own Studio!"  I can hardly wait to send in one of my kid's drawings to be turned into something they created!  Talk about a childhood keepsake!! Now just to wait for my little guy {my little girl is too little just yet!}to draw something he totally loves & identifies with ~ then I'll know it's the one to become a "real childhood playmate" for him to chat & dream away with in his room of sky-is-the-limit wonder!!

Just a tip, Wendy is no longer taking orders for Christmas, but she advises to please stop by her shop in January when things have tamed down a bit.  Her creations run anywhere from $60-130 CAD....I think they'd be a super fabulous investment, myself!

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Vintage Jar Makeover

I love little pretties.  And I especially love when I can store my little pretties in more little pretties!  And I am particularly fond of {labeling} my pretties holding little pretties....which brings me to:

Vintage Jar Makeover

I am a crafter.  I am just one of a long string of women crafters in my family.  My mom sews {and she is fan.TAS.tic! I learned everything I  know from her, and I only can hope to some day be as good as she!}, my grandmother and aunts crocheted and knit, and who knows what my ancestors before them did {I seriously need to find out!!}!   And with crafting comes supplies.  You know what I'm talking about: thread, needles, buttons, beads, pearls, glue, spray paints, punches, crystals, twine, rules, cutting mats, rotaries, scissors, thimbles {wait. does anyone actually still use those?!?}, ribbon and lace, oh my!  Except, actually the list goes on even more.  But you get my drift, at any rate.

So the question becomes, just what do we do with all this stuff??!  Now, I am not claiming I know the answer to everything to this question {if anyone wants to come help me organize the entire craft room, please be my very special guest, and I'll cook and bake for you while you do it!!}, but I do have one small solution for some items...and that is transforming every day glass jars into ever-cute storage containers. The beauty is, you're not only recycling something you might have otherwise thrown away, but these are actually pretty.  So you won't mind them sitting out...in fact, I think you'll very much enjoy them sitting out ~ BONUS!!

What You Need:

*old {or new} jar {with a two piece lid}
*chalk board paint
*chalk
*spray paint {in color of choice; here I used ivory for its versatility}
*trim of choice {ribbon, twine, jute, lace, etcetera}


Okay, so this is so, SO simple!  Just spray paint the flat portion of your lid with the chalkboard paint, paint the outer ring of the lid with the spray paint in your choice of color.  Once dry, put it all together and label the top of your jar with your chalk, fill the jar with your goodies and embellish with trim of choice! Voila!  Like I said, so ridiculously simple, but the results are impeccable! These make for such fun containers for gift-giving, too, but I utterly adore them sitting around my house myself! {Gotta find me some more cute jars!}

Not a crafter?  No problem!  You can use these little gems for oodles of things!  Here are just a few ideas, but the sky is the limit! Get creative, and don't be afraid!! {Top left, working clockwise: pearls, beads or other pretties you just like looking at; candy or snack mix storage - perfect tokens of love to use as party favors!; herb storage - cluster herbal jars together in your kitchen - so pretty! OR give as "thank you" gifts; bracelet and/or necklace charm storage - now the container's almost as pretty as the charm itself!}

 

Need more ideas?
*place setting markers ~ write each guest's name on the chalkboard lid, and fill with a special goody!
*luminaries - just fill with your tealights....a bunch scattered on the table would look amazing {no lids, though!}
*note keeper - fill up with cutesy rolled up notes - these could be special sayings, special memories, or even more of an "advent calendar," where you choose one note a day, and then go out and DO it!


Have fun with these!  Hope you love 'em as much as me! :)

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Shabby Vintage Christmas {Paper Doilies: Part II}

Alright, we're continuing ideas for having your own

"Shabby Vintage Christmas" 

using paper doilies as our decorative agent.  {If you missed the first post, click here to see it}.

So this time I wanted to use our paper doily snowflakes as more of a template.  I knew their adorable holes & cutouts would look fabulous as a stencil, so I decided to use them as a snow-inspired backdrop for a large "NOEL" canvas art piece.  Modern, yet vintage-feeling, and completely unique..."these are a few of my favorite things!"

What You Need:
*paper doily snowflakes {the best place to get paper doilies is at a craft store (JoAnn's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby) or WalMart; you can find them in the cake decorating aisle, of all places! Then, if you missed it, please see this post for how to make them into snowflakes}.
*spray adhesive
*spray paint in color of choice
*"Glitter Blast" spray paint in color of choice
*blank canvas in size of choice
*chipboard letters {I found mine for $2 each at Hobby Lobby}
* hot glue gun

Take your blank canvas and go outside so that you can do some painting.  What you want to do first is position your doily snowflakes on the canvas in the pattern you want.  Hang some over the edges and overlap a few to give more realistic depth.  Once they're where you want them to be, you're going to take them, one at a time, and spray the backs with the spray adhesive {do this by placing the snowflake down on some newspapers or other material you don't mind getting spray paint all over!}.  As each is sprayed, put back in place on the canvas and hold down a few seconds to adhere {be sure to press the edges down well!}.

Once all your snowflakes are in place, you're going to take your "Glitter Blast" spray paint and spray over the entire canvas - snowflakes, edges and all!  Let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then carefully remove your doily snowflakes {p.s. do NOT throw these beauties away! they're now bee-YOO-tiful all full of glitter! Sew them together to make a garland, hang from the tree or mantle, or attach to packages!}.

{this photo does NOT do the actual item justice! the glitter spray is GORGEOUS!}

Now it's time to spray paint your chipboard letters.  Do in a well ventilated area outside, and let dry about 20 minutes. 

Then position them onto your canvas where you want them {you can break out the yardstick/ruler for this if you want, but I just eyeballed it}.  Once they're where you want them, you're going to carefully take up the edge of one side and put hot glue (glue gun time!) all over the back of the letter, and then carefully lay the letter back down into position.  You must work quickly with hot glue, as it dries fast.  Be sure to *NOT* take the letter all the way up, or you'll lose the exact position you want!  Just left one edge of the letter, being sure the other edge of the letter does *NOT* leave its position on the canvas!  Once you've hot glued them all in place, you're ready to hang your beautiful canvas up for all to see!

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Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Who doesn't love chocolate & cherries?  This cookie has a sweet, moist texture and complements the chewy goodness of the cherries perfectly!  Use either sour cherries for a zing, or regular dried ones for that super sweet tooth!

{photo courtesy of Martha Stewart's COOKIES book}.

This recipe hails from the "Cookies" book by Martha Stewart...and one thing I've noticed about pretty much all her recipes, is that she uses parchment paper on her cookie sheets.  LOVE this! Makes for easy cleanup and not sure how, but somehow the cookies seem to turn out better...softer and chewier....  This woman really knows her stuff!!

Enjoy!!!

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Sour Cherries

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/3 C unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 C (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped {or just use chocolate chips}
1 1/2 firmly packed cups dried sour (or not!) cherries (9 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined.  Do not overbeat. With a wooden spoon, fold in chocolate and cherries.  (Dough can be frozen at this point, wrapped well in plastic, up to 1 month; thaw completely before baking).

4. Form balls into dough, each about 1/4 cup; place balls on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart.  Bake until puffed and cracked, 9-11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

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Shabby Vintage Christmas {Paper Doilies: Part I}

I love doilies.  I do, I do!  It might stem somewhere from me seeing them everywhere around the house when I was little, as my Grandma crocheted them nonstop.  Mix that in with the vintage style that's so incredibly "in" right now, along with the incredible femininity and intricacy of these little lovelies, and there ya go ~ we have ourselves a winner!

{paper snowflake doilies as part of Christmas package wrap}

So, I have just been totally inspired by these little lovelies, as of late.  I am currently working them into the adam's blankie hair accessory line {although, they're also currently available on our highly fashionable baby bibs now, if you just can't resist the doily, like myself!}, as well as all parts of our house.  Seemingly.  And much to my husband's dismay. Ha!

{paper doily snowflake in our diy shabby garland...tutorial to come later on the blog!}

Naturally, I wanted to implement them into my Christmas, too, of course!  So the first thought I had was making them into snowflakes.  Afterall, doilies inherently already have small cuts & eyelets that resemble snowflakes themselves.  So I figured I could just add my own distinct eyelets to them, and I'd end up with some "truer" looking snowflakes that are each unique to themselves...just like real snowflakes, of course.

{paper snowflake doily implemented into pre-made store garland}

 To achieve this look, you gotta go back to your grade school art class.  Not literally, of course.  But just think back to some of your earliest crafting as a child. Remember making paper snowflakes?  Yup.  I thought you would.  This is the same thing!  You're going to take your paper doily {available for purchase in any craft store {Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, WalMart} in their cake decorating aisle} and fold it into half 4 times, until you end up with a thin wedge, like so:

Now comes the fun part: snipping!  Just take a small pair of scissors and begin cutting tiny shapes along the folded edges of your wedge.  You can snip off the tip, or choose to leave it there.  Remember, every "snowflake" is unique, so make them all a bit different from each other!

{after all the cuts are in.  you can vary them up, tho!  rounded, heart half shape, etc.}

Once all cuts are done, open it up, and you'll end up with something like this!

So now we just need to flatten it.  To do so, you'll need to get some cotton fabric {if you don't have raw fabric yardage laying around like me {what's that you say? you don't? whaaaaat???  kidding!}, you can just grab a plain cotton tshirt instead} and put it over your snowflake.  Iron on top of the fabric for a few seconds.  Then flip over your snowflake, lay the fabric back on top and iron again.

 

 Now you should have a flat snowflake.

Now comes the real creativity!  You need to decide what you want to do with this little piece of fabulousness!  I had a hard time deciding...so of course I made tons so I could use them many ways!  Here are just a few ideas of what you can do with your doily snowflakes:

*Hang from the ceiling in clusters, creating your own snowy dream! {Would look fabulous over a front entryway buffet table/lowboy}
*Hang onto garlands {see images at top; tutorial for the diy shabby garland to come in next "shabby vintage christmas" installment!}
*Hang from your mantle
*Attach to your stockings
*Hang on the tree
*Sew together to form its own snowflake garland
*Use as tags for Christmas packages {see image above {NOTE: One was spray painted with the ahhh-mazing "Glitter Blast" spray paint from Krylon! You GOTTA get some of that stuff!  It's fabulous!!}
*Use as stencils {idea for this & tutorial coming soon!}

Enjoy!  And be creative!  Let me know how YOU decide to use your snowflake doilies!

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{Perfect} Timing.

You all may remember over the summer that adam's blankie hosted a "Spring into Summer" MEGA giveaway with about $1000 in giveaways going to just ONE {super duper!} lucky person!  Now, I'm sure some of you were sorely disappointed that you didn't win {as I would be!}, but I think it might help to know a bit about the story behind the winner...I know that I, for one, was AMAZED and touched by the journey she is currently experiencing in life!!  And honestly, I {er, random.org, that is} couldn't have "picked" a better winner!

It all started when I emailed Megan to let her know she had won the HUGE giveaway!  And she said something about how this was such perfect timing and such a blessing to her family....  Curious as to what she meant, I asked her to tell me more about that.  And she then told me her story....  It's a story of love, acceptance, heartache, patience, determination, guidance, obedience, perseverance, happiness & fulfillment all rolled into one beautiful making.  It is the "how," "when," "why," and "where" of how Megan, her husband & her son came to adopt a beautiful baby girl from far, far away....and how that action has forever impacted their lives!

Megan and her daughter {headband by adam's blankie}

So here is an intimate glimpse into that story, as told by Megan herself {her wording is in pink, just to make it easier to distinguish my words from hers throughout the remainder of this post}.

What made you decide to adopt?

My husband and I began talking about adoption when we first started dating (in high school).  We had adoption in both of our families and it was always on our hearts.  However, after we got married and made the decision to start our family, adoption was in the back of our minds.  After a difficult pregnancy and delivery with my son, we both knew we didn't want to try to get pregnant again any time soon...and yet we both began to have the "baby itch".  It was our friends' adoption that refreshed that desire and we knew that God had arranged every detail to lead us to this decision.  

{hat by Hooked by Kristen}

How did you decide on Ethiopia for adopting your child?

Back when we decided to start our family, I began having dreams about Africa.  We kept brushing them to the side thinking they were just dreams...but every friend I shared them with said we were meant to adopt from Africa.  =)  When God laid adoption on our hearts and we began researching country guidelines, Ethiopia was one of the few countries we fit the criteria for.  Suddenly those dreams seemed more like a calling.  Putting in our application just filled our hearts with peace, and we just knew that we were making the right decision.  

{headband by Purposed Life}

 What were some of the struggles you went through in the process of getting her?

Financially this was very straining on our family, but we had great support from our family and friends.  We made a couple lifestyle changes and began fundraising - we sold t-shirts, threw a garage sale, sold Ethiopian coffee, and worked with a few reliable organizations to help raise the money. It was not easy by any means, but very successful and proof that God truly funds what He favors!  =)  

Emotionally though, the wait took a HUGE toll on us.  After we announced our adoption we watched friend after friend announce their pregnancy and welcome home their bundles of joy...all while we were still waiting to find out ANYTHING about our daughter.  Twenty-two long months after we sent in our initial application, we brought our precious girl home.  Apparently God had a LOT to teach me about patience.  The verse I clung to during the hard times was Habakkuk 2:3.  

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

brother and sister {custom dress by Night Owl}

How long have you had your little girl?

We have now been home with our Lil' Lady for close to three months.

How has your son responded to having a new sister?

We have a three-year-old at home and at first, it was not an easy transition for him.  Despite the two years we had to prepare him for his little sister...once she got here, he didn't want much to do with her.  He was never mean to her by any means, he would just ignore her and refuse to touch her.  After about a two week transition...you would have never known he ever had any hesitation!  The two of them are now great pals!  Our Lil' Man now loves to make his sister giggle and lovingly calls her "sweetheart".  And he will often cry if we don't let him run in his room and say hi before we get her up from naps!  He is an AMAZING big brother! 

Tell us about what a blessing your daughter has been in your lives.

Words can't express what a joy she is.  The question we constantly get is, "Is she always this happy?"  And in one word - YES!  She has a smile that lights up the room and a laugh that just melts us.  She is content and a CHARMER!  Sometimes we have to hold her back a little bit from charming the whole world while she is still learning that we are her mom and dad.  We know we are going to be in TROUBLE once she starts talking!  =)  It still feels a little surreal that she is home...but at the same time hard to remember what life was like without her!  We are so in love... 

 

{happy birthday banner by a to zebra celebrations}

 What would you recommend to anyone reading this who might be considering adoption?

First of all, PRAY about it.  It is not all smiles and laughter and love.  It is also hard, HARD work.  Yes, we have a lot of smiles...but those came after the tears, and looks of terror, and inconsolable sobs.  I think in order for an adoption to be successful, it needs to be a calling.

Second, you'll want to find a good agency.  For us, it was important to seek out one with high ethics, who was finding families for children....not children for families.  It also really mattered to us what kind of care our child would be receiving until she was in our arms...and I truly believe that our agency's transitional home is one of the best care facilities in Ethiopia!  The staff's commitment and love for those kids was WAY beyond what we could have imagined.  We are SO grateful for the women (and men) who loved those children as their own.

{sign by Sassy Talk}

Thank you for sharing that AMAZING story with me & our readers, Megan! I think I speak for many others when I say that you are a true inspiration to us, and we admire your courage, spirit, & patience in this journey!

So now that we know the important stuff, next we gotta know...

 

How did you feel when you won our mega "Spring into Summer" giveaway?!?

I was in complete shock!!!  This came right in between our two trips to Ethiopia and was such a blessing to our family.  With the financial strain caused by the adoption, our budget was rather tight.  And being that this is our first little girl...I had been looking forward to spoiling her with all kind of goodies.  That just wasn't a reality though.  But after winning this amazing giveaway...I got to pick out colorful and original headbands, dresses, hats, room decor, birthday party decor, invitations and more!  Not to mention lots of goodies for mama too!  =)  It was/is such fun! 

Megan at home {shirt by splash designs}

What was your favorite prize you won from the giveaway?

I don't think I could pick a FAVORITE since they fall under so many different categories.  But I think the most meaningful is the living locket I got to pick out with Origami Owl.  I designed it in honor of our daughter.  It contains the birthstone for both the month she was born and the month we gained custody of her, a cross for our faith that carried us through the wait, a tiny airplane for the journey, and a stamped plate reading "forever".  It is so beautiful and both my kids are drawn to it....our daughter for teething purposes...and our son just loves to look at the "baby airplane"!  =) 

{living locket necklace by Origami Owl}

 Anything else you'd like to add?

THANK YOU!  Kari, I know it takes a LOT of work to put together a giveaway, let alone one of this size. Thanks for hosting it and for choosing me as the recipient!  And thank you for allowing me to share our story to our daughter.  It is one that has forever transformed us, and our prayer is that God will use it to touch someone else's life as well.   If anyone wants to find out more about our family or our adoption journey, feel free to stop by our blog!  And don't hesitate to ask questions! =)  thisdomesticateddiva.blogspot.com

Megan & her beautiful family

Thank you again, Megan, for sharing your story with us!  I am so, so happy that this fortune {of getting your daughter} was laid upon you, and even more excited that you now serve in a position to help others in taking similar steps to adopt!  You have a BEAUTIFUL family and much happiness to revel in!  God bless!

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