DIY: Paper Plate May Day Baskets for Kids

With May Day coming up tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to post a tutorial for a May Day basket craft you can do with your kids. Growing up in the Midwest, we celebrated May Day, and I loved it! Living in the Southwest now, I discovered a lot of people here have no idea what May Day or May Day baskets are! Its history and purpose have changed over the years, but the short of it all is that it is a welcoming of spring and its turning into summer pleasures! (I guess that would explain why the midwest loves it so much because they're so tired of the winter yuck, while those in the Southwest don't have much pleasurable to say about their hot summers!) In America, one way to celebrate this time is by making May Day baskets. They're usually made by children and filled with flowers. Then they tie them around someone's door, ring the doorbell and dash away before being caught! I don't know about you, but I'd love to receive one of these tomorrow (with real flowers of course!). Here is how you can make the paper craft version, or perhaps you could cheer your friend or neighbor with a darling May Day basket with real flowers! Happy May Day!

WINNER of Adam's Blankie Bibbie & Burpie Set!

Thank you to all who participated in our drawing for the Adam's Blankie mod lattice bibbie & burpie set! Our winner is the Krull Family!!! Congratulations on your new baby couture!

DIY: Couture Paper Clips for Art/Photos

No more plain black paper clips laying around ~ make them inspirational and posh! Better yet, coordinate them to your rooms' decor! For your baby's nursery or child's room, these would be great for hanging your children's art or photos from a wire string on the wall! All you would do is mount 2 screws as anchors into the wall, wrap gauge wire around one end, string along to the other screw (anchor) and wrap around that one. Then just use these adorable, posh clips to hang art or pictures on the wire!

Don't forget, entries for our Mod Lattice designer bibbie & burpie FREE give-away ends tonight! Register by becoming an official "follower" of our blog, and posting a comment on this thread with your favorite item from our store: Adam's Blankie Baby Couture!

More GIVE-AWAYS!!

It's everyone's lucky day! In addition to our Joel Dewberry mod lattice bibbie & burpie set FREE give-away, here a few others that I think are fantastic finds! (Enter for the bibbie and burpie set by becoming a follower of our blog, and posting a comment on this thread as to your favorite item from our Adam's Blankie Baby Couture shop! Click the following blog links for how to enter their drawings!)

*Yarn Skein: http://www.woolies-woolies.blogspot.com
*Heart Drop Earrings: http://alibalijewellery.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-networking-and-free-jewellery.html
*Art Print: http://promisetangemanblog.com/

Hurry, though, all these offers are expiring QUICKLY!!!

Joel Dewberry Bibbie and Burpie Set GIVE-AWAY!

Just 3 days left to register! Remember, you must follow the blog and post a comment on which item you like best and why from our website: http://www.adamsblankie.etsy.com. Don't forget to include your email address for notification purposes. Winner will be announced Thursday, April 30th! Good luck!

DIY: Portrait Silhouettes of Your Children

I absolutely think one of the cutest (and sophisticated!) ways out there for you to forever commemorate your child are the silhouette portraits. It is true, there are many wonderful artists who you can purchase these from, but if you're crafty or want to save a few bucks, here are some instructions for doing it yourself with the assistance of photoshop:

"* Using a digital camera, photograph your subject from the side. It's best to shoot against a white wall or a white posterboard to make it easier to digitally remove the background during the next step.

* Open the picture in Photoshop. Use the Magic Wand tool to select the background for removal. Once clicked, the background will be outlined and highlighted. Go to 'edit' and click 'cut.' The background will disappear.

* Now go to 'image' and click 'adjustments.' Select 'desaturate' to remove all color.

* In 'adjustments,' select 'brightness/contrast.' Lower the brightness and increase the contrast until your image takes the form of a silhouette.

* If the image isn't completely silhouetted, use the Paintbucket tool (with black as the color selection) to fill in as needed, placing the cursor dead center and clicking until your desired effect is achieved.

* Using the Image tool, select 'image size' to set your desired dimensions.

* Save your silhouette as a JPEG file.

* Burn the file to a CD and take it to your favorite photo-printing or copy shop (or simply use on online printing service like Shutterfly or Kodak Gallery), printing it on whatever paper or card stock you choose.

* If you want greater depth or thickness or a different background color, augment the printed image with paint.

* Trim the edges of the finished silhouette as needed and place it in the frame of your choosing. We used the black oval Ung Drill frame from IKEA that we then painted gold."

(instructions courtesy of http://morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com)

**Don't forget, only a few more days left for the GIVE-AWAY of the mod lattice bibbie and burpie set from Adam's Blankie! (see post below).

Mod Lattice Bib and Burpie Set GIVE-AWAY!

Welcome to our first GIVE-AWAY! It's the Mod Lattice Bib and Burpie set from Adam's Blankie, a beautiful gender neutral pattern from designer Joel Dewberry. Check out the site for more designer, "un-soccer mom" fabrics and couture items! Get your name entered into the drawing by 1) becoming a "follower" of our blog and 2) submitting a comment below, stating your favorite item from the Adam's Blankie site and why. The lucky winner will be drawn and notified in one week, Thursday, April 30th! Good luck!

To Cloth Diaper or Not To Cloth Diaper? That Is The Question

What a hot topic and very valid question to pose all new Moms these days - to cloth diaper or not? Since I wasn't really aware of cloth diapers as a practical option a couple years back when I had my son, I never even considered cloth diapers. All I thought of was how my Mom had spoken of the "true" cloth diapers she used back in the day, and I knew that simply would not work with my lifestyle in today's busy world. A year or so later, I discovered that the cloth diapers of today are not at all like the fold-them-yourself versions of years (or decades!) past. There are so many options and so many wonderful aides out there to assist in your efforts to cloth diaper, that it's really become quite a viable option! I'm not necessarily advocating cloth diapers over disposable ones, or vice versa, because I truly believe it's a personal choice that must fit with your own lifestyle, but I just wanted to make people aware of the options out there. Here you can find such pros and cons to cloth diapering and decide for yourself. P.S. Coming soon to Adam's Blankie: WET BAGS: the perfect accessory for storing cloth diapers on the go or even wet swimsuits, dirty shoes, or anything you don't want touching something else! (Contact Kari at adamsblankie@gmail.com to reserve yours today!) Let's hear from those of you who do cloth diaper, and let us know if you have a favorite brand/s, what you like or dislike about the experience, and if you'd cloth diaper again.

Children's Play Houses

One thing I always have been disappointed in is how all the "doll houses" out there are only marketed for girls, since my son LOVES to play with them! That's why I love the PlanToys doll houses so much - fashioned very modernly, and made in gender-neutral palettes and themes. Additionally, they are made out of "natural, chemical free rubber wood and finished with non-toxic and child friendly colors." Take a look for yourself and let me know what your favorite PlanToy play house/accessory is. If anyone has one of these, we'd love to hear how your little one likes it!

Ergonomic Potty Seat

With potty training being just around the corner at our house, I've been on the look-out for potty chairs on the market. I came across this stylish, functional one from Beaba and just love the sound and look of it. The black and white option is a great neutral choice that can be used for boys or girls, thereby lasting more than just one child. Of course, for those of us with the "girly girls," pink is also an option! It has a removable insert and non-slip base. As the title states, it's ergonomic so that it fits your little one's bottom just right - no more excuses, right?

Convertible High Chair

Okay, this has got to be one of the coolest high chairs on the market - and so mod yet so practical! I love the progression of children's items today...what will they think of next? You can find more information about it here.

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting our first blog ever - Haute Tot and Baby Couture! Here I'll be posting about vogue, posh children's items I find, placing an emphasis on handmade and organic, natural "waldorf-styled" products. I'll also bring you safety topics and general parenting information ~ can't wait to get started!

If you do happen to create your own items that fall within children's categories (anywhere from clothing, eating, baby gifts, toys, etcetera) or mothering items (parenting, nursing, gifts for new mommies, etcetera) and would like to be featured/reviewed, please contact me at adamsblankie@gmail.com

Thank you, and have a terrific Thursday!