Friday I'm in Love

I'm back with another edition of Friday I'm in Love, highlighting a few things that have recently caught my eye and made my heart go pitter patter. Be sure to check out Misha's and Kendra's picks for the week, too!

ONE: Super easy watermelon cutting method

I love watermelon yet always hesitate to buy them because of dreading the cutting process. For Misha's shower, I used this super easy method for the second time. It works like a charm, leaving you with uniform cubes of watermelon in no time at all!

TWO: Blooming Azaleas and Rhododendrons 

Azaleas and rhodies do very well in the Pacific Northwest, but we only get to enjoy their full blooming beauty for a couple of weeks each year. I've been tempted several times in this past year to pull out the large quantities of azaleas we have planted in our yard, but I now withdraw my protests after seeing the show our garden is putting on this spring. Wow!

THREE: Bamboo clothing

I just can't get enough bamboo clothing lately. The few pieces of Kickee Pants wear that Madeleine had as a baby were favorites, winning a spot in my heart for being soft, stretchy (ie having an extended fit time), and environmentally friendly. I recently learned that they're local (based on Bainbridge Island), and I've been shopping for another piece or two for our newest little one. It remains to be seen whether I can resist the strong urge to pick up on of their adult gowns for myself.

FOUR: Sun + Cloth Diapers

As the frequency of sunny days increases, I find myself excited about hauling my drying rack and freshly laundered cloth diapers outside to spend the day in the sun. It's amazing what a few hours in the sun can do to stains and funky smells, even if our spring Seattle sun isn't quite warm enough to dry the diapers all the way through.

Having enjoyed a sunny week in Seattle, there's a lot to love. What are you loving this Friday? 

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We are thrilled to share that a baby boy will be joining our family in mid- to late August. 

Baby B's Nursery

I apologize for my recent absence. Last weekend, I skipped town and headed to Dallas to spend some QT with my bestie, Denaye, before she gives birth to her first born in a few short weeks. It was my first weekend away (and first night away, not counting the little surgical incident) since Madeleine's arrival. George was a trooper to go it alone with Miss M for the weekend, especially considering that he had to deal with a 20-hour power outage and only having an electric car at his disposal. As much as I enjoyed my time with Denaye (and briefly with David), it was wonderful to feel my girl leap into my arms and get a nice, tight hug from my one true love when I returned on Sunday night.

Denaye and I spent most of the weekend chatting up a storm and generally just enjoying each other's company while taking a yoga class, finishing baby shopping, and eating truly delicious food. As a result, I didn't take many pictures during the visit (not even a selfie with D - doh!). I did, however, snap some pictures of Baby B's nursery-in-progress on my phone. Apologies for the quality of the photos. 

Baby B's nursery is incredibly soothing and comfortable. As soon as you step into the room, you know that the baby living in this room is loved...even before he arrives. I love how the room is going to be a calm sanctuary for him as a newborn while growing into a really fun play space as he gets older.

I was glad to confirm what Denaye had previously told me: the colors of the quilt really did match the ones on the rug. Those colors tie the whole room together and give it such a serene feeling.

How cute are these prints above the changing area? I love the mustache men and the cheeky humor they bring to the space. This changing pad seems like a brilliant idea, and I can't wait to hear whether it's as comfortable but easy to clean up as it seems.

Yes, that is one of my divided baskets, lined with this fabric.

Baby B's book and toy collections are well on their way. I love the mix of traditional and non-traditional shelving.

This bunting, in the colors of the quilt, is going to be hung either under the window or in one of the corners.

I can't wait to see the final nursery and - more importantly - meet the star of the show! Speaking of, his big sister, Lucy (the most patient and gentle dog ever), is pretty excited for his arrival, too!

Ok - time for the favorite element game. I think my favorite is the rug because I can picture Baby B having his first tummy time there, learning to crawl on it, and racing his cars around the streets. What's your favorite part of Baby B's nursery?

Modern Traditional Patchwork Ombre Quilt

I am so excited to share my most recent quilt, which is going to live in Dallas with Denaye and David's son. Denaye and David like both modern and traditional elements, so I tried to incorporate both into this quilt. Denaye asked me to try to do something ombre, and this nursery rug inspired the palette.

I used a traditional patchwork pattern but all solid fabric and straight line quilting for modern touches. 

Check out that post-laundry crinkle! 

All those solids made the front a little serious, so I lightened up the back with this cute puppy print.

I can't wait to see the little guy having tummy time on his quilt! 

Pinned It & Did It: Repurposed T-Shirt Romper

I believe that this is my first ever clothing sewing project. At least, it's my first non-Halloween costume clothing sewing project. Like always, it started with a simple Pin.

Pin. Source.

It continued with my hoarding habit. Specifically, I held onto a t-shirt from college from the alma mater of my dear friends, Denaye and David. Pretty much the minute that Denaye told me that she was pregnant, I thought about this lil' sewing tutorial and the t-shirt in my craft cabinet. 

One night, I decided I'd finally cut the freshly laundered shirt into pieces. 

An hour and a bit later, and I had this. 

A little more time spent sewing snaps into place...

...and this baby was born. 

This was a remarkably easy project, and I hope it'll bring lots of pride to its new owner and his parents. 

Baby Flock's Happy Nursery

You've already seen Sam's baby shower (parts one and two) and gotten a sneak peek at the fabric used in her nursery linens. Today, I'm thrilled to show you the very happy and bright nursery that Sam and her husband have designed for their baby.

I'm going to keep my commentary to a minimum so that you can soak up all of this cheerfulness.

Get ready to smile!

Fun Fact: This needlepoint hung in Sam's room as a child. How special is that?! 

These are the sheets and crib skirt that I made from that delicious fabric Sam picked out. 

Take a closer look at the changing pad cover and wall color.

This may be a bit familiar...?

Every child of a New Yorker needs a plush NY slice of pizza!

The bunting includes all of the nursery fabrics (one sheet and one changing pad cover not shown).

Gizmo is all ready to welcome his little brother to the happiest nursery in the universe!

A la YHL, what's your favorite part? It's a tough one because I'm still a sucker for cute and crisp crib skirt pleats, but I think the bright needlepoint being used by a second generation wins for me. 

Sam's Rainbow Baby Shower: Part II

Last week, I shared the decorative part of Sam's rainbow baby shower. I'm glad you're back today to check out some party details, many of which were captured by Ellen, who has agreed to let me share them with you.

To kick things off, Sam opened a package to reveal the baby's gender to her guests.

How cute is that bump?!

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

 It's a boy! 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Sam loves shower games (seriously), so we played two games. The first was a name/picture matching game with celebrity baby pictures, which was won by a baby shower rookie. The second was the ol' baby food guessing game, which was one by a mother of four. How perfect is that?

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

We did lots of chatting and mingling between eating, game playing, and gift opening. It made me absolutely thrilled to see our home full of life. This is what it's all about! 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Yep, I finally got to hand over Sam's nursery ensemble made from this fabric. I cannot wait to see the nursery all put together! 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Thanks for letting us celebrate you, Sam! You're an amazing friend, and I can't wait to see you flourish as a mother!

Sam's Rainbow Baby Shower: Part I

A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to host the local baby shower for my dear friend, Sam. Lucky for me, Sam was open to having a rainbow themed party. I was thrilled to get more mileage out of the first birthday decorations while enjoying the challenge of finding a new spin.

With that, let's take a look at the decoration details. Huge thanks to Ellen, who captured some beautiful shots and agreed to let me share them.

Did somebody say party? (Pssst. Those are our new paint colors.)

I gave new life to the rainbow balloon wreath with a little white paper banner.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Inside, I made use of our "art nook" by setting up a name tag station. Sam has friends from so many different parts of her life that I thought it'd be nice for everyone to have some assistance remembering names to go with the new faces. Or maybe I selfishly wanted some help remembering names...?

In the formal living room, I hung a bunting over the fireplace. 

The father-to-be helped me surprise Sam by getting baby pictures from both of their mothers, which I displayed on a simple string with mini clothespins. 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

In the dining room, I set up a little display on the sideboard. 

Sam loves Twinkies, so it had to be done.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Cupcake credit goes to Sam's friend, Sarah, who supplied them along with beverages and a salad. I made some simple washi tape flags to go on the cupcakes.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

I loved reading all the wishes for baby from my shower so much that I decided to repeat the activity. 

 On the table, I used a plain white table cloth, large confetti (made using cardstock and a hole punch), and tea lights inside Mason jars with a bit of sand. 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

The shower was at 11am, so I served brunch-type foods. 

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

Photo Credit: Ellen G.

For those who may be wondering about the balloon ice cubes, I tried the concept again using regular balloons rather than water balloons, and it worked! Unfortunately, I completely forgot to photograph it. 

And, with that, we were ready for guests to arrive! 

Come back soon to see some action shots.