family portrait

The summer fun jar:  'Let's DO'
The activity chosen at random:  Make a family portrait 

My busy little bee:

The finished family portrait:

(GG will probably be disappointed at how "un-fancy" she was drawn. Sorry, GG... ;)   )

C is LOVING the summer fun jars!

I am loving the power of them and how happy they make my little one on long summer days.

With whimsy~

You ROCK, Pops!

Hope everyone had an awesome Father's day!  I know we sure did!  It was a day filled with a delicious breakfast shared with tons of family from near and far,  a lazy afternoon, Texas barbecue, and cupcakes!

This year we decided to make a fun home-made gift for Pops. (C and M's grandfather, my Daddio)

Pops LOVES dominoes and has a few sets; some old, some new, some from cool destinations he has traveled to, some given as gifts.....  but no domino sets for an outside area or even home-made.  Light bulb!

Here is how to make rock dominoes:

Materials Needed: 

• River Rocks (Michael's or Hobby Lobby)
• white paint pen

How many dominoes are in a full double six domino set?

• 28

Need a visual?

• click here

C and I referenced this full set of dominoes while making Pops' set.

Here is a look at how the home-made set that C made for Pops turned out:

The process...

The full set...

The presentation...

The dominoes were given in a galvanized bucket to keep on the back porch with a special message attached: You 'ROCK' Pops! (get it? Cheesy, I know..... But SO cute, right?)

Also included with the dominoes was a personalized rock that said : Love, C and M, 2011 (you know, for memories sake.)

These are not only a creative and heartfelt gift for Father's day, but would be perfect on any occasion for that special guy in your life.  

With whimsy~

paper-bag flowers

Recently, a group of my favorite people got together for a potluck backyard barbecue.
I brought the ice cream sundae bar and the decorations. :)


The decorations:  Paper-bag flowers

They were super easy to make and added a fun POP of color.

Want to make them?

Materials needed:

• Colored paper-bags ( I found mine at HEB in the party section)
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Double sided tape
• Ribbon

The tutorial:  


Click here to see the easy tutorial by marthastewart.com.


Try them... your guests will love them!!!


With whimsy~

little birdies

My 'Little Birdies' paintings have been one of the most popular designs so far.

They are inspired by the Pottery Barn Kid's Hayley Nursery Bedding.

You can currently find an 11x14 set in my Etsy Shop.



Want to purchase these paintings?  click here.

Want them, but need them in a different size?  Just contact me here to start your custom order.



The Inspiration:

Image from here

With whimsy~

Whimsy Words: 5

Image from here

Want to purchase this print from The Ink Society via Etsy?  click here

With whimsy~

Mama Like: Coverplay

Ok, so if this product existed when C and M were infants I truly missed out.

Product:  Coverplay
Where can you find it?  :  All over the place (amazon, babiesrus, etc.)




How awesome is this product?


A slip cover for portable play yards, love it.

Why do I love it?

It's perfect for travel...

There were so many times that we traveled to hotels where I found myself completely grossed out by the hotel's pack n play crib options.  You never know where that crib had been... (no offense to the sweet, clean, and healthy baby that had the crib before us), but come on... you all know what I am talking about.  ;)

Oh yeah, and it comes with it's own travel case.  Perfect!

It's stylin'.......

If you are one that uses a pack and play every day in your own home, the coverplay is a great way to hide any crazy baby-ish pattern.  I love the all white soft cover seen above.

It's washable.......

Yes, washable!!!  How much easier is it to toss the coverplay in the wash rather than trying to figure out how to clean the pack n play.  Soooo much easier, right?


Love this product!

With whimsy~

Fruit Pizza

The Jar:  'LET'S EAT':
The treat chosen at random:  FRUIT PIZZA

Let's get started:

1. Gather ingredients:  Pizza Stone (or cookie sheet), sugar cookie dough, 8 oz. cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, fruit (C chose blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, & peaches), apple jelly.
2. Spread sugar cookie dough out into one large round disc.  Bake at your specific recipe's directions. Let cool completely.
3. Make the frosting:  Mix together one 8 oz. package of cream cheese (room temp. works best),       1 cup powdered sugar, & 1 tsp vanilla. (refrigerate until ready for use)
4. Slice fruit.

      5.  Spread cream cheese frosting onto cooled cookie crust.

      6.  Arrange sliced fruit on top.  After fruit is arranged on pizza, glaze with apple jelly (optional).

           To glaze:  Stir apple jelly well and drizzle (or brush) over fruit.  

      7.  Take in all of it's beauty!  Slice and serve.

      8.  Enjoy!   mmmmm mmmmm.

Wasn't that easy?

C enjoyed this cooking experiment so much!  (M enjoyed eating it.) 

Such a great way to get your little ones in the kitchen.  

With whimsy~

Chevr'on' my mind

I am borderline obsessed with anything CHEVRON!.  chevron rugs, chevron textiles, chevron wall details, chevron artwork.  You name it I love it....

What is chevron?:   V shaped or zig zag pattern 
(cousin to the herringbone)

Image from here

Here is a look at some creative nursery designs and details that showcase my favorite pattern:

Image via  Carousel Designs

Image via Charm Home

Image via House Thirty-Six

Image via Midwest Magnolia

Image via  Somewhere Splendid

Image via The Farmer Family

Image via Our Humble Abowed

A few more "grown up" chevron inspirations:

Image Source:

1. black/white chevron chair

2. chevron kitchen

3. chevron painting

4. chevron table runner

With whimsy~

Ladybugs

This order was created for a sweet friend of mine, G.  She was going to be hosting a baby shower and was looking for the perfect gift to give the new Mommy-to-be, as well as table decor for the actual shower.
G knew that she like my style of children's paintings, specifically my little birdies set. She wanted similar paintings that incorporated ladybugs in order to better coordinate with the crib bedding .
(Circo Ladybug's Paradise bedding collection).

The Inspiration:

The Sketch Options:

(G chose sketch # 2)

The Finished Paintings:

I loved how these turned out!

G displayed the artwork at the baby shower by placing them on small easels upon the serving table.  (What a great idea! )

With whimsy~

Whimsy Words: 4

Image from here

With whimsy~

Father's Day Freebies

Father's Day is fast approaching..... Sunday, June 19th.
Here are a few freebies for Father's Day that I have stumbled across...


1.  FREE customizable Father's Day photo card from
Tiny Prints.   
Use Promo code: FDGIFT

How great is this, I love Tiny Prints and who doesn't love a freebie?  Pick any of the cards and customize with your own photo.

Image and Freebie from here.

2. FREE printable Father's Day retro clip art labels from marthastewart.com.  


These are a great way to personalize items.

Image and Freebie from here

3.  FREE printable Father's Day cupcake toppers found on Catch my Party designed by Melody from Tea Party Designs.


Check out Tea Party Designs Etsy Shop for other cute party accesories.

Image and Freebie from here

4.  FREE printable Father's Day Checks created by Jenn at Parties by Hardie:

A cute spin on the traditional father's day coupon booklet.

Image and Freebie from here

With whimsy~

:

painting with shaving cream

This past weekend we started our 'summer fun jar' activities:

The Jar:  LET'S DO!!!

The Activity chosen at random:  Shaving Cream Painting

1.  Materials needed:

• shaving cream (non gel type)
• food coloring
• muffin tin or other container for paints
• painting tools (paint brushes, plastic forks, QTips, etc.)
• Paper (We started out using butcher block paper.... the waxy side was an easy surface to make a beautiful masterpiece on. ;)  You could also use regular printer paper, wax paper, or even foil)

2. Make the paint:

• Just drop the desired amount of food coloring into the shaving cream and stir
• I decided to stick with the primary colors, red, yellow, blue, that way the kids could experiment with mixing them to create other colors.

3.  Set up your artist's palette:

• I used a muffin tin as a palette.  The kids used the empty sections to mix new colors.  
• The larger muffin tin worked great for two.  They sat at opposite ends of the table and each had their own designated side of paint.

4. Let the masterpiece making begin:

5.  The Cutie Patootie experimented with smash art. Ooh La La!!

This craft was easy, fun, and kept my kiddos busy for an entire hour.  

It gets an A+ in my book!

With whimsy~

Cherry Blossoms

Yesterday's post made me feel a bit sentimental.  It brought back memories of decorating the Cutie Patootie's Nursery in a bright bold color.  She has now moved on, but still has the same deep cranberry walls. (No wonder she turned out so outgoing.)

Here is a look back at her nursery and the artwork that I created for it:

*Please excuse the far from perfect photographs, and the curious orb smack dab in the middle.

Isn't her upholstered glider cute?  It is from Bassett in a custom pink, cranberry, and orange polka dot microfiber.

I was (and still am) obsessed with her cherry blossom crib bedding.  It is from BabyStyle circa 2005.  Too bad they are no longer in business, I LOVED BabyStyle.

I loved how the paintings turned out.  The two large panels really brightened up the room.
I typically work in acrylic, but these were done in watercolor to give a softer feel.

I miss this sweet room, but love seeing my Cutie Patootie grow!

With whimsy~

Drop it like it's hot....PINK

A few days ago a dear friend of mine asked for some design ideas and inspiration for her 5 year old's new big girl room.
Her one request: HOT PINK!!!

Here are a few inspirational photos filled with creative ideas, interesting color combinations, and of course HOT PINK.


1.  Hot Pink & Grey


Why do I love this room?

• The hot pink and grey color combination is amazing.  Grey is a great neutral for any space, easily allowing the star color to pop.
• Adding neutral floor length drapery panels in the room helps break up the space, the hot pink makes an impact without overpowering the room.
• The bedding, fabric selections, and furniture throughout the room were kept in neutral tones of grey and white. This helps the room feel less cluttered and the white accents brighten up the space.  Find a similar glider here.
• The barrel shade pendant light is so fun.  Find a similar one here.
• The grey patterned wall paper adds a fun textural interest.
• The stylized tree branch lamp can be found here for a measly $500 (hey, a girl can dream can't she?)

image from here

image from here

2.  Hot Pink & Green

Why do I love this room?

• Pink and green are a  classic and preppy color combination that can easily grow with the child.
• The graphic fabric on the canopy adds interest and whimsy.
• The fabric covering the clutter, books, and toys on the book shelves is genius.  What a great (and easy) way to add color while concealing 'stuff ' 
• The collection of silver mirrors is great.  Sometimes, in a room painted all one bold color, (hot pink), it can feel dark and overpowered.  The uniformed silver mirrors allow light to bounce around the room while giving the illusion that the space is larger than it actually is.  *Tip:  You don't have to find mirrors all in the same color, once you have collected them just spray paint them all the same.  It is a quick and inexpensive trick to add unity to your collection.  

Image from here

Image from here

3.  Hot Pink & White

Why do I love this room?

• This room is bright, clean, and beautiful!  Sometimes less is more.
• The graphic rug is amazing.  find a similar one here.
• The poof is adorable.  Find it at Serena and Lily
• Loving the mirror. See a similar one here.

image from here

Why do I love this room?

• Floor length drapery panels are a great way to add a ton of color without commiting to hot pink paint on the walls.
• Behind these curtains are not windows, but rather, two closets with the doors taken off.  I love this idea for, once again, hiding clutter, books, and toys.
• The bright pink rug is also a great way to implement color without too much commitment.
• The color of the rug flows nicely into the curtains making the design extremely easy on the eye.
• I also adore the bits of turquoise seen on the window seat and table lamp.

image from here

4.  Hot Pink & Orange

Why do I love this room?

• I love the non traditional use of color.  In this room the walls are kept neutral while the ceiling is painted  hot pink.  
• The clever mix of different patterns throughout the room are fun and imaginative.
• The white pendant chandelier has a fresh pop amongst the color frenzy in the room.
• The carpet floor tiles are fun and allow the home owner to arrange them as desired and are easy for spot cleaning. See them here.
• The floor pillows anchor and mimic the color and pattern seen on the windows. Check out this super fun crocheted pouf cover here.
• I also like how the bed is kept neutral. 

image from here

Why do I love this room?

• An upholstered headboard is a great way to add a lot of interest to any room.
• Pink and orange are an awesome color combination.  It is fun for the little girls, but sophisticated enough for them to easily grow into for their teen years.
• I love how the shape of the headboard mimics the leaf pattern seen in the fabric as well as the fun white pendant chandlier.  Find a similar pendant here.

image from here

So there you have it, a few hot pink ideas for any spunky little girl!

The fun part in any room design is making it your own.  Taking ideas from here,there, and everywhere.  Making a space that fits your child's personality and own personal style.

With whimsy~

Whimsy Words: 3

~Albert Einstein

Image from here

~With whimsy