Monthly Archives: March 2013

DIY Apple Surprise Ball

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Inspiration, Projects, Vintage

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I love surprise balls!  There is something magical about the simultaneous combination of unwrapping and disappearing and discovering.  Last week I wrote about some beautiful and inspiring surprise balls made by paper artist Anandamayi Arnold.  I had fun making this surprise ball for Ada’s Easter basket last year, but really wanted to make the initial package more beautiful this year.  I decided on an apple shape, complete with apple blossom, leaves, stem and bud.  (Yes, I know this does not occur in nature).  Ada’s apple is red and Josie’s will be green.  My finished apple does not come close the the amazing fruits by Anandamayi Arnold, but I was happy with the results.  I followed directions to make leaves and blossoms from this vintage book of crepe paper flowers.  (My mother-in-law gave me the 1922 version and it is one of my prized possessions).  To make your own Apple Surprise Ball, follow the directions from our Easter Egg Surprise Ball here.  I used washi tape to attach layers of crepe streamers this year.  Try to make your wrapping more of an apple shape as you go, and finish with a red streamer.  Follow directions for blossoms and leaves in the above book, or cut out your own shapes from crepe paper.  Glue on stem and wrap with red streamers to finish.  I filled the apple balls with the following inexpensive toys for the girls:

*Marble Pouch (I stitched this up from our box of fabric scraps.  I will post directions soon)

*Pom-Pom Bobby Pins by the Belle Company, Brooklyn ($4 for 2 at My Brooklyn Baby)

*Beaded Necklace Kits (I made these up from thrift store pony beads and vintage sequins inside plastic pouches.  Under $.50 each)

*Basil Seeds (Free packet came our Myers Clean Day Dish Soap)

*Wooden Bird Whistle ($2 from My Brooklyn Baby)

*Sunmaid Raisin Box

*Marbles (50 for $.99 at the dollar store- These are more fun to unwrap if you open the package and cover one marble at a time with crepe paper)

*Garden Tattoos ($5 for 12 at My Brooklyn Baby)

*Wikki Stix ($.99 for package at Party City)

Have fun wrapping and Happy Spring!

Josie’s Party on Apartment Therapy

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Party!

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We are thrilled that Josie’s Second Birthday Party has been featured on Apartment Therapy!  You can see the Jade and Red Post on Best Kids Parties here.  Thank you Apartment Therapy!

DIY Stuffed Bunny: Part 2

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

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I wrote about making these Miss Maggie Rabbit dolls here last week, and managed to get ours finished with five days to spare before Easter!  I made a few small modifications and added a couple of dresses in different fabrics for our bunnies.  The patterns are simple and easy to follow and I especially love their little felt boots.  I can’t wait for the girls to find them in their Easter baskets!

Favorite Toddler Toys: Dried Bean Tea Party

25 Monday Mar 2013

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One of our kids’ favorite games involves a bunch of dried beans and some empty bowls.  There is something that fascinates little kids about moving volumes from one container to another.  The beans we use are large pinto and white lima beans and we have saved and reused them for over 3 years now.  We spread out a tablecloth, put out some empty containers and spoons and let the kids go to town.  The beans rarely all stay on the tablecloth, but those that do are easy to scoop up at the end of play.  Josie has been using her new favorite recycled plastic tea set by Green Toys with her beans lately.  (Thanks Aunt Heather and Uncle Tim!)

*Our kids have always been pretty good about not putting things in their mouths, but keep an eye on the little ones.

Gram’s DIY Scrapbooks

21 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in Inspiration, Organizing, Projects

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My Great-Grandmother made these amazingly obsessive scrapbooks for us when we were kids.  She cut each image out of newspaper and constructed the pages from more newspaper sheets.  There were six great-granddaughters in our family and she made a thick volume for each of us.  I worked with Woodside Press in the Brooklyn Navy Yard to construct an archival box for our book.  My Gram lived through the Depression as a widow with three children, yet she was the most loving and giving person I knew.  She could not pass a yard sale without bringing home treasure, (I think that is genetic).  She would give away anything she owned if someone admired it.  Gram used to save string from her teabags and egg boxes for our chicken eggs.  Here is her wool blanket – (one of my favorite things).  I wrote about my own scrap books here last week.  When I get a free minute to do them, my paintings are collage – no doubt from her influence.  I strive to find beauty in the humble and to appreciate the simple joy in daily life.   I hope to teach my children to be thankful for their good fortune.  But I don’t think I can compare to Gram.

DIY Stuffed Bunny

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Likes, Projects

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I saw this Miss Maggie Rabbit doll on Apartment Therapy last week and thought she would be perfect for the girls’ Easter baskets.  Alicia Paulson sells the PDF pattern for Miss Maggie on her sweet site Posie: Rosie Little Things.  The site also has kits for sale if you don’t have your own stash of fabrics to make Miss Maggie, but they are currently sold out.  (She has more coming soon, so keep checking).  I managed to find all of the needed  materials in our fabric and yarn scrap boxes.  The pattern includes instructions for the hand-stitched felt rabbit and her boots, machine-sewn floral dress, and hand-knit capelet- thus winning points in all three of my favorite crafting areas.  Our rabbits are now in mid-production, but I wanted to post now so you still have time to make your own before Easter.  Happy stitching!

A Beautiful Surprise Ball

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in Likes, Shop

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We have been thinking about Easter around here and I was reminded of the beautiful surprise ball our friends gave us last year.  The swan-shaped ball was made by the insanely talented paper artist Anandamayi Arnold.  Arnold sells her pieces at Tail of the Yak in Berkeley, CA.  Anthology Magazine had a lovely article about Arnold last year.  Our swan sat on our mantel for a couple of days before Ada could no longer stand the temptation.  She had almost as much fun unwrapping as I did watching her.  I was inspired to make our own Easter Egg Surprise Ball for Ada’s basket last year and I am busy gathering contents for this year’s versions…
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Inspiration

15 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in Inspiration

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Instagrams From the Week:

*Sliding Down the Giant Slide at Pier Six

*Family in Josie’s Doll House  (She just re-discovered it this week and has been putting babies to sleep and making everyone visit the potty)

*Fridge Art and Alphabet Magnets

*Josie Loves Daddy (She is pretending to play guitar on the TV remote)

*Giraffes, Bronx Zoo (The strange sky painted behind them made them look like they were in a museum, until they moved)

*Josie Arranging Fabric Spots on the Bed (These are from my scrap fabric box and by far a favorite plaything)

Have a wonderful weekend!

What We’ve Found in the Back Yard So Far

14 Thursday Mar 2013

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Our marble count is now up to 59.  We find them almost every time we dig around in the back yard.  Chris is almost done raking and sifting the soil to prepare for sod this spring.  The bulbs we planted in the fall are unfurling little leaves and all of the plants except one peony seem to have made it through the winter.  (For the record I think the Hurricane Sandy delay at the post office killed the peony in the fall).  Spring Hill Nurseries sent a replacement peony at no charge and this one is looking much happier.  We ordered most of our plants for the back yard from Spring Hill Nurseries and they were wonderful to work with.  We just ordered a cherry tree from the Arbor Day Foundation and are anxiously awaiting the delivery of our first family tree.  The cherry’s sweet-smelling light pink flowers will be beautiful next spring.  (And Ada approved of the color).  The Arbor Day Foundation has incredibly inexpensive trees and they are even cheaper if you become a member.  We ordered this Japanese Flowering Cherry and it was under $20 with shipping.  Amazing!  We are also carving out a space for our bees (!) in the back yard.  Our spare room is full of pine boxes and frames and gear for them.  I cannot wait for the ladies to arrive in May!  I took a beekeeping class in January with two wonderful teachers: Grai St. Clair Rice and Chris Harp from HoneybeeLives.  I have been spending every free moment on these winter days reading about beekeeping.  We are so excited about our new back yard.  It finally feels like we are making this house our own and we can’t wait to watch our garden and our children grow here.  I do have to admit though, that I will miss finding the marbles while we clean the soil.

Pinning

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

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A New Project.  I love the beginnings of a new sewing project: ironing the wrinkles from the fabric, laying out tissue pattern pieces, smoothing and fitting and pinning.  I like having all of the pieces ready and then starting out with something new.  There is always such potential at the beginning stages.  No mistakes yet, no starting over or ripping out…just thoughts of what is to come and a path to set out on.