An Advent Calendar + An Auction

I few weeks ago I was contacted by Ekubo Ministries to donate an item for their holiday auction from my Etsy shop. I knew exactly what I wanted to donate! 

You see, some moms in my area have been working hard at making felt Jesse tree ornaments for a holiday advent calendar. My creative juices started flowing and I stayed up way too late for a few nights creating some printables to go along with the ornaments for these lovely mommas. I am not selling them in my Etsy shop, but you can get one theough the Ekubo Ministries Holiday Auction - here!

Hurry! The auction ends on Sunday!

Weekend Recap

Super short post today because I have lots to do before an upcoming family wedding.
This weekend was filled with home improvements, friends and family, and a heck of a home decor deal. Ellington's aunt came in town for a wedding with her fiancé and we had a friend stay with us Friday night, so Ellington was busy showing off in front of our guests.

This picture has nothing to do with the weekend, but I love it. E started dance class a couple weeks ago. She is a little performer and has loved every minute of her ballet class. She starts practically every day off with 'I go to ballet class, mommy?' Then, we have to count down the days until she has class.
I finally got around to putting shelves up in the girls' closets (sorry, I forgot to get pics). While on an outing to Target, I also scored a fabulous rug for the girls' bathroom.

Isn't it wonderful?! I saw it on sale for $13 last week, but I resisted (mainly because I was on a mission and had 2 cranky kiddo in my cart). It was meant to live in my house because I went back this weekend and snatched it up when I saw that the price had dropped down to just $5… FIVE DOLLARS. Swoon. The only thing better than a beautiful addition to your home is knowing that you paid a quarter of the retail price.
Hope your weekend was filled with similar bargains and happy moments.

Summer Bucket List 2013

With the weather warming up and two little ladies to entertain, it is evident that summer is quickly approaching. To make things fun for my 2 year old and remind myself that there is more to do in this great city than going to the playground, I created some cards with ideas we can do each day. The plan is to let Ellington pick out one or two cards each week. Of course, some things are already decided like our family beach trip and watching fireworks + some things are not really for her like the mommy - daddy date. This is such a great idea that you can easily replicate in your own home. Older kids can participate by thinking of ideas or even decorating their own cards with markers / glitter / paint / paper.

Currently, we have these cards hanging on our kitchen chalkboard and Ellington loves looking at it everyday. Next year I might have to make more cards or repeats of the same ideas because she seems to think that we need to pick a card out every morning.

Some things are generic like visiting a museum + having a picnic, but other things are customized for our family - like potty training! Yep, that's right - this is what life is like with kids, people. What's unique on your summer bucket list?

Winsley's Hand-me-Down Haven

This is one of my favorite rooms in our house. Mainly because it is the most complete room, but also because there are so many things in this room that hold a special place in my heart. There are still some things I'd like to add, like some sort of name art over the crib + paint on the walls + a fun rug, but overall this room is finished and I am super happy with all of the little things that make this space so cozy. Hopefully, Winsley will be sleeping through the night in this room in no time. 

This crib was Ellington's (although she never spent much time in here) and it was given to us by a family friend. The crib skirt was made with fabric that I bought for Ellington's nursery by my little sister. I am in love with this fabric!  Unfortunately, I don't know who made it. 

This little side table is one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the entire house. It's just a little beat up hand-me-down that I believe my mom purchased from a store closing, but it has tons of character. The color is gorgeous (however, I could not get it to photograph well) and the scalloped edge on the bottom adds just the right amount of femininity. I'd still like to switch out the lamp, but this $5 find from ReStore does the trick right now. 

Although it's not as comfy as the club chair glider I had my eye on, I love that this rocking chair once lived in my great-grandmother's home The little rocking chair to the left was my older sister's childhood rocking chair. It's the perfect spot for Ellington to read while I'm rocking her baby sister. And those lovely drapes, another fantastic flea market find. My little sister spotted them, got a pair for herself, and I circled back around the market to pick the last pair up for our home. The bookshelf came from my childhood home. Apparently it belongs to my little sister because she marked it with her name + address on one of the shelves. 

This little shelf holds so many things that are so special to me. A note from my beloved grandfather that makes me cry and miss him even more each time I read it +the clown given to me by my older sister on the day I was born + a photo of my beautiful young mother holding me and my older sister in the hospital + a small blanket made by some church members. So many memories on such a tiny shelf. 

This old dry sink was perfect to use as a changing table. It has lived in many places, including the hallway of my elementary school, but I think it was made for this very purpose. The changing pad doesn't slip around and there is just enough space to fit a basket full of diapers. The bottom is also perfect for storing extra diapers, wipes, burp cloths, and blankets. 

[Top Row -Left to Right: Ellington, Me and Malone, John, Ellington. Bottom Row -Left to Right: John, Ellington, Me with My mom holding Carney and Malone, John.]

The plan was to hang pictures of Winsley above the changing station, but she arrived late so I improvised with photos of John + Ellington + me as babies and I'm not sure I'm going to change a thing now. 

Thanks for stopping by to see Winsley's little corner of the world. Check out Friday's post if you want to download your own printables seen in Winsley's nursery. 

FREE Nursery Printables

Doing things a little backwards on the blog today. I'm not quite done editing pictures for the post that I had planned to put up today, so I'm putting up the post that I had planned for Monday. These are two little fun printables that I created and printed out for Winsley's nursery. Originally,  they were just filler prints (something to put in frames before we had newborn pictures ready to show off), but I like them so much that I think they are here to stay.

Download Here 

Download Here

Can't wait to show off these prints on Monday with pictures of how we decorated Winsley's nursery. It's one of my favorite rooms in our new house + it's the only room that is 90% complete. Check in Monday for lots of pictures!

Goodies from Africa

It has been nearly 2 months since John came back from a month long trip to Africa.  To ease the guilt of leaving his very pregnant (at the time) wife with a sick toddler for an entire month in a house full of unopened moving boxes, John brought home lots of goodies!

I was pleasantly surprised by the things that he picked out.  In fact, there is one piece in particular that I am so in love with that I have redesigned my living room around it.  Well, I have dreamed up a new living room design anyway.  I just have to find and buy everything that I have planned out in my head. Back to the goodies:

1. Stone Giraffe Bookends.  Currently this little guy is living in Winsley's nursery.  He is the perfect little bookend for my collection of not-so-baby-friendly baby books (non-chewable) that are high up on her bookshelf.

2. Beaded Animals.  These two fellas are for the girls.  Ellington really wants both of them to be hers alone, but the lion is really hers and the zebra is for Winsley.

3. Elephant Bank.  This cute little elephant was brought back for Ellington and it is still a big hit.  When we first showed it to her and explained how you save your money inside the elephant's tummy, she ran around the house asking for more money to put inside.

4. Metal Name Sign.  I love the simplicity of this sign.  John also brought back smaller name signs for Winsley and Ellington with their names.

5. Wooden Tray.  This is the piece that I am most in love with!!!  I don't know why, but I just love everything about it.  In my head, it will eventually live on a square tufted English ottoman in the living room.  Unfortunately, I don't own a square tufted English ottoman nor do I know if there is actually one out there that matches the imaginary one in my dream room.

There were lots of other little treats that were brought back from Africa like teas, food, and jewelry too. Home decor items are really my favorite travel souvenirs.  It's always fun to tell people how these little trinkets came to live in your home and you always have a reminder of your trip... even if your husband got to go on the trip and you had to stay home with a sick kid.  :)

New Prints in the Etsy Shop :)

While we are still waiting for Baby Yi, I whipped up two new prints for my little etsy shop.  Go check it out!

Just a Quick Note...

A print from my Etsy shop was mentioned on the blog Two Birds Boutique today!   I am beyond thrilled that they found my little shop interesting enough to feature on their blog.  The two lovely ladies who write the blog also featured a few other amazing Etsy sellers who are offering up a portion of their profits to benefit the families affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Go check them out here.

AND if you love fashion, a look through the Two Birds Boutique is not a bad idea.  These two fashonistas are lovers of nice things and great deals - the best of both worlds!  I took a quick look around their blog and I am already in love with their style.  I find it hard to mix vintage & new or even just wear multiple prints, but these ladies are magicians when it comes to pulling an outfit together.  I could definitely learn a thing or two... or ten from reading this blog!

Crafting for Cause

I have lots to update and talk about, but nothing has really felt right to post since the tragedy in Connecticut.  My prayers go out to all of the families affected by this horrible event.

Lindsay from The Life Muse has come up with a lovely way for fellow Etsy sellers to help those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting.  This week, several Etsy shops will be donating a portion of their sales to 'United Way of Western Connecticut', the official relief fund of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Kimchi & Sweet Tea will be donating 100% of profits this week to help out.  You can find a list of other Etsy sellers willing to donate their proceeds here.

Home Decor Dilemma

We are moving into our new home in about 2 weeks and I have been trying to get things organized and ordered before we move in... the keyword here is trying.  Unfortunately, I have have been failing miserably.

You see, I love color!  Mainly, jewel tones with lots of blues and greens.  I thought that I knew my home decor style, but everything I create in my little idea book looks more like a college dorm and less like a comfy casual adult home.  :-/  Pinterest has also led to this design dilemma.  I looked at some of my home decor Pinterest boards to get a little inspiration and realized that almost everything I pinned was neutral.  Previously, I thought of an all neutral room as boring or dull, but according to Pinterest... neutral is what I like.

So, What's a girl to do?  In this case, I've decided to live with what we've got for a while and just buy a few simple pieces until I can really figure out what I want in this new home.  This means... no painting walls, no tossing old furniture, no buy trendy chevron rugs.  Just purchasing a few fun accessories and working with what I've got.  And what I've got is this...

Any ideas of what direction to pursue first would be greatly appreciated!

A Dream Home Revised

Since moving to Durham 2 years ago, I have been on the hunt for a permanent home to buy.  We didn't want to buy anything until we sold our condo and John was sure that he would stay at Duke after his fellowship ended.

Well, that day has finally come.  We officially sold our Alabama condo in October and John is very confident that Duke is where he wants to continue his research career.  AND I am happy to announce that we have purchased a home in Durham and we will be moving in December.

Before letting you know what we have chosen, let me first go over how we came to this decision.

You see, John and I have very different tastes in homes.  He likes brand new everything and I am in love with hundred year old homes with a little history.  While John's home preferences have changed over the years, mine have changed - a lot.  I still like hundred year old homes, but having kids has really changed my views on many things I thought I wanted.

Like many people (I think), I have always wanted a home that somewhat resembled the home where I grew up.  In my case, this included a large backyard with no backyard neighbors - a basement - 3 stories - hardwood floors - no garage - just to name a few.  And then I had a kid... and the option of a single story home became very very appealing!  Many things in my dream home stayed the same, but a few things were quickly revised.  Large Backyard?  No thank you - who has time to cut the grass when your daughter refuses to nap?!  No Garage?  Ummm, I still don't love the look of a garage, but where are you suppose to store all of your outdoor stuff without one?

With revisions in place, I found a one story house that I loved.  Unfortunately, it needed a lot of remodeling.  I am always up for a redesign project, but timing could not have been worse.  A toddler + a new baby + a busy daddy = a momma who would not complete another house project in the near future.

I gave up on my dream of an older home and embraced the idea of a brand new - project free - home that John would love.  In the end, I am very happy with our choice.  An older home and many remodeling projects can always come later when the kids are older.  This is my dream home for now. :)

Has your idea of a dream home been revised as you have moved on to different phases of your life?

Goodbye London

 We had a blast staying with our friends in London.  Their place was amazing!  It was a basement condo, but it was huge and had high ceilings with large windows, so you never really felt like you were  on the bottom floor.  I really wish that I had taken some pictures of the interior of their place.  It really was the perfect place to live in London.  Gorgeous floors, lots of light, a large patio, and it's conveniently located right next to Paddington Station (the center of all things train / subway related).

Hopefully, we'll make it back to London when they are completely finished decorating for a little 'house crashing' tour.

Goodbye London!  See you again soon. :)

A Secret Garden and A Very Old House

Our trip to England wasn't just a chance to see the Olympics or get away for a few days, we traveled across the ocean to celebrate the marriage of a lovely couple that John met in graduate school at UAB.  To kickoff the celebration, the bride's parents had a little meet and greet / rehearsal dinner for family and faraway friends in the backyard of their Bath home.

From the home's exterior on the mountainside, there appeared to be no backyard and little greenery.  After a quick glance of the amazingly decorated interior, we were directed to a huge backyard.  It was so unexpected.  Although the backyard was quite large, it felt cozy and was very peaceful.  Each little corner of the yard was like a little private garden.  Speaking of gardens, the flowers and plants in this yard should be featured in a magazine pronto!

Aside from the gorgeous landscaping, the house had a few fabulous features of it's own.  The house really stole my heart.  Due to the fact that the party was outside and the lovely bride was busy greeting guests, I kept my house snooping to a minimum.  I am hoping we get an invite back to this place in the future for a tour and a tour of Bath from the bride's very knowledgeable father. :)

According to the bride, redecorating and remodeling this house has been somewhat of a hobby turned job for her mom.  Over the years, it sounds like her mother has redone every room in the house... twice.  During one of those remodeling projects, an old staircase leading to a basement was discovered.  How cool is that?  You just happen to find this original staircase with a secret room while redoing your living room.

I love love love what she did with the discovery!  The location of the staircase didn't really work well for the flow of the room, so a custom piece of glass was put over it to show it off in the room and the basement is now accessible from a different staircase.  Simply stunning!  Really, why is this house not already in a magazine?!

I am kicking myself for not taking more photos of the interior of this house.  Every single thing in this particular room was amazing.  The family has lived in Singapore and the US and much of the decor reflects their travels all over the world.  Oh, and did I mention that this house is very old and so rich in history?  Old houses are kind of my thing.  And this house wasn't just an old house by American standards... no, it was European old.  Just think about all of the history this house has seen.

Mother's Day 2012

This year, I got my Mother's Day gift a little early so I could finish a few projects around the house...

...that's right.  I got a new Ryobi Power Tool Set!!  I am beyond thrilled with this new purchase.  Although I might not give off the I'm-a-handywoman vibe, I am definitely the DIY fixer around the house.  While I would rather figure out how to fix something or build something myself, John would rather call a professional to get the job done.  Thank goodness he has the patience for my DIY mentality!

I have already started a few projects around the house and I'll give updates soon.  I've also decided that my next power tool will be a sander- just a little info for anyone who wants to buy me a gift. :)

My brand new set of power tools was enough for me, but then my hubby surprised me with this great new coffee mug (which will be getting lots of use!).

Hope everyone had a very happy Mother's Day!  & a special shout out to my mom, grandmother, and mother-in-law.  Happy Mother's Day!  Oh yeah, let's not forget the mothers of Ellington's favorite furry friends - Aunt Karl and Aunt Carney!

Thrifty Finds

My amazingly thrifty sister, Carney, is a pro at spotting a good deal at the flea market.  Seriously.  She is the one who spotted these lovely little drapes and convinced me that I needed them for my dining room.  She bought a pair and then after walking around and thinking about it for 20 minutes, I went back to the booth and bought up the remaining pair.  I think they were $15 for the pair?  Incredible deal.

She even went back a while later and snatched up 2 more fabulous finds, a chair and a coffee table.  For $5 and $15, I think.  I don't remember which one cost which, but at either price these were very VERY good finds.

Carney's thrifted chair that is currently living in my dining room corner :)

Lucky for me, Carney has been hiding storing some of her thrifty finds at my house because her roomie told her that she is not aloud to bring any more furniture into their apartment (unless she is willing to get rid of something first).  You see, their apartment is pretty large, but Carney has filled it to the max with thrift finds like these.  Saving Money on Flea Market Treasures = Fantastic.  Bringing home so much stuff that your roommate demands that you stop = you might have an addiction to finding a good deal.  Not all bad.

We have really enjoyed this mid-century modern coffee table... until Ellington discovered that she can climb on top of it to dance and give her mother a heart attack in the process.  So this guy has been living in the rarely used playroom (the living room is our main playroom).  He is occasionally used as a - cover your ears eyes Carney - baby gate of sorts on the back deck.  This is how we discovered the marking on the bottom of the table.

After a little internet searching, I discovered that this coffee table is actually a Dovetail Cocktail Table made by The Lane Company out of Virginia and considered to be the Americanized version of Danish Modern design.  This piece is from their very popular 'Acclaim' Collection designed by Andre Bus and introduced in 1959.  I think a "They just don't make 'em like they use to" is in order here... I cannot think of one piece of my recently purchased furniture that will last 50+ years!  Although this table needs some major refinishing, you can still see the beautiful solid oak and the rich walnut veneer.  Swoon.


Update:  After looking on etsy to see what this table might be worth, people are actually selling this exact (refinished) table for anywhere from $295 - $400!  Not a bad purchase ($15?), Carney.  Now, get out there and find me some more Flea Market Treasures!

Anybody else have a thrifty find that turned out to hold a little bit of history?  Do share.

May the 4th be with you!

Technically, it's still May 3rd as I'm writing this, but I am so excited to share a little joy with all you Star Wars fans out there and offer a discount in my etsy shop.  On May 4th only you will get 30% off any print - not just the lovely little stormtrooper print that you see below - ANY print.  Use Coupon Code: MAYTHE4TH  Enjoy!  Maybe I'll finally watch the Star Wars trilogy to celebrate this year...

And if you are still trying to figure out what I am attempting to create from this post, you just might have to wait a little bit longer.  I found out the hard way (after I put everything together) that my hand saw was NOT the perfect tool to create nice straight edges. :(  Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who bought me the best early Mother's day present ever to help me complete this little project!!  Updates to come soon.

Until then, Happy Star Wars Day! 

Don't forget to check out the shop if you are in need of a little art for your walls & use Coupon Code: MAYTHE4TH for 30% off!

We got it all Locked Up

Well, almost.  We knew that we would eventually have to put some sort of lock on our kitchen cabinets when "No, Ellington.  That cabinet has dangerous chemicals or sharp knives in it!" didn't work for the hundredth time in a day.  We decided to get simple and inexpensive locks since our cabinets are too thick for magnetic locks and have no knobs for cable locks...


Looks like we will have to find a new solution to keep this little lady out of trouble in the kitchen.  Any ideas?

While I'm searching the web for a solution to keep a baby Houdini out of dangerous kitchen cabinets, here's a sneak peek of the new kitchen prints that I will have on sale in my etsy shop tomorrow!

it's only Wednesday.

After a two sleepless nights for Ellington (which meant two sleepless nights for me as well), we headed to the doctor to figure out what was causing this sudden need to cry out in the middle of the night.

Does this look familiar?  Thankfully, we didn't have to take a trip to the hospital this time.  Just a little breathing treatment at the doctor's office and we were sent home with an inhaler for the next week or so.  Other than a healthy baby girl, I hope this also means a little girl who is back to sleeping through the night.  Fingers Crossed!

In my sleepy fogginess, I came up with this brilliant idea to take on a new project today.  Because that's what normal sane mommas do, right?  They decide to do manual labor instead of napping during their child's 1st extended period of sleep in the last two days... I must be delirious.

I am not quite finished, but here is a sneak peek of my newest creation:

Any guesses on what it could be?  Okay, maybe it's just a piece of wood right now.  I would be shocked and I will send you a custom print from my etsy shop if you can guess what I am creating. :)

Isn't that Print-eresting

Some of you may have already noticed the new addition to the right side of your screen and others may have seen a few new pins on the Kimchi & Sweet Tea pinterest board, but for those of you who are scratching your heads trying to figure this out...  I have opened an etsy shop!

I have always loved design and art and I recently got the itch to do something a little creative.  Since the hubby can't really stand my half-finished messy projects spread out on the dining room table, designing prints on the computer was the best option to get creative.

It all started with this print inspired by my previous employers and dear friends...

They are big Star Wars fans (they are going to be so disappointed if they ever read this, but I have still never seen the movies).  The first time I heard this phrase was while working for them on May 4th.  Now, I can't wait for May 4th to come around every year, so I can repeat this phrase to someone.  I know I'm a little nerdy, but I love it!

This print was inspired by a sweet friend who was having some difficulties with her pregnancy (nothing major) and she asked some friends to send prayers her way.  I created this to hang around the house to remind me to pray for her when I passed by it.  My intention was to create a little prayer reminder that was only known to me... like an anonymous prayer post-it note, but prettier.

And this print is my latest creation...

I have always loved this song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow), but this image popped in my head last night while singing my daughter to sleep and I just had to get in down on paper.  I was going for a vintage look.  What do you think?

So, do a little window shopping today and visit my Etsy Shop.  If you have any request / suggestions / critiques, I am eager to hear from you!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Y'all!

How big is Ellington?

Soooo Big!  That never gets old when you're around little ones. :)

Well, as you see, I have finally completed one of my many DIY projects that I have pinned on Pinterest.  It may have taken three nights of work spread out of two weeks, but it's done.  That's life with a very active toddler for ya... I never seem to be able to complete anything on time.  Although, now that Ellington is sleeping consistently in her crib for 12 hours a night and taking one long nap a during the day, I am determined to get stuff done!  (sigh)  Of course, now that I have said typed it out loud, she will wake up 8 times tonight and stop taking naps...

Let's get back to my fabulous new 'Ruler Growth Chart'. :)  First, you need to drive over to the hardware store to pick up a few supplies:
*a 1x8x6 board (cost me around $7)
*stain of your choice (I chose color Early American for around $3)
*sharpie - already owned
*Pen or Pencil - already owned
*level - already owned
*ruler - already owned

And that's it.  I used a sharpie because a) I already had it and b) I am a bit too inpatient to wait for paint to dry.  Just follow the simple steps below and you'll have yourself your own 'Ruler Growth Chart' for just around $10!  That's an amazing price considering similar growth charts are selling for much much more (amazon $85, etsy $70, pottery barn $59).

Step One.  Wipe stain on board and let dry.

Step Two.  Using your ruler, make a mark every inch along the entire length of your board.  Then, using a level / ruler or just eyeballing it, draw each line of the 'ruler' at each mark on your board.  Two 1 inch lines followed by a 2 inch line... and repeat.  Make sense?

Step Three.  Choose a font and print out numbers 1-6 in 200 point font size.  I forgot to note which font I used, but you can easily find a great one that fits your style or freehand the numbers.

Step Four.  Trace each number beside the appropriate 2" line on your board.  I simply used a little weight and a pen to trace each number.   The wood was soft enough that it left an indent on the wood after tracing.  Then, color in each number.  (If you don't want indents on your finished ruler, then you can follow these instructions that I found on Pinterest.)

*Note:  I started at 6", so I could hang it up off of the floor.*

And your done!  Now I have a bit of a predicament... where do I record Ellington's height (left side or right side)?  And do I use pencil / pen / marker, black / blue / bright colors?  For now, I am just marking her height with pencil until I decide what I want to do permanently.


Just a little last minute note:  If you want to see a fun Easter picture of me as a little girl, go check out my cousins blog (Everyday Champagne).  Love Easter memories!  Now I get to share the traditions of Easter with Ellington. :)