Etsy Goody: Wild Things

I am dying to buy this dress for Grace!

Little Fox Girl's Dress, $55

Random Obsessions

I'm starting a new category for this blog called Random Obsessions for all the little things that crowd my head every day. There will be no rhyme, reason or organization...much like my mind.

Faux Bois wallpaper by Nobilis

Napa Valley electric bike rentals from Change of Greenery

Snow leopard throw pillow by High Street Market

Silky

Temperatures are near record highs this week all along the East Coast.  For those of us who have to don business-y attire and leave the comfort of our air conditioned homes every day that means we are sweltering beneath our blazers.  Well, how about an easy, breezy silk tee shirt from Blue Desert?  It's comfortable, but definitely still professional and chic enough to wear around the office.  I think I just cooled down 2 degrees.....

Black and White Inkblot, $88

Black Mirror Inkblot, $88

Bluegreen, $68

Coral Nightdrop, $72

Etsy Goody: kikiandpolly

I have a very personal reason for loving art from Etsy.  Everywhere I look, people seem to be painting or drawing pictures of my girls!  Maybe it's just because they are so dear to my heart, but it seems like so  many pictures are of little girls with short, dark bobs.  This one really speaks to me.  It's Sophie on the beach.  I bought it right away, of course!

Girl in the Yellow Suit, $20

Nautical dresses

I love all things nautical, and I immediately fell for these two new designs from Perryfinalia on Etsy.  Now the question is, which one should I get for Sophie and which one for Grace?

Shiftmod mod tunic, $38

Simple mod jumper, $42

I'm kinda a big deal

So, I was on the local news yesterday.

No, not because of my blog. Not because of my Etsy store. I had two milliseconds on the news because I forced my way into a Liz Crenshaw interview at the mall during my lunch break!

Grace's Birthday Invitation

...is so perfect.  My favorite Etsy artist, Inky Livie, designed it for general sale in her shop, and it was kismet.  Three elephants holding up a baby elephant...can you say ca-uuuute!

Less than thrilled

Grace was less than thrilled to be woken from her slumber in the carseat and dragged into the grocery store yesterday morning. Poor girl...she never gets a chance to rest on the weekend.

Grace being worn by me

p.s. A huge thank you to all my friends who have been so supportive of The Pied Paper since I launched the store yesterday. Your comments on my blog, facebook, and emails have really touched me! Not to mention the 3 orders I've received so far.  You all are giving me inspiration to keep going!

The Pied Paper

I'm proud to announce the official opening of my very first Etsy store, The Pied Paper!

The Pied Paper will sell handmade paper goods, with a specialty in hand lined envelopes and custom notecards. Over the next few weeks, I will be adding more items for sale.

This store is a creative outlet for me, more than anything. I've been making my own stationery for years (many of my family and friends reading this blog right now have been on the receiving end of my homemade Christmas cards and notes). Well, unfortunately the era of the handwritten note is dwindling and I had more stationery than I could use. Not to mention more ideas! During some stressful times at work, or while taking care of the girls, I would imagine some of the combinations of envelopes and cards you will now see in my Etsy shop. I hope that my store reaches out to others who still love using snail mail, like me.

In celebration of my grand opening, I'm going to be offering a 20% discount on everything at The Pied Paper through the end of April! Simply enter the code "domesticnotions" at checkout. Enjoy!

Etsy Goody: My Sweet Prints

My Sweet Prints offers cute and hip prints, perfect for a child's room.  They even have bedtime and morning versions of the trendy bus-stop posters that can be seen in all the design magazines.  And the best part is that all these prints can be customized for your own kids.  Here are a few that I'm considering picking up:

...for obvious reasons:

S is for Sophie, $20

..I like how this one can be changed to reflect your own bedtime routine:

Bedtime Bus Roll, $24

...worth the effort to try and read it!

Customized Eye Chart, $22

...for a French-themed girls' room:

Counting in French Poster, $20

all images via My Sweet Prints

My Daughter, The Batman

Batman and Robin wooden figurines, $10

Sophie is obsessed with Batman. She watches all the different Batman series, wears Batman Underoos, and plays with all things that have the Bat symbol. Combine that with her love of little figurines and I found her the perfect toy. I bought this pair of Batman and Robin wooden figurines from Fancie Fannies, on Etsy. They're great and really feed her imagination. She's already created multiple superhero scenarios with these two. Next, I'll be commissioning Joker and The Riddler from the same artist!

Etsy Goody: Urban Baby Bonnet

So, I'm having a little girl in July. And it's gonna be sunny and hot. How do I protect her little head from the harsh sun? I like the idea of these bonnets, by The Urban Baby Bonnet Project. They're not cheap, but they'll do the trick. The patterns aren't too frou-frou, considering it's a bonnet, and the chin strap will keep her hat in place. Check out more designs here.

Are these models cute, or what?

all images via The Urban Baby Bonnet Project

Etsy Goody: Twig Hairpins

image via Real Simple

Oh, how I wish my hair was slightly wavy so I could rock these Tiny Twig Hairpins. Apparently, they're so much in demand that the Etsy seller, The Sparrow's Nest, had to temporarily close her shop to catch up on orders.

Etsy Goody: Lou and Lee

I've been asked many times where I get Sophie's hair clips, and I always tell people the same thing: Etsy. There are a couple of different go-to sources, but I've yet to find one that surpasses Lou and Lee in originality and quality. Lou and Lee are twins that make beautiful hair accessories for babies, kids and adults, alike. Any headband on their site can be made into a hair clip and vice versa. More unique styles here.

all images via Lou and Lee

Etsy Goody: Native Vermont

If I was decorating for a boy's room, I would bypass the car/truck/construction/sports/superhero themes and go straight to the storefront of Etsy seller Native Vermont. One can practically smell the fresh, salty ocean air in his images. They come in a variety of formats: glicee prints, framed prints, and canvas. More of his fantastic art here.

all images via Native Vermont

Birthday Party

Even though Sophie's real birthday is a week away, we had a family party for her this afternoon. It was so much fun! I had a great time preparing for the festivities, and everything went smoothly with the help of my awesome family. Sophie's so lucky to have so many grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who love her...

Sophie's 2nd mom, my sister Michou

Bamboo utensils and plates from Plum Party and painted metal pails from Bucket Outlet

Animal print sunglasses from Oriental Trading Company and Bubble containers from Specialty Bottle

My cousin Aimee and some of my wonderful aunts (with me), who are always there to lend a helping hand.

Sophie's outnumbered by her male cousins!

Happy girl

My cousins Wendy and Lyndsey (the official photographer)

The meal is the most important aspect of my family's parties

Getting her temporary tattoo on

Dora tattoo = tough girl

These pipecleaner bubble wands worked really well!

A rare family photo

Interior decorating redefined

French apple tart

Carvel ice cream cake is a family tradition

Ethan has a great smile, doesn't he?

Winding down the night with her new toys