december daily

Last month, my lovely Jamaica sent me this fantastic kelly green acrylic album kit for my December Daily/Journal Your Christmas book. (See past years' books here, here, here, here, here, here or here.)

The book covers are square and perfect, so I decided to back it with a bright acid green piece of cardstock with a tab. And then I cut up a calendar to make 12 pages. I'm already super behind on putting this together this year, but I do have a ton of pics ... and a plan.  ;)

mini

Oh wow, I know I talk about them all of the time but ... Moop! This is their new Paperback Mini. I mean, seriously. This bag looks like it would be the perfect size to carry every day (and night) of the week. The leather strap is adjustable and removable so you can carry it cross body like a small messenger bag or as a clutch. Perfect. Find them here. And! Enter happyday at checkout for free domestic US shipping. Sweet.

our EOTS

This is our first year doing the Elf on the Shelf thing. I love Christmas. I really really love it. So any little dorky thing I can do to make my kids laugh or smile is super fun for me. This is our elf, Buddy.

On December 1st, we read the Elf on the Shelf book and suddenly there was a knock on the door. We ran outside to see who it could be.

And there he was, sitting by our giant gnome, patiently waiting to be found. I brought him inside, which is probably against the rules. But someone had to pick him up.

On the morning of December 2nd, he made himself some breakfast. And a huge mess on our counter top. Lo didn't want him to feel too bad about it so she wrote him a note that said 'that mess you made is okay.'

On December 3rd, he brought his own blanket from home and Crumb Sugar Cookie let him sleep on her couch under the Christmas tree. Which was super nice of her.

On December 4th, Buddy helped us decorate the house.

Lo was worried that he might get a headache from hanging upside down, so she was relieved that later in the day he was back on the shelf above the fireplace.

On December 6th, Buddy knit himself a scarf! He's a really good knitter.

And today, December 6th, marks Lo's debut in The Nutcracker. So Buddy made himself a tutu and surprised her with flowers. He also wrote her a note that said 'break a leg!' 

That sums up the fun we've had with EOTS so far ... what is your elf up to?

easy + mess-free baby handprint ornament

Six years ago, I made an ornament for Lo's first Christmas. Baby handprints are so cute and tiny and they deserve to be documented and hung on the tree year after year. This year, I made one for Bowie, too. And I thought I'd share because this is by far the easiest way to go about it, if you're into handprints. And crafts that aren't messy. And things that won't make your baby cry. (No plaster!)

To make four baby handprint ornaments, all you need is one 4 oz. package of Crayola Model Magic in white. This is the stuff. It is one million times easier than plaster. (And probably more durable, too.)

 

Divide it into fourths and roll it into balls. Yay ... easy gifts for grandparents, plus one to keep for yourself.

Flatten each ball into a circle with the palm of your hand. This stuff is so nice and smooth that this takes all of 30 seconds to do. Poke holes in each circle with a straw.

Then, all you need is a nice little squishy baby hand volunteer. Smush those little hands and fingers down on the circles. Don't make the baby cry. This is fun.

This modeling compound is like a smooth, non-messy, non-crumbly, non-sticky play-doh and it won't get all over your baby's hands. Let each circle air-dry for at least 24 hours. It's so easy that it's almost too easy. And there's zero clean-up. (Except you'll probably want to wash your baby's hands after you're done just in case there's a little residue ... never hurts.) You can leave these as-is after they are dry, tie a ribbon through the hole and be done with it. I painted Lo's handprints and covered them with glitter, so I'm doing the same for Bowie's. But they are really cute left plain white.

I was worried that Lo's ornament may not stand the test of time, but it still looks perfect. I'm semi-careful and don't let the kids play with these, obviously, but I haven't had to seal it or do anything else to it and it has held up over the years. These are so simple and inexpensive to make that you could also make extras (without holes) to keep in a baby memory box or other safe place. And obviously, you can make handprint ornaments at any age – they're not just for babies. It would be fun to make one for each member of your family.

little things that made my day today.

It's December! Really! But I am stoked and ready for it this year. No better way to kick off the holiday season than to bump into a fun friend first thing in the morning who is game for over-analyzing the necessary-ness or unnecessary-ness of the Nieman Marcus things at Target. We shopped and studied the crap out of that section before making our final selections. So much fun.

My favorite score of the day was actually the Rodarte wrapping paper! I know. The wrapping paper roll comes with four gigantic sheets that are really more like art prints ... so of course, this became wall art for Bowie's room. As soon as I got home. Perfection.

Later on, homeboy and I took a stroll around the East Village to grab coffee and check out the shops while Lo was at ballet.

We definitely had to stop here ... wow. My favorite store front in all of Des Moines is Hill Vintage & Knits. Peppermint yarn cats!!

Inside, I found a fantastic little knitting group. Next time, I'm joining in.

Then, Bowie and I spotted Smiley! Smiley will always make your day, whether you see him in art form or real life. Just another little thing that made my day great. Lots of little nice things today. Happy December; I can already tell this month is going to be good.

knit with me.

 

Knitting 101: Learn how to knit + purl with me! Spots are limited. Email me for more info or to sign up. You could be knitting by Christmas! And did I mention that class will be held at a coffee shop? Knitting, coffee, friends and fun. Win.

** This is a local, in-person class that will be held in Des Moines. Sorry out-of-town readers ... I'd love to do an online class someday! Hopefully!

fabric crush

I've been crushing pretty hard over Jay McCarroll's Center City fabric line. (Remember Jay? Another Project Runway fave of mine.)

I got so excited over these particular prints that I bought a few fat quarters before I even had a plan for them. I am especially in love with the uptown/midtown/downtown city maps. So much fun and so much potential!

What to make, what to make. Pillows? A nice big family blanket (with nice big square patches) for lounging on the couch? I'm not ready to commit to a plan yet, but I am so very excited to make something. Very very soon.

hey! cyber monday!

Yup, it's Cyber Monday all over the place. But good news, my friend. You can score a sweet deal on some hand-knit goodness today, too.

Head on over to HeyJenRenee on Etsy and enter the coupon code YAYCYBERMONDAY at checkout to get 20% anything and everything in the shop. It's cold. Grab something to make life cozy. Hand-knits also make fantastic gifts for your best girl friend. Your mom. Your sister. (Or, duh ... yourself.) Happy (handmade) Cyber Monday.

thankful.

Sometimes, it's not all fun and games. Or smiles and laughter. Sometimes when you get your kids dressed in their Crewcuts and park them under your crafty felt Poppytalk Thankgiving banner, they are like hell to the no.

We are like any other family. Sometimes Lo doesn't want to get dressed or eat her breakfast; sometimes Bowie cries for an entire afternoon and I just try to comfort him any way I can. Sometimes they completely wear me out with the endless things they need during an average day. I rush back and forth and back and forth between them, and when Bo is home from work we divide and conquer. It's oh so busy ... but I love it. They are my world. They're growing and changing at light speed and as much as I want to slow things down so I can remember these wonderfully awesome busy days, I can't. And I could list a million things I'm grateful for.

I'm thankful for quality time with this kid.

 I'm thankful to be married to this awesomely fun, hands-on dad.

I'm thankful for this baby's sweet smile every single day. Even when he spits sweet potatoes all over my face.

I'm thankful for knitting. My zen. My balance.

But what it all comes down to is these two kids. There is nothing better in my world. I am so thankful for them. I love them when they're angels and I love them when they're total stinkers ... I love them with my entire being every single day. They don't have to smile under my silly banner.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Market Day: violence-free Black Friday shopping (since 2009)

I'm loving the Market Day Black Friday posters this season. Aren't they fantastic!? In case you haven't heard, this Friday is Market Day's Black Friday Indie Shopping Bash. Market Day is the very best place in Des Moines to find a huge variety of unique handmade, local and vintage gifts for everyone. And you won't get trampled by crazy shoppers or have to wait in line outside in the dark at 4 am. Swing by the Kirkwood building and support the local creative community. You can find us at 400 Walnut Street from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. (That's right ... 9 to 5!) Head over to the Facebook invite to RSVP.  See you Friday. (I'll be knitting my tush off until then!)