5.31.2010

The big 3...

kids birthday
kids birthday
EZ E's 3rd birthday party was so fun! He had a great time and so did we. The plan was to keep it really simple, but now, looking at the photos, I realize I went a tad...um...overboard. In my defense, I had so much fun once I got started that I just couldn't help myself. Anyways, I thought you all may enjoy a look at the party in all it's 'old school' glory. I made the felt 'E' ribbon for him to wear during the party, but of course he hated it and refused to wear (in his words) "that ting".

kids birthdayI found these little vintage chalkboards at my parent's house (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and hung them all over the place.

kids birthdayThese 3 flags were the party favors. Felt and chopsticks...yes!

kids birthday
kids birthday
kids birthday
Each invitation included an orange ceramic 3 and a graph paper scroll with the party details. I sealed the scrolls with foil stars and sent the invitations in mint tins that I found at our local dollar store.

kids birthday
kids birthdayEZ E's gift from us was a simple cardboard box wrapped in graph paper. I cut the circle out of a security envelope and found the chipboard E at our local craft store.

kids birthday
kids birthdayI used an exacto blade to cut slits in the pink erasers and then slid graph paper name tags in each one. Overkill? Perhaps, but I enjoyed looking at them. I used old navy blue text books from our collection as party props.

kids birthdayEZ E particularly loved the felt bunting, which is good because it'll have a second life in his playroom.

kids birthday
kids birthdayThe giant cupcake cake was a hit! My mom picked up the pan at Joann Fabrics, but they're also available at amazon. I highly recommend following the suggestions in the reviews section. The wood circle is from the craft store and it's just a blank clock base. I used a graph paper circle as a sort of doily.

kids birthday
kids birthday
Mini milk containers instantly take me back to elementary school.

kids birthday
OK, this is where my obsessiveness really shines through. I forgot to buy decent napkins (we don't use paper napkins), so I had to dig some out of the pantry at the last minute. I tried to dress them up with graph paper napkin rings, but I know that they still look like cheap, crappy napkins wrapped around cheap, crappy silverware. D-

kids birthday
Remember these wood letters? How about these? I knew they'd come in handy!

kids birthdayThis blanket usually lives in the back of my car. In my younger days, it went to every concert with me. Fifteen years later, I'm using it as extra seating outside. Times have changed.

kids birthdayThe chalkboard was another find from my parent's house. I had planned to hang it on the front porch, but it was too much. Instead, I propped it up with terra cotta pots on the back porch.

kids birthday
My parents brought us these lovely flowers the day before the party, so PRH planted them in my planter.

kids birthdayAnd last, but not least...my shameless rip off of a Katie Runnels wreath. Hope you all enjoyed the party! Don't forget to enter our little giveaway!

5.28.2010

This weekend...a GIVEAWAY!!!


EZ E's little birthday party is this weekend. In celebration of our little guy's third birthday, Rachael and I have decided to do a letterpress mask giveaway! EZ E will be choosing three winners on his birthday. For a chance to win, just answer this question in the comments before Tuesday, June 1st:
What was your favorite age and why?
We'll announce the three winners* on Tuesday morning. Good luck and have a great weekend!



*Each winner will receive one letterpress mask. Winners will be given an opportunity to choose which mask.

5.27.2010

Heirloom toys...


My sweet and talented husband comes from a long line of similarly talented (and sweet) crafters/artists. Case in point, this counting book that his grandmother made when he was a little boy. His aunt thought EZ E and Kicky would enjoy it and gave it to us last weekend. Well, both EZ E and PRH are smitten. It doesn't do anything; no sounds, no blinking lights, no karate chopping action (yes, I'm talking about you, Buzz Lightyear) and EZ E loves it. This book is the perfect example of why I like handmade. It was played with and loved when PRH was small and is now being played with and loved by another generation. Three cheers for crafters! Oh, and three cheers for felt and pom poms while we're at it!



5.26.2010

A day in the life...



Scenes from our day yesterday: The chicks from our local farm store, EZ E hiding, Kicky rocking her usual faux hawk, and the lizard that lives in EZ E's dollhouse.

5.25.2010

Party inspiration...


Good morning, everyone! First, thank you for your lovely comments yesterday (here and via email). You're wonderful and I truly appreciate it! Among other things going on this week, I'm planning a tiny party for EZ E's third birthday. We've decided to go the 'grandparents only' route because we also have Kicky's big 1st birthday coming up this year, which will be a giant party. I do want to make his day special and spent part of yesterday working on the plans for his little party. I'm going with a trendy old school/collegiate theme and thought you may like to see the photos that I'm taking inspiration from. The image above is from Margaret Pearl and the images below are from vintage warehouse...


vintage73...


hindsvik...


design*sponge...


and something's hiding in here...


I'll be sure to share photos after the party. Have a great day!

5.24.2010

Real life...


I've written and rewritten this post a million times. Monday mornings are usually about art around here, but today I need to start the day out differently. I've been thinking a lot about Aesthetic Outburst and about what exactly it is that I'm doing here. I started this blog three years ago, never expecting it to be read by anyone other than my mother and grandmother. Happily it's turned into so much more than I imagined. I love being here every day and I've loved meeting so many amazing people. Lately, however, I've been feeling really overwhelmed and, well, just plain sad.

Moving from a city that we loved to the rural area close to our families has been a challenge. PRH and I want EZ E and Kicky to have wonderful relationships with their grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins, but with that closeness comes a host of issues and emotions that we haven't really had to deal with since we left this area nine years ago. Frankly, even after almost an entire year has passed, it's something that I'm still very much struggling with. I'm working on it though.

So what exactly am I trying to say? I'm definitely NOT leaving Aesthetic Outburst, but I do need to scale back a little here. I'm not sure what that means yet, but my plan is to be more flexible and to be more present. My "real life" needs me. I'll still be posting on a regular basis, just perhaps not three times each day. It's really not a big deal, but I felt that some explanation was in order. You're all so incredibly sweet and supportive and I truly appreciate it. Thank you for reading my little blog. I'll see you again tomorrow!
xo,
Abbey

5.21.2010

This weekend...


What are you doing this weekend? Tonight we're going to scope out our town's Art Walk for the first time. Can you believe that? We moved back here a year ago! I guess we're still adjusting. Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

*lovely photograph from
Sharon Radisch

Old school markers...



Our need for plant markers is seemingly never-ending and, as you've seen here and here, I've been having fun making them. Every September I go a little crazy buying clearanced school supplies. I spent 10 cents on this pack of pencils (we'll never need pencils again) and realized that they'd make perfect, cheap plant markers. I just wrapped a little wide masking tape around each pencil, cut it into a flag shape, and used sharpie marker to write the name of the plant. I didn't, but you could sharpen the end of the pencil to make it easier to push into soil (don't worry, pencil lead is not actual lead...it's clay and graphite). They're double-sided, so you could also write more info about the plant (perennial, annual, etc) and they'll last until September when you can buy more cheap pencils.

Chins...


EZ E: Can I see the picture?
Me: Sure!
EZ E: Wow, Mommy!
Me: Yeah! Who do you see in the picture, E?
EZ E: Me, Daddy, and chins!
Me: Chins? Who's chins?
EZ E: You, Mommy! Look at all your chins! You have a lot!
Me: Thank you for pointing that out, E.

5.20.2010

Wishful thinking...




I like everything in kalla. I'm wishing that blue runner was a rug though.

Rural...

kitchen inspiration
We're going to look at an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere tomorrow evening. Argh. I'm a sidewalk kind of girl (even more so after finishing this book), but I've dragged PRH to about a million 'sidewalk' houses and it's only fair that we look at a house that he wants to look at. One that's rural. Really rural. My first thought? No, not about the incredible landscape or beautiful view; no, not about the two outbuildings; not even about Kicky and EZ E having a great time exploring the woods someday. I thought, could we even get high-speed internet that far out? I'm pathetic. Truly. Maybe I could be persuaded if the interior looks like this photo by Stellan Herner (found via emmas designblogg). I won't count on it.

Collected...


I have a sort of freak obsession with expanding wooden sewing boxes. I have one that I use on my desk to hide little notebooks, tape, post-its, and all the other nasty little bits that tend to clutter up a desk without drawers. It's handy, it's red...awesome. After seeing this photo from knitalatte11 I'm starting to like the basket-y type too. Here's the deal though: an obsession with sewing baskets? For real?! I'm thirty-three years old, not ninety. I've talked about my quick progression into old lady before. I need someone to kick me in the head. Just come over (I'll make drinks), kick me in the head, and I'll return to my normal thirty-three-year-old, basket/tea towel-oblivious self, okay? Or maybe I need to just embrace it...aaggghhhhhh!!! There's my inner-old lady talking again!

5.19.2010

Shark habitat...

The rain washed a shark into our house yesterday morning. Boy, was it a mouthy little thing! I photographed it while swimming in calm waters...

costume
at rest (maybe even bored)...

costume
and attacking...

costume
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