Shameless self-promotion...

I'm cleaning house, people. Cleaning house! So that means that I'll be posting some of my original drawings in my etsy shop over the next few weeks...starting yesterday. And they're cheap. Take a look. Also, if there's anything you see here that you want, please just let me know and I'll see if I still have the original stashed away in the depths of our flat files. Out with the old and in with the new!!!

♥ (day 11)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 11. We're over the halfway point, folks. Can you believe it?! I thought we'd kick off this week with some more cross stitch action because I've turned into some kind of cross-stitching fool. I just can't seem to stop. Good luck, sweethearts!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

♥ winners (week 2)...

I decided to announce the winners of last week's valentines a day early because...well, why not! Using random.org, the winners for week 2 of the handmade valentine giveaway are...

• Day 6- Kristen
  She said...Your hard work paid off!! Love it.
• Day 7- j and j home
  She said...Very Cute!
• Day 8- Gigi
  She said...I'd wear that.
• Day 9- Anna
  She said...consider your idea swiped!!
• Day 10- Deborah Saul
  She said...darling! id wear one myself and give them to friends and strangers on the street!

Yay! Winners, please just send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll send your valentine right out!

This weekend...

What are your plans for this weekend? I'm going to avoid looking at MonkiVintage (or at least try...they have so many cute things in their shop). We're all looking forward to a family sledding date tomorrow with friends and then a lazy Sunday. I'll be announcing this week's Valentine winners on Monday morning, so I'll see you then. Have a good one!

Best year yet...

When life gives you lemons...use them to make lemon glaze for your sugar cookies, right? Our lovely friend, Rachael of Pistachio Press, turned 30 yesterday...and caught the flu. Rachael, her husband Jake, and our dear friend Kris were planning to have a slumber party at our house last night (we live 3 hours apart), but the flu hit and our poor Rachael had to stay home in bed. She and Jake have a busy week ahead of them at the NYIGF. As I mentioned earlier, yesterday was also EZ E's last day of preschool, so we parlayed the streamers and cookies into a happy party for EZ E. He was SO thrilled! And as it turns out, my words to my favorite just-turned-thirty-year-old are the same as my words to my favorite three-year-old: this is going to be your best year yet! Happy birthday, Rach, and happy end of preschool, EZ E. I love you both.

♥ (day 10)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 10. First, let me tell you that this is NOT my original idea. Katie from katie did made these for her daughter's class last year. I thought they were totally cute and decided to make them for EZ E's class. Yesterday ended up being EZ E's last day of preschool (sort of unexpected...more on that next week), so we decided to give them to a busy Aesthetic Outburst reader instead. This is an 'our loss is your gain' sort of deal.* They're made of felt and there are 25 bracelets on individual cards. Yes...25!!! I was planning to have EZ E write the names of his classmates on each card. There's one little thing...I only put velcro on one side because I wasn't sure if the winner would be giving them to children or to adults (and I hadn't gotten around to it yet for EZ E's class). All you'll have to do is tacky glue the velcro where you want it. Best of luck!

♥,

Abbey

***(To be perfectly frank, I wasn't sure about giving these away on the blog because these valentines weren't my original idea and I think it's really crappy to take credit for someone else's idea. In the end, however, the mental picture of some busy parent freaking out trying to pull together handmade classroom valentines won out over me being perceived as a jerky copycat. I didn't make them specifically for the giveaway and I'm not making them to sell. The end.)***


♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

Kid-friendly...

Hey peeps! There's an interview with yours truly over at Houzz. I talk a little about how we keep our house kid-friendly. Plus, Houzz is so worth a look if you aren't already obsessed!

Stop the presses...

Spiderman's true identity finally revealed...


He is actually a she. I feel like I knew that all along.

♥ (day 9)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 9. Long-time readers may remember the 'jar-o-hearts' that I give to PRH every year for Valentine's Day. It's been a lovely tradition, one that I thought someone else may be interested in starting. This jar-o-hearts was made using a small jelly jar and a ton of punched hearts, ready for sweet messages to be written on the back. Best of luck!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

High five...

My five favorite things from around blogland this week.

1. Convoy's amazing tumblr found via Present and Correct (top image by Jean-Marc Wullschleger, bottom image originally from sad blog).

2. Door Sixteen's amazing house. The before and after photos are incredible!

3. These fun images from Anthropologie found via A Beautiful Mess. How rad is that station wagon?!

4. This photo of Shauna and Stephen's (somethings hiding in here) new studio floor. Hello, herringbone! I love you.

5. This post by Jordan Ferney about planning memorable parties. I'm in a party-planning mood! How about you?

♥ (day 8)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 8. I meant for this little award to be used as a gift topper, but added a pin back just in case you're inclined to rock the award. I think we all deserve awards, frayed edges or not. I left the wood circle blank for you to pencil in your sweetheart's name or initials. Good luck!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

On parenting and over-confidence...

After successfully taking EZ E and Kicky to a sit-down lunch all by myself last week, I was feeling pretty confident. Kicky had a 15 month check up yesterday, so afterwards I decided to take them both to the Ithaca Bakery for lunch, one of our favorite spots. Oh my word. I should have known better. They were SO naughty... running around, climbing all over the booth, screaming, going under the table, throwing food, etc. We lasted for about five minutes before I grabbed them both and headed out the door with my partially eaten sandwich still on the plate. I had just settled EZ E into his car seat and was wrestling Kicky into hers when I head a thud on the roof of the car. I looked up in time to see a seagull carrying my sandwich off into the sky. A freaking seagull with my sandwich! To add insult to injury, the beast tried to come back for a bit it had dropped, but I shooed it away with a steady stream of expletives (don't worry, the kids were too busy screaming to hear my filthy mouth). So today, I leave you with two bits of advice: don't be overly confident and don't put your sandwich on the roof of your car.

Project ReStyle...

Amidst all of the valentine crafting, I threw together a little project for Rachel and Elsie's fun flickr group, Project ReStyle. Here's the math...

one scarf with holes in it

+

one hideously fleshy looking (but necessary) draft dodger

=

one much cuter draft dodger

I folded the scarf in half with the right side facing in, lined up the edge, and then blanket stitched along it to close the edge. Then I flipped the scarf inside out, stuffed in that awful draft dodger, and sewed each end closed. Voilà! There are tons of great ideas in the Project ReStyle group, so be sure to check it out!

♥ (day 7)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 6. It's about time cloud 9 made an appearance, right? Good luck, valentines!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

7 feet of wooden spoons...

Is it weird that these wooden spoons made my week? I went on an auction date with my mom last Friday night (so fun!) and came home with these (and only these). Our table is 7 feet long, btw. So rad!

♥ winners (week 1)...

Can I get a drum roll, please! The winners for last week's handmade valentines giveaway are...

• Day 1- Emily
  She said...I'm so not surprised that I love this. I think I would be most excited to have a piece of your original work.
• Day 2- Hana
  She said...These are so cute! I love them!
• Day 3- Patty
  She said...Be still my felt heart! These are darling!
• Day 4- Anna
  She said...I've been wanting to make a heart garland for awhile now but of course, haven't gotten around to it. Would love to win this and hang it above my bed. It's darling!
• Day 5- Steph
  She said...wow, beautiful! thanks for the great giveaway :)

Congratulations! Winners, please just send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll send your valentine right out!

♥ (day 6)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 6. As I mentioned on Friday, I had some trouble with this valentine. You may have heard me swearing. I discovered a couple of things about myself while making this though; I'm not much of a cross-stitcher and that I'm really not good at following patterns, even patterns that I make myself. Wowza! This was my third try and, like I said, I almost gave up, but I just couldn't bring myself to stop after hours and hours of work. Plus, my prediction is that Dala horses are going to be a big trend this year. We'll see, right? Good luck!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

This weekend...

Just got in from shoveling snow...lots of snow. It's looking like I have a weekend of soup-making and valentine-making ahead of me. The valentine that I was working on for Monday has set me back two days! I almost gave up after three tries, but I think it's finally coming together. Don't forget that I'll be announcing this week's ♥ giveaway winners on Monday morning! Have a great weekend and I'll see you then.

Btw, don't you just love this banner by artist secret holiday (aka Ashley Anna Brown (aka secret holiday)?! Super cute idea!

♥ (day 5)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 5. I made several of these puff-painted bargello patterns during grad school (see the others here, here, and here). I was working on one in my studio one day when one of my fellow grads came in and, without hesitation, said, "Whoa. You must be completely insane.". Without hesitation I thought, "Hmmm. You must be kind of a jerk.". On a happy note, that jerk is still a very dear friend...and he was right about me being insane. Back to bargello on graph paper. I thought it would make a cute valentine, so here you go. Don't forget that I'll be announcing the winners of this week's valentines first thing Monday morning. Good luck, lovelies!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

For Kicks...

I'm here! A certain three-year-old boy has turned into a slowpoke when it comes to getting ready for preschool and his one-year-old sister had the meltdown of all meltdowns this fine morning. They're both lucky that they're cute or I'd run away to some far off land. Meltdowns or not, however, I'm madly in love with these two (and their patient dad, of course). Both EZ E and Kicky are getting so big! I was sorting through their clothing last week and noticed that I was saving an inordinate amount of Kicky's clothing that no longer fits because it's adorable. Rather than be a freakish baby-clothing hoarder, I've shifted gears and started documenting some of my favorite Kicky outfits. I love Bleubird Vintage's What We Wore posts and Rachel Denbow's Vintage Here, Vintage There posts, so I decided to share some of Kicky's outfits here. I've labeled them with the brand names, even though most of her clothing comes from an amazing store in Ithaca, NY called Mama Goose. So, without further ado, I present you with Kicky as a rainbow.

♥ (day 4)...

20 handmade valentines in 20 days...day 4. Who doesn't love a heart garland made out of security envelope hearts? What's that? You thought I was done with security envelopes? Bad habits are so hard to break. Good luck!

♥,

Abbey

♥ giveaway rules:

• eligibility: open to all Aesthetic Outburst readers, worldwide
• how to enter: leave a comment on the giveaway post (you're welcome to comment on multiple valentines).
• entry deadline: comments will close 48 hours after initial post time
• winner selection: winners will be chosen at random
• winner notification: On Monday mornings, I'll announce the five winners for the week.
• claiming your valentine: send me an email at hownowdesign (at) yahoo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll pop your valentine in the mail! Winners must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.

High five...

My five favorite things from around blogland this week.

1. This list of favorite Scandinavian design blogs from hindsvik (photo via Kjerstis Lykke).

2. This photo by Rebecca Thuss found via design is mine.

3. This tea towel from Hero Design Studio. You should also check out all of the fabulous valentines they designed for Tiny Prints.

4. A vintage Dutch darning sampler found at Sir Prys. Yes, I'm totally trying to make my own version TODAY!

5. The gorgeous, understated home of Jamie and Larry Oliver found via The Etsy Blog.