Hanging paper organizer

I have recently been brainstorming ideas of what to do with all the clutter that accumulates on our kitchen counter.  It drives me crazy.  Mail, receipts, projects the kids and I are working on, papers Pete brings home from work, keys, phones, magazines, bills... it all seems to pile up in one place.  And we don't have much counter space as it is.  So I came up with this hanging organizer to hold the kids papers, coloring sheets, and anything they're working on at the moment.  (This obviously doesn't solve all of my kitchen counter clutter problems... but it's a start).



I'm sure you can buy something like this at a pretty low price.  But I have a hard time spending money on something that I can make using things I already have.  So I hot glued together foam core, then covered it with paper from a brown paper bag and a few pieces of scrapbook paper.  I hung it at the kids level so they can easily access their folders.  And yes, it is right in our dining/kitchen area.  I knew if I put it anywhere else it wouldn't be used.



Now I just need to make one of these for all of my papers!

The arrival of boy #4

You may have guessed the reason for my absence the last week or so... our baby arrived!  William Hirschi Jackson was born on Thursday, March 22 at 1:04 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz.  We feel more than blessed to have little Will join our family.

As is expected, along with a new baby comes the need to let certain things go... so I may not be posting too much on here for the next little while. Instead I will be feeding, changing and snuggling my little one :)

A rainbow of cards

The first day of spring was calling out for an art project at our house. So we got out the watercolor paints and made "rainbow cards." We started out by painting rainbows, then I showed the kids a few different techniques and let them do their thing.



I always end up liking their paintings more than my own! Mine tend to be more methodical and thought out. They just go for it.



After they dried, I used the paintings to make cards. Now we have a fresh new stack to be used for birthdays, anniversaries, and thank you's... and I may just hold on to a couple of my favorites :)

Diaper changing pad

An exciting new item for this upcoming baby (due in 1 week!!) is a changing pad. Another creation by my friend Hilary. I'm surprised I never carried one of these around with the other kids, but it will be perfect for diaper changing when I'm out and about and is small enough that it can be folded up and stuck in the diaper bag.



The size is 18" x 24", which seems about right. One side is terry cloth and the printed side is from the "A Walk in the Woods" Collection by Aneela Hoey. I love the print and that it's not blue! We have plenty of blue things around here.



Now all I need is a little body to lay down on this. The constant diaper changing is about to begin :)

From pants to shorts

Over the winter we slowly built up a small pile of pants that had holes too big to mend. It's unavoidable with boys. John comes home from school with a small hole in his knee, I'm lazy and don't make him take the pants off right away so I can patch them, and by the end of the day the hole is all the way across and starting to rip up his thigh and down his shin. So the pants go in the pile waiting to be turned into shorts.



With the warm weather we've had lately, this project was calling out to me. I essentially took scraps of material or old clothing, used them to make bias tape, then sewed them around the bottoms of the shorts.



Now we're all ready for this beautiful weather!



Joe was feeling left out of the photoshoot :)



You can go to the HBfabrics giveaway post from last week to see who won!

HBfabrics giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.

Today I'm excited to bring you a giveaway from HBfabrics! Hilary and Chris sell designer fabric out of their home. Hilary also has her own line of products (Hilary Brooke Collection)... totes, wallets, iPhone and iPad cases, pack-packs, hooded towels, kids belts and ties... all made with beautiful fabric. In her own words:

Hilary Brooke Collection started out after I got together with a good friend and she taught me how to make a diaper bag. I was hooked! I quickly learned that many other women had the same desire as I did to have a bag that no one else had! That is when Hilary Brooke Collection began. I started buying fabric in bulk and filling up our formal dining room with wall to wall fabric. The small bag business quickly turned into our fabric store (HBfabrics) and Hilary Brooke Collection. I joined forces with my husband Chris and now we both love to find great fabrics and patterns and we continue to fill up our home with lovely fabrics and my own creations for HBC. We enjoy shipping great fabrics and unique handmade products out to our wonderful customers.

HBfabrics can be found online, on Etsy and on Facebook.



Today they are generously giving away a Charm Pack—42 squares from the "Ruby" line by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics, PLUS 2 yards from this line of your choice (valued at $27 + shipping!). It can be any combination in 1/4 increments... for example, 1 yard of one fabric and 1 yard of another, or 2 yards of 1 fabric, or 1/4 yard of 8 fabrics and so on. Oh, the possibilities!





Could there be a cuter line?! Can I enter the giveaway? :) I'm in love with these colors.



Here's how to enter:

Simply "like" HBfabrics on Facebook then leave a comment on this post (one entry per person, please).

The giveaway ends Sunday at midnight. Winner will be announced Monday morning. Good luck!

And the winner is...



Ellen! Congratulations!

The diaper bag

I've used the same plain black diaper bag since John was born, so when my friend Hilary said she wanted to make me a new one for this baby I was thrilled! And let me tell you, Hilary isn't just anybody. She and her husband started a company (HBfabrics) selling designer fabrics out of their home, and Hilary even has her own line of products (Hilary Brooke Collection) that she sells online and on etsy. But for this bag she used an Amy Butler Pattern, the Sweet Harmony Tote. I couldn't love it more.



Hilary let me choose the fabrics I wanted the bag to be in from her shop. I went with Full Moon Polka Dot Slate and Wallflower Sky from Amy Butler's Lotus Collection.



Thanks Hilary!
Check back tomorrow for a fabulous giveaway from HBfabrics!