Growing Up /  by Katie Brightbill

Sometimes when I look at my Sophie, I get a little glimpse into our future... see photo above...

It's terrifying. 
How did my baby get so big so fast? She's having actual long conversations with me these days. She'll say to me "let's turn on the jams (music)," and refuse candy from my sister because she has plenty at home and I sit there next to her, listening to her being mature, and I'm completely baffled at how she has become such a big kid...

Then she says, "okay, I'm going to walk the dog with Sally," - that is- imaginary friend Sally, and her imaginary dog- and I breathe a sigh of relief that she truly is still my baby. 

*side note: I've heard only genius children tend to have imaginary friends, so I'm totally okay with this whole deal.  








I love her. I love that smile and even that sass. And I'm so so glad she's still in her 3's and she still thinks I'm smart and I know everything because I'm her mama, and that I get to spend every day with my two little girls that I couldn't love more.


Sweater, Scarf (similar), Leggings, Shoes

All photos taken by the lovely Kristy from Volatile Photography. 



Simple Soup: Potato Chili /  by Katie Brightbill


As the weather gets chillier, I get more cravings for soups. My favorite one (perhaps because it's also the simplest recipe) is potato and green chili soup. Three ingredients, five minutes of prep time, plenty of simmering, and dinner is served!


Ingredients: 
3 Large Russet Potatoes,
2 4-oz Cans Diced Green Chiles
2 32-oz Organic Chicken Stock

































































Dish into bowls, top with shredded cheese, and serve hot with quesadillas! 

Enjoy!
Erin




DIY Paint Chip Art /  by Katie Brightbill

I am so lucky that I have amazingly creative and talented friends. I saw this DIY made by one of my favorite friends, and I asked her to share her brilliance with you today! Maybe you can try something similar this weekend! Happy Friday! XO, KATE. 

Here's an easy way to make something spectacular for your walls - paint-chip punch-out art!

You need: paint chips, a hole punch, a glue stick, a large piece of heavy weight paper, and lots of patience! I made a picture of mommy and baby giraffe for my daughter's nursery.

1. Start by punching out a whole bunch of paint chips in the shades you want. My suggestion is to pick two complimentary colors (in my case coral + grey) and punch from the spectrum of lighter/darker colors around each one -- this way you get some great gradation in your artwork. To keep it simple, use one color for the main graphic, and the other color for your background.

2. Once you have enough punched, start moving the pieces around to form the graphic you want. If you don't have a design in mind, find a picture online and trace the outlines onto your paper to give you some guidance.

3. When you have the main graphic looking like you want, glue each little dot (this is the tedious part. Do it while you're watching reruns or something).

4. Now you can move on to the background. I ended up making silhouettes of trees behind the giraffe using shades of grey. Glue away!

5. To tie everything together, scatter a couple little dots in the shade of your main graphic into the background. Here's the final picture:

And here it is in our nursery. I think it turned out really great, and my daughter really loves staring at the dots, so I think she likes it too!

Good luck!

Cheryl,

Right at Helm

Crepe Paper Headband /  by Katie Brightbill

I'm on a little streak of making basic headbands for the girls. Sometimes I just get bored of the same clips or bands in their hair all the time, and I like a little variety. Bright color always perks up an outfit. Sophie particularly likes this one and she's been wearing it around all week, which makes me happy.

Supplies: Crepe paper cut to about one inch width, a basic plastic headband, a ribbon, and hot glue/gun.


Here's the how-to:
1. Fold your crepe paper strip lengthwise a few times and pinch it in your fingers.
2. Snip the edges toward the center. Be careful not to make your cuts too deep.
3. Repeat on the opposite edge, making sure you don't snip all the way through.
4. Unfold and use your hot glue gun to glue the intact center of the strip to the headband.
5. Hot glue a small ribbon wrapped around the ends of the band to make it more comfortable when worn.
6. Voila! You're finished. Let it dry and hope your little girl loves hers as much as mine does!

XO,
Kate