Colored Stick Letters

I was at Anthropologie the other day, and I saw the cutest yarn-covered stick letters. They're seriously perfect for the holidays. You can hang initials next to each stocking to be sure to know whose is whose, you can make them a gift topper, or you can hang them on the tree for ornaments...

What did I do instead of spending $8 per on perfection? I got crafty. My crafty efforts are clearly not perfect, but Sophie and I made them with love...

If you want to try for yourself,
You Need:
- Sticks
- Hot Glue Gun
- String... though yarn would have been much better because it's thicker.

- Cut sticks in the sizes of your letters.
- Hot glue the sticks together to form your letters and hold until the glue dries.
- Tie a knot around to begin your stringing.
- Wind your string all the way down your stick.
- Glue the end and cover with string.
- Your perfectly imperfect stick letter is done!

I thought this would be a great craft for Sophie, but bottom line- she wasn't interested! She did her stick, but she kept begging me to paint instead, so maybe you'll have more luck with your little ones. I'm excited about using them on gift boxes, so I was okay being left to do them alone (they're really quick!), but if the goal is to get your kiddo crafting, maybe try painting the sticks instead. :)

Also, you can cover just portions of the stick, rather than the entire stick. It's kind of fun to have a little of the rustic look combined with the color! Also, the pictures make these look big, but they're actually only about three inches tall.

XO,
Kate

Emma Style

Capes are kind of a big deal this year. I scored one on sale at Gap recently for Em, and I wish they had it in my size! We always keep a basic long-sleeved tee under, so she can stay extra warm, and she gets to pick bright leggings to pair with it.

I've also really been into braiding her hair to keep the tangles away. I love that she's old enough to keep it in! I secure it with cute stretchy hair-ties that add a little extra dose of cute, and she's good to go!















































Love,
Erin

All photos taken by sweet Kristy from Volatile Photography.

Leggings. Cape.

Let's Fly Away

I have a serious love-hate with holiday travel.

I love the anticipation. We arrive at the airport, have secret thoughts about how inefficient other travelers without children really are, and make it a little bit of a contest to get through the security checkpoints faster than anyone else to prove parents are just as good as anyone else (did I just admit that?). Once we survive that, we immediately go for the Peet's coffee stand because making it through the said lines mean that we've now switched to "travel budget," and specialty coffees are always in the travel budget. From there, we face minor regrets as we have to now sip our coffees and hold the babies and carry-ons and fold the stroller...

Then comes the hate: The Airplane. Enough said. My stomach is in knots as I type and think about children+planes.

Back to love: it always ends up worth it to see loved ones that don't get to watch the kids grow on a daily/weekly basis, and we're always happy we came.

Today I've assembled a little board of favorites for traveling, in case you're in the mood to treat yourself before you board a plane this year... or if you'd like to reward yourself in advance for traveling with small children!














































I WAS HERE book. Jewelry Roll. Laptop Case. Passport Holder. Duffel. Luggage Tag.

Can you believe we're only a little more than a week away from Thanksgiving? Ahhh can I please press a pause button here?

XO,
Kate

Bright Little Baby Brunch

This weekend I hosted my one and only beautiful sister's baby shower at my home. Her little girl is due in four short (translated: seems-like-forever-till-she'll-be-here) weeks and I am beyond thrilled. We had a small brunch with dear friends and showered her with little gifts that made us all say way more "awww" and "so cute"s than I care to admit. There is nothing like seeing tiny onesies and pj's with ruffles on the bottom... it melts me. Baby fever! 

This was the first official sit-down meal party I've hosted, and I had a lot of fun being crafty and decorating. The fringe was inspired by Oh Happy Day (I only had the skinny crepe paper, so I did mini fringes) and it's the simplest thing in the world to do but makes a great impact in the room. 

The menu is something I recommend for any brunch because it was delicious AND simple. I'm the type that cooks because I have to, not because I love it, so my dear friends were kind enough to make a gorgeous brownie cake from scratch, a beautiful salad, and an egg frittata. Fancy cheeses, grapes, french bread, fresh berries, and a cheesecake were my contributions. 

The best part was enjoying laughs and joy with dear friends to celebrate my best friend. We are so excited to meet my niece... so, so excited.

LOVE,

Kate

Ps. Pretty Ruffle Table Runner by Rufflewood. More photos on www.delightedmag.com

This Week: In Real Life

We are going to start sharing some real life pictures and commentary on Fridays. A "series" if you will. We take pictures on our phone all week of every last thing we do, and Fridays will be time to share them. If you follow me on instagram, I'm sure some of these will be familiar. Here goes:

1. We have a shared backyard and we never really take advantage of it like we should. Really, the times we've spent back there have been me holding M to avoid her crawling on cement and eating every leaf or rock she sees... yesterday we went back there for the first time in ages and it was blissful. S climbed trees and M collected apples that had fallen. They're both old enough to enjoy it, and I don't have to break my back holding a wiggly baby anymore (kind of makes me sad too, because my wiggly baby is becoming such a big girl now, too)! 

2. I took this picture from a car with my phone and I could not be happier with the way {instagram helped} it turned out. It epitomizes what I love about mornings in San Francisco... the quiet, calm rumblings of cable cars (and the charming dings), deep fog wrapped around beautiful buildings, and the ups and downs, ahhh.

3. I ate a Bob's donut this week. And once again, I wondered why we didn't move closer to Bob's donuts because they may not look like much, but the way they melt in your mouth, ohhh, so good. They may have made me a donut critic actually, because other donuts don't compare since my first from Bob's. Donuts are a serious weakness of mine. Turning them down is ... well actually, it doesn't happen. I don't turn down a donut. See? I told you Fridays are for real life.

4. This is one of those shots I took that didn't work at all-- blurry, face covered etc-- but then I looked at it and it really worked perfectly. I can't stop going through my phone pictures and looking at this one. It's one of the good ones that captures a really joyful moment in life. She thought she was hilarious when she put the oversized glasses on, and she couldn't keep them on and couldn't stop laughing. It's a keeper.

5. Here's a picture of Brian and me. I have green wings (didn't you know?) and Brian walks on one orange leg. LOVE the art of a child. Can't get enough. I need to get really focused and actually make a book of their drawings... one of those things I say like a broken record and may one day do (doubtful!)...

6. The last thing that happened this week is that Maggie turned 15. No but seriously, doesn't she look so grown-up? Like she's actually impatiently waiting for a tardy bus to take her somewhere important? Good news is that those jeggings she's wearing say 6-9 months and she's not getting more than about 10 steps without little tumbles. She's still my baby.


So there you have it. A week in the life of Kate.

Here are some links to things I've loved online this week:

1. Sweet Fine Day created the most gorgeous NYC calendar to sell and raise funds for hurricane relief. Beautiful in more ways than one.

2. Speaking of donuts, Rachel from Elephantine shared with Joanna from A Cup of Jo how to make lemon ricotta donuts. They look amazing. Anyone who is the baking type should definitely try.

3. You Are My Fave had a guest post by Barbara Rucci that is A Color Study craft. This one is for kids or adults and yields beautiful results. My little artists would love this one, and I would love to hang their colorful pictures in their room!

Happy Weekend!

Love,
Kate

Giving Back

We wrote a post for The Honest Company yesterday, and I would love if you'd visit their blog and read it today, if you haven't already. Even before having children, I knew I would want my kids to be truly aware that not everyone in the world has so much as they do. I wanted to be sure to make it priority to help others in need however we can, including the impoverished and the sick.

I'm so proud of my little girl for her perception and desire to help people. There are so many families out there doing far more than we have for others, but this is a start, so simple that anyone with very young children can participate.

Head over and read more at the Honest Company. You can also buy their adorable, eco friendly diapers there. :)