Happy Site Friday is a state of mind today. A place I need to go in my heart and my head to get over a really hard week! I LOVE this quote, and I was reminded of it from my friend’s blog here. She is a mother of 6 (including triplets) and a graphic designer. Just what I needed for a pick me up this morning!

THANK YOU ALL for your sweet well wishes on the pregnancy! I wish I had the time to email you all back individually and thank you! It is so exciting to be creating a new child inside me…more than a miracle!

But in case you EVER get the sense that motherhood is all bliss and no tears in our household, please think again. Sometimes I think because blogging is JUST A FRACTION of real life, we forget that life with children is NOT picture perfect moments. Cakies started a “messy monday” post, and I am seriously wanting to start one too. Gotta get my courage a bit hight though:) Life can be quite chaotic.

This is all from yesterday:

Ian screaming so loud in the car I can’t get through to GOOG-411 on my cell to get a phone number. The automatic operator kept thinking I was trying to get the number for “AHHHHHHHH!” instead of my daughter’s pre-school.

Ian finding the Costco size package of toilet paper and unraveling it in my shower.

Addie and Ian fighting!

Addie forgoing a much needed nap so she could dump out all the toys while I was napping.

People coming over to visit and being too embarrassed to invite them in yesterday!

More Fighting!

Ian finding the dental floss and unstringing THE ENTIRE 75 YARDS all over the living room and tangling it all around himself and the furniture.

Children who think 2 am is a good time to eat breakfast and do a puzzle in the play room.

The red stains from Baby Motrin all over my bedding from a midnight dose to a screaming three year old who hates medicine and is very good at spitting it out at record lengths.

BUT then I melt from the sweet:

Addie has stopped calling me “Sarah” and now calls me “Mudder”

Ian, because he can’t say his “S’s” very well, says “I love you too much” instead of “I love you SO much”

Addie exclaims at least once a day “Mudder, you are the most wonderful Mudder in the whole world!”

Ian needing at least 4 sets of kisses and hugs at bedtime.

Addie telling me out of the blue at lunch time: “Mudder, don’t worry. I will still be your daughter when I grow up.”

Ian running around the house naked for 10 minutes shouting “Horray!” after going potty for the first time.

And so much more…

So, to any of you who need a little “pick me up” this morning, print off this quote and know you are doing the best work ever! There are so many payoff’s when you start looking! It’s really a masterpiece…motherhood is the best work of art I have attemped yet. But masterpeices take time and masterpeices can be messy in the middle. Trick is to see the creative process as beautiful!

Happy Friday!

OK. I am totally excited today to share with you the biggest kept secret of the Internet. Well, my biggest kept secret. I have mentioned before how I LOVE vintage children’s books, and collect them for inspiration. Well, if you haven’t heard of the Rosetta project, you are in for a treat.

This site is an online library of hundreds of vintage children’s books that have been scanned in page by page and can be read and seen online. You are not allowed to save any of the information without buying the books, however. They range in price based on length and how valuable. But when you buy the book, it is saved to your computer and you can print it or read them on your screen! These books are amazing, and they are being updated weekly. There are books from the mid eighteen hundreds up to the 40′s , and range from early readers to books for youth. It is so amazing to watch the trends in children’s lit change through the years. You really get a sense of what the culture deemed as fun for kids. They also have books from different countries…Sweden, Brazil, etc.

I can’t post more pics, since they are highly protected. But I promise you won’t be disappointed! I have been checking their site for 2 years now, and consider it the biggest gem I have found yet.

Have fun! I would love to know your favorites!

Happy friday my friends!

xoxo

sarah jane

Yesterday I came across these pictures and just melted. Aren’t they so charming? Who doesn’t love Audrey, and who doesn’t wish they had a pet baby deer?

I was COMPLETELY inspired, and had the spontaneous need to get some sweet Valentine cards in the shop of a much younger Audrey (or whom ever you will) and her dear pet (no pun intended.) So, between packing, shipping, cleaning and errands, I managed to get some new Valentines cards made up. I realize it is a bit late, but I have been rather busy with some other projects I can’t mention just yet.

They will be in the shop tomorrow, with a couple other things I hope. Happy Valentines!!!

Hi. My name is Sarah and I am a recovering Polaroid-aholic.

Yes. I am hooked. I found this free download that gives you a “Polaroid” camera for your desktop, and all you do is drag and drop your digital photos into the camera, and CLICK-CLICK it pops out a Polaroid version! The photos even sit on your desktop and “develop” just like the real thing! I am in love!

The above photos come from a photo shoot my cousin at Gashlycrumbs did for me with my Toys on Wheels, J’aime ma Maman , Danse avec moi and Dress up party print. I think they look pretty nifty in vintage film!

To satisfy your own Polaroid cravings, click here.

** and THANK YOU for all of your hard work with voicing your support of changing the CPSIA. Great comments everyone!

When I need inspiration, I have a few places I like to hang out. Arthur’s Circus is one of them. If Ian had his own room, this is what it would look like.

Over the Christmas break, I made sure to pick the brain of my extra-efficient-super-techie-really-organized-oober-up-on-the-latest-everything-brother and asked him his favorite form of keeping track of all his tasks. I knew I’d love it as soon as he told me what he uses:

“Remember the Milk.”

“What? no really…what program do you use?”

“Remember the milk!”

That is so my life. I mean, Forgetting the milk!

I knew I could totally trust my brother since he is also all about SIMPLE and cutting back on all the extra stuff when it comes to trying to stay organized.

It is an online simple task list, which I love since I am all about the old fashioned paper and pen task making. It’s been a week, but I AM IN LOVE! It is so simple, and acts just as you need it to…you can easily categorize, customize, etc. It can even show up as a side bar to your gmail account, which acts as a perfect place to dump more tasks in after going through your email. genius. I love smart people who come up with these things! Best part, you can also access without the Internet! My life has been SO much more manageable this past week! And I just love that I don’t feel like I have to be all organized to be organized…you know what I am talking about. Those task programs that require you to think like an organized person to be organized? Ya. Not for me. I never thought a cow could be so helpful.

So, just passing a long another happy site this Friday! Happy weekend, and happy list making!

I have been hooked to PANDORA for a year. I can’t think of a better way to get a mix of music and at the same time find new artists and songs you have never been introduced to. I.love.pandora. Almost as much as my ipod. Currently I am listening to my “college of king’s choir christmas” mix. Get’s me in the mood. But Feist and A Fine Frenzy are getting my going when I need a break from holiday music. What is your favorite Pandora mix? What comes out of your secret box?

 Is it really that  bad to want to be someone else for just a day? I will be totally honest with you. I want to sit in this woman’s house and soak up her inspiration. Danielle Thompson is oozing with more talent than humanly possible. Photographer, designer, decorator, crafter, artist, business owner, mom. Her colors pop and her art has so much life. I LOVE that I just found her blog and her website. She has created a design team for her products that she sells her crafty goodness on her ETSY site and she also sells her digital kits on Two peas in a bucket. She is brilliant. And I just feel happy when I see her images. How can you not? Total eye candy.

Visit her blog

Visit her shop

Visit her Flickr

Visit her other shop

Happy Friday! Enjoy!

Christmas is here, and we all have our wish lists for our kids. Or, our kids have wish lists for us. Either way, here is a fantastic place to find creative play toys all in ONE place.

About them: “LivingPlaying.com is an online store providing high-quality educational and developmental toys, products, and publications that enable parents to teach, guide and inspire their children through creative play.”

Wooden kitchens, wooden cars, puppet theaters, unique decor, doll houses, construction toys, even montessori toys. My kind of store!

Much awaited: Cards are here! These packs were so much fun to put together. Most of my cards just come with cards and envelopes. These have an added bonus: pretty box and gift tags to match! I had a lot of fun making these! I wish you could just see them in person. They are just yummy.

“Winter Cheer” Stationery Set

“Handmade Just for you” Stationery set

“Wellesley and Winslow Christmas Post” Stationery Set

I hope there are more Holiday cards coming, but I as far as “sets” complete with gift cards, this is it folks!

And while we are on the subject of GIVING….

How about a BUY 2 GET ONE FREE sale? Sound good? It does to me!

Just purchase TWO products, and mention the THIRD product in the message to seller box at the time of purchase, and I will include it in your order! Quesions? I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks to those of you who have been so patient waiting for these! Happy gift giving!!!

Have fun in the shop!