Save handmade and blog about it!

I have been meaning to blog about this for a while: CPSIA and the death to nearly all unique, independent, and handmade products (not to mention library books, used and thrifted items) for children in the US starting February 10th. Sounds eggagerated? It is true.

Read here, here, here and here.

I am saving my words for WEDNESDAY JAN. 28th to unite my blog with all of yours in an effort to RAISE MY VOICE about this terrible law.

IF you have a blog, and feel so inclined to spread the word and the support to do ALL WE CAN to change this, PLEASE BLOG on Wednesday! Here is the link to add your blog to the list (you may need to be a member of ETSY to add yourself to the list, but NOT to join the BLOGATHON). And get your own blog readers to write their own as well. The more the merrier!!!

If you don't feel like writing your own post, here is one that you are welcome to use, or modify to your own voice.

I will have more updates on current info on this act on Wednesday, what it all means and what we can do about it. Until then...get blogging!

**above softie image from Persimmon and Pink

I am in love with a boy.

My boy has many faces, and I love them all! These pictures are worth a thousand words...his face just says it all. All three years worth! Happy Birthday Bug...You are my laughter, my joy, my love and my boy! Here's to being THREE!

The chef party.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a brother and sister who loved to eat sweets and loved to cook and make things together. So they decided to have the perfect sweet-eating, food-cooking, craft making birthday party.

It started out with mother making a table filled with sweets and good things to eat. But since she learned long ago the beauty of delegation, she miraculously found the best sweet-making queen in the land to make the cupcakes for the party. Queen Dusti at Tres Sucre went above and beyond with her strawberry frosting, white chocolate dipped, sprinkled covered marshmellow cupcakes. The most divine in all the land!!! (Seriously folks....we're talking break every new years resolution good! She caters...call her up and get some!)

Next the children each got their own apron to wear and take home for the party which were lovingly (and a little too quickly) made by Mother and Sister.

But every chef needs a chef hat, so we started the day with making paper hats. You know...it makes the food taste better when you where them!

Each child made their own personal pizzas, with pre-made dough provided by Father, the royal chef of the land. There was plenty of cheese for all!

After the pizza making extravaganza, the children had an in door picnic eating their hand-made pizza's. But they were also sitting a little too close to the sweets table, and soon claimed to be full enough so we could move on to the cupcake eating!

Wishes were made and candles were blown (spit on rather...thus the INDIVIDUAL cupcakes rather than a large CAKE until children are AT LEAST 6) and tummies were happy.

Presents were opened.

Presents were then worn

And played with

And then it was pinata time...with even more sweets for the already full children!

Hug and laughs and happy chefs left with happy tummies and happy treats. But of course, we couldn't be finished with the party until a proper balloon release.

And after all was said and done, the brother and sister said good-bye and thank you, closed the door and snuggled a happy mother and father, who knowing they had to clean up the mess from 10 creative chefs, snuggled knowing they had two very special children who were going to live another year of happily ever after.

The end.

Closer than friends.

Click here to watch 2 minutes of happy.

Today an ETSY friend sent me the link above and said it made her think of my Wellesley and Winslow images (my elephant and bunny...which I must be honest are my favorite images and I have big plans for the two of them). I saw this video and totally ended up in tears...good tears...this is a happy, INCREDIBLE 2 minute clip. Amazing. Infact, I think I need to start working on Wellesly and Winslow a bit more before bed tonight.

Sugar and spice.

Thrilled to be drawing again. Here is what I came up with for Addie and Ian's party invites. They are 12 months apart and a few days, and so this year we are sporting a combined party complete with lollipops and sweets of all kinds. I can't wait to see what we come up with...a Hansel and Gretel theme is coming to mind! Now to start the baking...

The real stuff.

For Christmas my mother-in-law sent me a few thrifted book finds, which I LOVE! Vintage children's books are an obsession of mine. Everything...the text, the printed images, with the children's figures being my favorite. Every once in a while you can still find some with great color. Here is one she sent me from 1929. So sweet, and precious to have something so loved for so long.

It is one thing to see these images online (my favorite pass-time on the computer when I have time to waste is find more vintage children's illustrations!) but seeing them on paper is totally inspiring.

Posting these up makes me want to dig into my vintage children's book collection with my sketch book and a cup of warm raspberry tea. (I will have to post more of my favorites sometime!) What a lovely way to spend the afternoon! I am needing some inspiration for Addie and Ian's birthday invitations. Signing off to get lost in literature!