Tulip Tote Bag

I am so excited - I just bought this sweet vintage tulip tote bag!

You see, now that I am a working mama I have to bring my breast pump to my office but I don't want to look like I am carrying my breast pump. This bag allows me to shuttle my pump in style and leaves room for my purse, my water bottle and the occasional sweater. Yummy.

Lip Stain

I am not much of a make-up wearer. To me, tinted moisturizer IS foundation and my idea of getting all dolled up is putting on 2 coats of mascara and some eye shadow. Just one color, though - I can't handle the 3 toned upper, lower, crease concept.

When it comes to my pucker, I am a chapstick girl, through and through. Lip stick is too heavy and lip gloss is too sticky. However, as I get older, I think I need some color on my lips. God, I sound like my mother. Enter my new best friend: lip stain!

It leaves my lips with a hint of budge-free color all day and I can top it with chapstick to my heart's content! I chose a cranberry hue for that just-had-a-cherry-popsicle look. And since it goes on so smoothly I can decide if I want a little color or a lot - today I picked a lot to brighten my mood on this dreary day.

Snazzy, no?

Yet Another Find In The Yard

Last week I noticed a weed growing up through the hedge at our front door.



A few days later, the weed blossomed and turned out to be a morning glory.



As I stopped to admire the blooms, I noticed this little gold bug. Apparently he got the memo that metallics are on trend for fall.



I apologize for the blurry photo. This bug was tiny and testing the limits of my camera's macro setting.

Dairy Queen

I'm a Dairy Queen. Get it? Nursing mom... Dairy Queen... I can't be stopped.

T-shirt tried on (but not purchased) at Target.

Whose Cats Have an Amy Butler Cat Toy? Mine.

During my recent adventures in pom-pom making, I tried to make a pom from some leftover Amy Butler crib skirt fabric. Tried is the operative word. Both attempted poms turned out horribly and went straight into the trash. Prior to making the poms I got a little over zealous with my rotary cutter. "These will be so cute," I thought, "I will make one for each of my friends !" Since the poms didn't work out I ended up with a giant pile of fabric strips.

I couldn't bear to let such beautiful fabric go to waste so I whipped up this cat toy with the Amy Butler strips and some jersey scraps. All I did was take 15 strips, of equal length, and braided them into 5 ropes. Then I used the jersey to tie the ropes together, and I had myself a cat toy.

Now, I don't flatter myself to think that this is something anyone would pay for, but it was a quick project using materials that were headed for the trash. It's a win-win, right?

New Jewelry, Part 2

After my successful run at creating a pom-pom necklace, I wanted to make another one using this tutorial and scrap jersey fabric left over from this dress-to-top transformation. I love it! The ruffles are just so fun and feminine!

After I made the pom-pom necklace I still had tons of scrap jersey so I whipped up this braided beauty. I am really digging the contrast stitching and exaggerated hardware.

My last necklace was inspired by the work of Kate Miss. I don't like to rip off other designers, but I am not in a place to drop $50 on an accessory. So I did the next best thing - I DIYed it! It's not too terrible if I don't sell it or claim the design as mine, right? Again, I celebrated the hardware and I did a double strand in shades of red - perfect to be debuted at a Wolfpack football game!

Heavy hardware is definitely new for me, but I am loving the results!

Coveting Fall Dresses

clockwise from top right: ModCloth, RiordanRoache, ModCloth, ModCloth, ModCloth, Old Navy

Baby Toy

Luke has gotten lots of toys from our family and friends, but this one is his new favorite!

Well, I call it his favorite but, really, it's just the only one that's light enough for him to pick up. The bucky ball, which is based on the geometry of the Bucky Fuller's famous geodesic dome, is perfect for his little hands - lightweight with lots of places to grab. This will be the first of many design based toys to come!

New Jewelry

I haven't made much jewelry lately, but last week I took advantage of Luke's nap time and picked up the old hobby.

Inspired by all of the long necklaces I've seen everywhere, I made this pom-pom necklace. All I did was take some small felt balls and glue them to a styrofoam craft ball. Add a chain and - voila! - instant cute! I've already worn it and it makes a great color pop for a neutral outfit.

The second thing I made was a cocktail ring using some old buttons and a beading base. The end result was a fun little cluster of sparkle that shakes when I move!

With two more weeks of maternity leave I am going to raid my stash of notions and try to make some more jewelry. Keep your eyes peeled!

The Perfect Clutch

As most moms can attest to, it is just not practical to carry a diaper bag and a large purse. At first I just stashed my wallet into the diaper bag but that left me with no place to put my keys and phone when my diaper bag was left behind in the car. I decided I needed a small purse that would work on its own but also fit in the diaper bag, so I picked up this pleated bag from lireca's Etsy shop.



It's the perfect size to hold my phone, keys, wallet and some lip balm.



My favorite feature is the strap. It makes it so easy to slip over my wrist and leaves both hands free for cart pushing and baby wrangling.

Also, I'm super excited that it goes with my new gray nail polish.