Airplane Birth Announcements

Airplane birth announcements perfectly compliment the arrival of our baby world traveler.

In an age of electronic everything, I'm a sucker for snail mail.  Especially if the occasion is a happy one.  So of course I had do so something to announce Oscar's arrival in an old school way.  Sticking with the same inspiration for his nursery, we went with a retro travel inspired look.

Just like with all my mailings, I like to include a little treat (Agatha's birth announcements came with candy). This time it was a little balsa wood flyer. I admit I had never seen these before but they are fun to fly and race.  Not sure who enjoys them more - the boys or their fathers!



So off they went on their little adventure along with a tag and photo, introducing our newest traveler.

Safari Nursery - Warm Sophisticated Space Makes Lasting Memories

Create a cozy safari nursery using warm colors, precious mementos and a few new pieces. It's the perfect space for your future world traveler.
 

While I didn't quite meet my self imposed goal of having this nursery complete before Oscar's arrival, it was finished within a few weeks.  I'm call that a win! We went with a loosely interpreted sophisticated safari theme with a few whimsical touches to keep it baby appropriate. This makeover was an easy one with just a few changes to the decor - keeping it different enough from Agatha's nursery look without putting in too much work.

As you can see, I left the walls



While I created this safari nursery for my son, it works just as well for a baby girl.



Even though the room is very small, there are a lot of great little touches that make me smile.  Staring with photographs from our trip to Kenya in 2010 (arguably one of the best vacations we have ever been on!).  We also have the hot air balloon that we received as a thank you gift from my brother and sister in law (your might remember that was the best wedding ever).  A rocking elephant that a sweet friend sent that is just perfect.  And finally an amazing reversible quilt from local artisan Brooklyn Quilting Co that I can't get enough of.

 

Dark walls and personal touches make a warm, cozy space

It's cozy and warm and I hope we'll make the same wonderful memories in here that we made with Agatha when she was in this room.  Now if only we could all sleep through the night and then it would be magical.

Safari Nursery Resources

map quilt | brooklyn quilting co.
glider | Lyon Swivel by babyrelax
crib | stokke sleepi
curtains| striped flambe via overstock 
mobile | petit collage safari
animal head | pillowfort target
rug | Zulu by Loloi
wall color | Glidden Wrought Iron
hot air balloon | authentic models
rocking elephant | pottery barn
picture frames | Ikea odby (now discontinued)
chair pillow | designed by me, printed at zazzle
safari photos | taken by me on our trip to Kenya

For More check out:

Baby Closet Hack

Today in micro fashion...

faux fur hooded vest with ears - H&M 

So maybe it was 90 degrees when I picked up this faux fur vest but I.could.not.resist. Sure, it's still very much summer here but in just a few short weeks, the temps will be dipping and my very favorite season will be upon us. Bring on the boots, the pumpkins, the cool breezes. We'll be ready!

Anyone else just a tiny bit addicted to kid clothing shopping? What are you favorite shops for your little one's closets?

The Tiniest Kitchen Renovation Reveal

Guess who is the happiest girl on the block?  No, not Agatha but her mother who was so happy to have this tiny project done.  Not only because I just love how it turned out but also because Agatha's was so priceless - her face ace lit up, she cried out "kitchen!" and ran over to start playing immediately. The best! But enough of that, time for the big reveal.


A little bit more in keeping with my style, don't you think?

Sources:

play kitchen found second hand but originally made by little colorado

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backsplash is peel & stick smart tiles which were super easy to install and totally make the whole look! I just cut with a scissors, peeled and stuck.  (These are actually made for real kitchens so a good alternative to retiling if you don't want the hassle or have other restraints in case you are wondering. They look very authentic!)

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paint was annie sloan chalk paint in graphite mixed with white

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simple stainless hardware pulls and cup hooks from lowes

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awesome play food from HABA  - agatha will not stop playing with these and is learning all of the words for the vegetables and fruits.  I love it all and am going to be collecting every piece they make!

That's it for now. I want to add some side storage and some interior shelving but my cordless saw was acting up so I put that upgrade on the back burner for now. In the meantime, Aggie is cooking up a pretend feast!

The Tiniest Kitchen Renovation Update

The weekend weather was too perfect to "waste it" so I'm a bit behind on my project list but I did get started on the tiniest kitchen renovation this week.  I was debating about whether I should pull it all apart to paint it or just leave it in place and tape it off.  I'm so glad I took it apart because it was holding on to a ton of dirt and uck in the crevices.  I loved scoring the deal but I paid for it in scrubbing.



It's coming along.  A few more steps and it will be ready for the grand opening.

Someone already gave us some tiny pots and pans (that Agatha adores playing with!) so I'm on the hunt for a few other accessories.  How bizarre is it that I get a kick out of play food?  I can't even explain why an old bag like me is thrilled with the idea of a plush chicken with removal drumsticks  or a baby expresso machine but I can't help it!

If you prefer kitchens of the grown up variety, I have some nearly finished shore kitchen photos to share tomorrow.

The Tiniest Kitchen Renovation Mood Board

If you follow me on instagram or facebook, you know I lucked out and found a great play kitchen at a local secondhand shop. Aside from a lot of dirt and a few crayon marks, its in great shape and cost me well less what the raw wood for a DIY version would have.  (I had a vague plan to build my own play kitchen either from scratch like this amazing one from Ana White or a nightstand hack like this yellow baby from bubblestitch but I'm more than happy to skip the build step!)

Little Colorado Play Kitchen purchased second hand at Life N Thrift Boutique

A dark gray paint like Glidden French Gray or Annie Sloan Charcoal

Marble Contact Paper and/or Peel and Stick Tiles

Toy Pots and Pans and a Polka Dot Dish Towel

Since I can skip the messy part, I can go right to the fun step of pimping it out.  It needs paint, a back splash, accessories and storage.  Clearly, I'm far more excited about it than I should be but let's do this!

Ideally I'd like to switch the right hand side door to open down like an oven but I think I might do more damage to it by trying to move the hinges where they aren't supposed to be.

What do you think?  Any other suggestions?

A White Playhouse Makeover - You can Transform any Prefab Playhouse

Ta-da!  Agatha is now the proud owner of her own little piece of Brooklyn real estate.  While I could certainly make the case that this white playhouse is perfect for encouraging the type of open-ended imaginative play that is critical for toddler brain development, let's get real.  This is more than a little bit for the little girl in me!  What can I say? I'm a sucker for homes big and small.

I started with this wooden playhouse ordered from Wayfair which I selected primarily because of its small footprint. Perfect for my small backyard but it could even be used on a patio or large indoor playroom.  It arrived quickly and was pretty straightforward to put together.  It's adorable straight out of the box but of course, I wanted to customize it.

How to Customize a Prefab Playhouse into a Customized White Playhouse to Match your Home

The first step of this mini makeover was paint.  Black, white and green are just about my favorite outdoor color scheme and it definitely transformed the look.  I used patio decking to make the floor + porch and used white plastic garden fencing around the edges to create some more definition.  Black and white patterned oil cloth cut and hung as bunting banners graced the eaves.  A few hanging planters were added to the shutters and an oversized metal "A" marks the cottage for its tiny dweller.

And while I fully own that I was pretty determined to get Aggie a little white playhouse cottage no matter what - I'm happy to report she absolutely adores it! Naturally, I can't leave well enough alone so I plan on adding a few upgrades to her white playhouse later this year inside in the form of an area rug and a makeshift play kitchen.  Stay tuned for the next episode of This Little House!

Here is a full source list to DIY a white playhouse just like this one:

• KidKraft Outdoor Playhouse from Wayfair
• Glidden Exterior Semi-Gloss in Emerald
• Glidden Exterior Flat in White
• Rustoleum 2x Black Spray Paint
• Big Lots Plastic Garden Fencing
• Anthropologie Zinc Letter
• Oil Cloth
• Decking Tiles
• Hanging Planters
• Target White Garden Gnome
• Leftover stump

Don't have room for a White Playhouse outside? Check out this cute playhouse under the stairs.

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Aggie's sushi dress is by Alejandra Kearl sushi dress purchased at Zulily

The Most Useful Baby Items: Newborn Edition

I already shared my list of the most useless baby items, it seems only right I share the other half of that list. Now that baby A has made it to the second half of her babyhood, I feel better informed to give you the lowdown on the items that were absolute must haves for us.  Of course every baby and mother is different so what was key for us may be complete junk to you - this is just my view.



1. The Miracle Blanket - If you happen to get a baby who likes to party all night like Aggie, you will do pretty much anything to help her (and you!) get some nighttime zzzs.  Swaddling did help us eventually but she was a houdini right at the start - managing to escape from every swaddle blanket known to man until we finally settled on this one.  Eventually she managed to escape this one too (at about 4 months) but by that time we were ready to wave bye-bye to swaddles all together.

2. One piece sleep + play outfits.  You know all those adorable baby clothes you buy when you are pregnant with the idea that everyday is going to be a fashion show?  Forget em.  For just a little while.  Especially at the very beginning when you are just getting adjusted, a one piece that suited sleeping and playing was wonderful.  Since we went through a least a few outfits a day during anyway, having a stash of these was a nice way to make life simple. (Don't forgo all baby fashion shopping - you'll need a few fun outfits for special occasions in the beginning.  After the newborn stage is over, you can start putting baby in day and night clothes like the rest of us.)

3.  Bibs, lots of them.  You might get lucky with a baby that doesn't spit up often and in that case, feel free to skip this suggestion.  That wasn't the case in casa limestone.  We went through lots of bibs - sometimes 10 in a day!  So having lots on hand was key.  I especially love these aden & anais snap bibs because they were very soft on baby's skin and snapped in the front rather than velcro'd in the back but we saved those for when we were going out and had a huge stack of cheapo white ones for home use.

4. Baby Bathtub Generally I eschew any one purpose, short term items like this but the baby bathtub was and continues to be useful to us.  As first time parents, we were way to scared to just plop her in the hard sink directly.  This was a great help to baby bathtimes.

5. Rock n Play Sleeper I stumbled upon this item by accident.  Agatha was just over a month old and we were about to take a 2 week road trip with her.  She wasn't sleeping much at all but I searched for a portable crib we could use on the road.  Well low and behold the rock n play sleeper came up and it was a magical portal to sleepy baby land.  After using it for just a few days, Agatha was sleeping in few hour stretches vs. few minute ones.  She needed a lot more help and guidance to get sleeping through the night down eventually but this bridged the gap when we were really exhausted.  Get it!

6. A good stroller.  I've only had a Bugaboo Bee so I can't compare it with other brands and models but we have already gotten our money's worth and we have only just started to use it.  It will likely be the item we use the most over her baby and toddler years so its a worthy investment.  It's important to go with a model that has the right features for YOUR life. For us city folk, good shock absorbtion and a smaller profile has been great for maneuvering the sidewalks and the small spaces we have to get through. (I wish it had a one handed close option which would make it a lot easier to fold up while holding baby in the other hand and it could really use a drink holder but other than that, I've been very happy with it.)  If you live in a different environment, you'll have a totally different set of needs so this is one area a lot of research pays off.

So there you have it.  My top 6 baby items.  That just covers the first few months.  Now that she is older, we are in a whole new world of baby junk! For the other moms reading, how did my list compare with your own?

Baby Smiles

For those keeping score, I took the advice of several of the comments about not bothering with a baby play mat and going with a nice cushy blanket instead. I picked this one up at the Country Living Fair.

She isn't very mobile right now so its too soon to say if it will work for us but I'll let you know.  It's definitely more than I've spent on a throw blanket before but I figure it was worth having something nice and cushy.  Based on this photo, looks like Agatha approves.

High chair choice

Thanks to everyone who lent a hand on our high chair shopping. We ended up going with the OXO Sprout which wasn't even on my radar until you recommended it.

Aggie isnt quite sure what to make of it but enjoyed the new vantage point during her first sit. We are a few weeks from using it for eating but so far we like how easy it was to put together, the small footprint and the simple design. Hopefully we made the right choice but only time will tell.



Now if only all baby items had so many good choices! My next target is cushioned playmat that doesn't look like a clown exploded on it. This one from Skip Hop isn't so terrible but I would much prefer fewer colors.  This Tadpoles grey faux wood looks cool in the photo but has no reviews so I'm leary. And this round Nook Lilypad has a nice texture but the orange is very loud.  Suggestions?