Mama Crafting: Deer Head Holiday Pillow

I'm not sure that I've ever shared the news here, but about a month ago or so, my mom and I opened a booth space in Louisburg, KS. That's right, we are business owners. Or at least my mom is. I merely help her find the finds, make the crafts, and set up the booth. I'm the hired help! And, just recently, we expanded! We now have two booths side by side which allows us to house way more stuff! And we have stuff.

Within this booth space, I mentioned that I was in charge of crafts and I've been crafting like mad! Our newest creation is a deer head silhouette holiday pillow and I'm kind of obsessed with them! And because I love them so much, I thought I would provide a how-to. Not that I really want you running out and making your own, I would prefer you buy ours, but who I am to keep a good thing to myself. Consider this my holiday gift to you!

First you start with an image. I found a free image and had my dad format it to fit a 15X15 pillow. Next, print out the image. Here is what you need: scissors, a stencil sheet, black permanent marker, Exacto knife, the fabric you want to cut the deer out of out, the fabric for the front and back of the pillow, Poly-Fill to stuff the pillow, and fabric glue. 

I cut out the deer head image and laid it on the stencil sheet.

I traced out the deer head using a permanent black marker.

  From there, I attempted to cut it with the Exacto knife, but my dad stepped in when he realized I wasn't doing it correctly. I was getting jagged edges and you can't have that! 

I took the hollowed portion of the stencil and placed it on the fabric. I traced it out using the marker, but I would suggest a white crayon. (I used those on all of the other pillows we made.) I didn't account for the trace marks bleeding through so I had to make sure to cut a little on the inside of the trace marks. 

The cutting out of the deer head took FOREVER! You need a lot of time and a lot of patience. But, he was super cute in the end. So now you need to place it on your pillow front. To find the center, fold the fabric in half and the deer head silhouette in half. I placed it on the fabric and began measuring from the bottom of his chin to the bottom of the fabric and from the beginning of his head to the top of the fabric. From there, I just continued to move him up and down on the fabric until there was the same amount of space between the top and bottom. 

Now you're ready to start gluing. I just started at one of the deer head, applied glue, pressed down, and continued all around the silhouette until it was completely glued. After it dried, I went back and lifted the edges to see if any were loose. If so, I just added small amounts of glue.

Here are our fabric choices.

Now it's time to sew. I left this task up to my mom. She pinned the pillow together, leaving space at the bottom so she could stuff the pillow. 

She sewed all the around the pillow, stitches showing, until she reached the stuffing point. 

And then she stuffed it!

She then sewed up the bottom and a deer head pillow was born!  

This was our prototype and it resides in my living room. We have since made two more and we've done things a little differently. Instead of sewing the stitches on the outside edges of the pillow, my mom has turned the fabric inside out and now the stitches are no longer visible. It's just more aesthetically pleasing. 

And there you have it! The how-to for the cutest deer head holiday pillow. Is this something you're going to attempt to make or take a little trip to Louisburg to purchase? If you can't make the trip, we can make them to order! Just ask.

Happy Crafting!

XO, 

Andrea

KC Fun: Holiday Fun

As  I mentioned yesterday, the holiday season is finally upon us and we kicked it off this past weekend! We are constantly being told that we are all over this city and it's true. This amazing town of ours has so much to offer so why wouldn't we take advantage of all the adventures around us! My hairstylist even told me that she should just follow us around because we're always doing something fun. Come one, come all! We would love to have you tag along.

And because of thoughts like this, I'm going to share with you all the things we're during this season and it all starts with Crown Center. We make several stops to this destination throughout the holidays. Actually, all year long. But during Christmas, it's magical. We have the Mayor's Tree all decorated with larger than life ornaments. And at night it's all lit up and glows like a shining star. And around the tree are the most impressive toys! Large wooden toys that any child would love to find under their tree. McKinley runs from toy to toy; climbing, driving, and imaging all the places he could be going. And it's so much fun that adults get in on the action as well. Or at least we do. Joel and I climb and drive and spend the afternoon playing like our own five year old son. 

In addition to all the outdoor play, there's icing skating on the Ice Terrace. I personally have never done it, but I fear my run is almost over. McKinley is dying to go ice skating and I have a feeling this year is the year. He's going to have a blast doing so, but this 40+ mama is worried about falling and breaking something! But for him, I'm game. I just need to get some snow pants. I don't want to be soaked from falling!

Once you've soaked up all the cold you can handle, head inside for more fun. The decorations inside are just as big as the ones outside. If you happen to be there during the week, you can experience local school choirs singing carols while you shop. And then there's Santa's Gingerbread Station! Before meeting the Big Man himself, you will be dazzled by a giant gingerbread village. It's interactive play and so much fun! One of McKinley's favorite thing to see is the train display. A longtime tradition, this village is full of locomotives in motion! But it doesn't stop there. There are skylifts in action with something to see at every turn. 

If you haven't been to Crown Center, go! It's what makes this season the most wonderful time of the year!

XO,

Andrea

Holiday Party Planning Guide - Picking a Theme

Well, the holiday season is finally upon us. I don't know about you, but I've been ready for this for a long time. Especially after the events of the election. This mama was in need of some cheer! And it's here. I have vowed for the past 15 years that I would never put my tree up before Thanksgiving! And guess what? I put up my tree a week early. I guess you could say I needed a little Christmas....

And with the holiday season comes party planning! By show of hands, how many of you are planning a gathering of some sort? Whether it be big or small, a gathering needs planning. I love to plan. And I love to party plan even more! Aside from birthday parties, we haven't thrown an adult party around here in quite some time. We had a holiday party the year McKinley was born, five years ago, and we haven't had one since. It's hard to plan a party with a child. Especially when you have a smaller home, and your child goes to bed early, and your parties tend to go long. And trust me, I love a party that never ends. It means my guests are having fun, feel at home, and never want to leave. Just the thing all hostess want to achieve.

I started thinking about party planning and wondered if anyone needed advice. And if you do, then maybe this little series is for you. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to talk about all that's involved in planning a party. Again, it doesn't matter if your gathering is big or small, you still need to plan. You need a plan of attack. And the first thing you need is a theme!

I love picking a theme for all of my parties. Whether it's McKinley's birthday, an outdoor BBQ, a Halloween party, or a school classroom party, a theme is always in order. Right now, or should I say forever, I've been obsessed with Mid Century Modern. The house designs, the furniture, the minimalist esthetic, the clothing, and the dinnerware. All of it speaks to me. And I own so much of it. I've always said that if I had the room in my home, I would design one space specifically to Mid Century Mod! 

So in thinking about a holiday party, I am immediatly drawn to the theme of a retro inspired cocktail party. No, not because of Mad Men (I never watched the show), but because who doesn't love a cocktail party! I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and scoured the internet for possible Mid Century invitation designs. I found several sites, but found everything I possibly needed at Zazzle! I discovered their Retro Urban Christmas designs and fell in love! And the amount of products available is amazing! I settled on an invitation, after narrowing it down to about five, and went to town! Here are some of my favorites.

Upon picking my theme, Retro Cocktail Party, and the invitation, it was time to start gathering all the other necessary party supplies. And Zazzle helped with that as well. Because everything can be customized, I was able to "design" my own paper goods. And yes, I use paper goods, First off, I don't have enough dinnerware to use for larger parties and I don't want to be up all night doing dishes! I use ceramic platters for the hors d'oeuvres and serve cocktails out of glass stemware, so I have my hands full of suds at the end of the night! Okay, back to the paper goods. I found the most adorable plates and napkins that I could make my own and can't wait for my guests to use them! 

So what's ahead? We've picked our theme, our party invites, and the paper goods (although we stumbled on those). Now it's time to start thinking decor. You know, the tablescape, serving pieces, stemware, and other accessories. And it just so happens, I've been thinking about those all weekend! I can't wait to share.

If you weren't planning a gathering before now, are you thinking of hosting? What would be your theme? Would it be a big soiree or just an intimate group? I would love to hear your thoughts! And, if you have questions, please don't hestitate to ask! I'm no expert party planner, but like I mentioned earlier, I do love to host them!

Happy Monday, party goers!

XO,

Andrea 

Leith Clark for Warby Parker

As of November 3rd, I am now 43. The first, and last time, I had an eye exam was back in 1992. I was 18 and getting ready to head to college. I've always prided myself on my amazing eyesight. My parents have both worn glasses since roughly age 9. One is nearsighted, the other farsighted. The eye doctor always told my mom that I got the best of both of their worsts. And that remained true until Monday.

Monday November 21st was my first eye appointment in roughly 24 years. You see, over the last couple of months....last year.....my eye sight has been slightly blurred. I found myself pulling my phone further away from my face. I read can labels from a distance. And my mom, and husband, both commented. I was sure they were wrong, even if I subliminally knew they were right. I felt myself doing it, but I just ignored it. Until I couldn't ignore it any longer. My mom forced me to make the appointment. If I'm being honest, my mom made the appointment!

It was a little overwhelming, all those intimidating machines staring at me in the dark. Chasing that flickering light all over the screen, while pressing on the button when you saw it, to test my peripheral vision. I felt like I was failing this super easy test. Then there was the flashing light, blinding light is more like it, that took a picture of the back of my eyeball. Really, was that necessary? All in all, it wasn't all the bad, but it sure did have me rattled.

Then there was the "Which one is better? One or two?" that my husband has been talking about for years. Oh, he wears glasses/contacts as well. Most of the time, two was the better option. And at the end of it all, it turns out, this 43 year old needs glasses.

This fall, Warby Parker teamed up with Leith Clark for a second time on five new frames. They last collaborated in 2013, finding in her a partner who admires the old and uncommon. They conspired side-by-side with Leith on a vintage-inspired collection that incorporates rimless frames, filigree, mixed-material constructions (think: gold-plated titanium coupled with premium cellulose acetate), and exposed screws. Leith took Warby Parker's classic silhouettes and exaggerated them—a cat-eye here, a winged temple detail there—for a finale that’s even better than they imagined. So when Warby Parker reached out to me regarding a blog post, it seemed eerily coincidental. And definitely timely. I've used their product as inspiration for my future chic eyeglass purchase. 

I'm a huge fan of anything retro. I'm a 70s born girl with a flare of Mid-Century Mod. I find that my wardrobe has a hint of vintage flair. I wear wide leg jeans, shaggy fur, and embossed leather. In the words of Leith Clark, "I like the 1970s." And the Leith Clark collaboration fits me to a tee! I love the cat-eye effects, the rose colored sunglasses, and etched frames, something I would totally see my mom wearing in her youth. I'm obsessed with the Fleta sunglasses in Ivory Pearl. And the Wednesday in Oak Barrel are the type of frames I could see myself wearing in the near future. Or the Wednesday's in Jet Black.  But then there's Daisy, Goodney, and Louise.  

 

Daisy

Goodney

Louise

Fleta

 

Lilia

Wednesday in Oak Barrel

In addition, with this partnership, Warby Parker is donating to an organization dear to Leith Clark, Girl Up. The United Nations Foundation’s campaign encourages girls to raise awareness and funds for UN programs that provide life-changing opportunities for girls all around the world. Incredibly inspiring.

All of this has been an eye opening experience, no pun intended, and working with Warby Parker has been incredibly helpful! I feel armed with eyeglass and sunglass knowledge in my search for the perfect pair of eyeglasses. And, I'm pretty sure that Leith Clark and I could be soul sisters in this thing called retro! She has totally spoken to me with her recent designs!

If you are currently an eyeglass wearer, which pair speak to you? Share below! I would love some additional input.

XO,

Andrea

All images and information was provided by Warby Parker. All comments are expressly my own.

Mama Style File: Velvet

Last week was rough for this Mama. I took McKinley to the doctor after diagnosing him for over a week with a cold. Turns out it was a sinus infection. While there, I was running a low grade temp, and not feeling all that great myself, but he needed the appointment before I did. By Thursday, I was being forceably pushed into the Minute Clinic by my mom because she was sure I had strep. I lost my voice on Wednesday afternoon, and as I write this post in Sunday night, I still can't talk! It's been rough! Turns out I too have a sinus infection.

So, to make myself feel better, I've been surfing the net for pretty things. I am thinking of the upcoming holiday season and the few things we will be doing as a family and as adults. In the past, I've always tried to go with glam looks, but this year I'm thinking comfy glam is the way to go! And there are so many options.

I've found leggings (which I never wear as pants), tops, blazers, dresses, and shoes. I've always loved velvet, I think a simple black velvet dress is the classiest thing ever, so these new trendier pieces are right on the mark! And to be perfectly honest, I would wear each and every one of them. And, I may have already styled them with existing pieces in my closet and for party's we haven't been invited too! And the velvet slip-on sneakers? Yes Please! I can totally wear these while running all over the city and feel so chic while doing so! 

With Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks, how amazing would that gold jacket look? I'm obsessed with the smokey gray leggings. The cropped blazer from Target is darling. And those drapey pants are amazing!  

Like I said, I love each of these pieces and could easily work them into my everyday look, as well as, the dressy occasions we have on the horizon.  

Just thought I would share a little of the things that are bringing me joy. And right now, joy is what I'm trying to incorporate into my life in small and large doses. What's bringing you joy these days?

XO,

Andrea