if you knew me... and an outfit

skirt: edc by esprit, top: zara, sunglasses: AE, branch earrings: lovestitched

so i thought i'd make this a weekly thing where i let you know all about the quite interesting things you'd possibly know if we were real life friends ;)

here we go...

• i am super afraid of unknown situations. i like to talk things through with someone who has done that thing before and make sure i am prepared for all possible outcomes. it's actually pretty crazy and sometimes i catch myself not doing something because i'm afraid i'll look like an idiot...
• i can't sing one bit! my poor baby boy still thinks my voice is lovely but i'm sure that won't last much longer
• i fell in love with hawaii on our honeymoon and can't wait to go back for our 10 year anniversary.
• i've never been to disney world, passed it on the highway but never actually went in. i hear the most amazing things and can't wait to go. 
• ok you've probably heard this one before but i actually get along better with men than women. i don't know what it is but i've been let down by a lot of girls i considered close friends, so i think i've got my guard up a little. 
• i did ballet for 5 years as a young girl and have always regretted that i quit. the darn tights were too itchy! apparently i was quite good also... 
• i have bad road rage ;) 
• when i'm stressed or bored i pick at my fingernails and peel off the layers that split. 
• i have refused to go to Paris (the french one) every time someone has tried to get me to go, which has been quite a few times. i know you probably think i am crazy! i've actually been on a bus ride through paris and the airport quite a few times. however, i have horrible memories of learning french in school and everything connected to france so i just stay away ;) i fear though that the next time we are visiting my family (in germany) my husband will convince me to take the 4 hour train ride on a little getaway... can't say no forever, can i? 

By the way, I'm going on a little trip to Chicago next week. Any locals with suggestions on what to do, where to eat, etc...? I've been there twice before but never with a toddler so any suggestions will be helpful. We are staying downtown and I will be mostly walking everywhere. Thanks :)  

diy: embroidered photo art

did you all have a great labor day? we had a little family cook out at my in-law's place and the weather actually turned out pretty nice too.

i know i still owe a t-shirt makeover tutorial for last week but i really wanted to share a little bit of a different project first. 

i've had this idea in my head for quite a while now, 9 months to be exact, and i just now finally got around to actually making these embroidered photos, ironed onto fabric and stretched in embroidery hoops. 

this is a fairly easy project that can be adapted whichever way you'd like. the embroidery part is definitely what takes the most time here but even that depends on how quickly you work and how intricate your design is.

to make one frame you will need:

full page, light fabric transfer paper for ink jet printers (i used avery brand item number 327, 6 sheets per package)

a embroidery hoop (make sure you don't go bigger than what you can print on a sheet of transfer paper, 8.5"x 11" and remember your printer can't print all the way to the edge of the paper)

white cotton muslin fabric

embroidery thread and needle

paint in case you want to paint your frames/hoops a different color

a photograph of your choice turned to black and white

first measure the diameter of your frame and size your picture accordingly using either photoshop or another photo editing program of your choice. most programs should be able to let you turn your image into a circular image. you also need to turn the image black and white. 

next check to see if your printer will automatically print the image in reverse (mirror image) when you select "print on photo transfer paper" in your print menu. mine did this after i had manually created a mirror image in photoshop and it really threw me off at first ;) make sure to print the trial image on regular paper first! 

if your printer doesn't automatically create a mirror image (maybe because you don't have the "print on photo transfer paper" option, make sure to create a mirror image before you print onto the transfer paper. once ironed onto the fabric your image will be right side up again. does that make sense? 

if you are using photoshop you can do this by going into the image drop down menu, selecting rotate canvas and then flip canvas horizontal. 

if you can't seem to get your picture round, you can always use a rectangular embroidery frame as well.

once you have printed your mirror image onto the transfer paper simply iron it onto the fabric according to the package directions. let the fabric cool completely before removing the backing paper. 

then stretch the fabric with the image in the embroidery hoop and tighten it well. 

now you are ready to embroider a design of your own or use the following ideas:

hearts

stars 

balloons

necklaces 

earrings

speech bubbles 

sun

moon

it is also fun to go with something that is already present in your image. maybe someone is holding something you embroidered into their hand. you could even take your image with that purpose. 

you don't have to use a picture of your child, anything is possible. just be creative with it. you can of course use a cross stitch or a straight stitch like i did, the possibilities are endless.

now all you have to do is make sure your fabric is stretched tightly (it may have given a little during embroidering) and trim the excess on the back. 

find the perfect spot to show off your work and hang them on the wall. 

mine balances fairly easily even though the hardware makes them heavier to one side. you can always use a little weight on the inside of the frame if you can't seem to get them to hang straight. 

let me know if you gave this a go and what embroidery ideas you came up with, i'd love to add them to this post. 

like to see more craft ideas? go here

would love it if you

 :) 

linking up here

currently...

...wearing 

1/2/3/4/5/6

or maybe i should say dreaming about wearing this since in reality it is still way too warm.

...listening to

blood - the middle east
in your light - gotye
fire and rain - birdy 

you and me - DMB

be my downfall - del amitri 

all over now - eric hutchinson

sort of - ingrid michaelson

the a team - ed sheeran 

the shape of us - ian britt 

a case of you - james blake

i'm on my way - rich prince

all things go - chiddy bang 

this ain't a love song - scouting for girls 

...watching

season 5 of rescue me on netflix

...cooking 

these delicious recipes

peach blackberry crisp (holy delicious and soooo easy!) 

crab rangoon (i could eat these every day) 

what about you? 

i'm weird...

i feel like i have never really shared much about myself and who I am on here. i am always busy posting my creative projects, family photos, outfits and rather hesitant when it comes to letting you guys know a little bit more about me as a person. mostly because i always talk myself out of it anticipating no one really wants to know what toothpaste I use etc...

but, today i'm doing it. i'm gonna share some very random and maybe quite strange things about myself, so enjoy ;)

• i hate using drive-throughs. any kind really but mostly the bank's. i just don't like dealing with a voice when it comes to my money i guess. i do use the starbucks drive-through quite frequently but even then i don't like not seeing the person i am talking to. weird right?

• i always run up the stairs in my house. a lot less now that i usually carry logan but if i'm not carrying something or someone i have to run up. no idea why but it's been like that ever since i can remember.

• i really like to be alone. i don't need to have a ton of people around me at all times - it actually drives me nuts! i'm alone quite a lot too during the season when the husband works all the time and i enjoy it. plus i get a lot more done ;) 

• i love organization but my personal spaces around the house are usually the messiest. the container store would be my financial meltdown. good thing there isn't one close. 

• i don't like to shower in the morning so i usually do it before bed.

• i can barely keep a plant alive, inside the house and out. my vegetable garden looks like such a failure :(

• i don't fully trust doctors. i won't go to a doctor unless i am seriously, seriously sick which luckily never really happens. 

• the previews are the thing i look forward to most when going to see a movie. i sometimes sit down and watch a bunch of movie previews on itunes through the apple tv... yeah, i know! 

• i'm afraid of heights. i did stand on that glass floor on top of the cn tower in toronto as a kid though! must have been out of my mind.

that's it for now. i'm sure there will be more to share in the future.

what are some things you find "weird" about yourself? 

a blue pencil skirt, giveaways and a discount

skirt: thrifted, t-shirt: tresics, jacket: lc lauren conrad, shoes: tamaris, watch: michael kors, earrings: love stitched 

just an outfit post today including my new favorite skirt. don't you just love that cobalt blue? 

lately, next to being mama, i've been busy exploring ideas, designing and creating. i feel so much happier and balanced when i have a creative outlet. some ideas have worked out great and i'll be sharing them here soon, others not so much but that's ok too. 

i am also excited to say that i have a great giveaway coming up very soon :) there are just so many amazing, talented women out there and I am so happy to be able to share some of this talent with you guys. i'll also be part of the big 1000 follower giveaway over at modern modest beauty, where you'll be able to win a month of ad space on my blog and I'm sure a ton of other great stuff. 

and lastly, i am taking new and hopefully some returning sponsors for september so make sure to check out the sponsor page for more information! 

you can save 20% on all ad space sizes with code september20off right now :) 

a real life picnic, not a fairy tale one

we had a picnic at the park on saturday and looking at these pictures you'd think we had the most fantastic day. granted it wasn't the worst day. however, looking at these pictures and knowing how we struggled with happiness all day, made me think about how deceiving pictures can really be. especially on blogs. you could look at these pictures and believe we were the picture perfect family without a care in the whole world. i know i look at other blogs that way. 

i admire these women i don't even know for their creativity, their looks, their style, their beautiful family and the way they seem to so effortlessly keep it all together.

and then i remind myself that their lives aren't perfect either. it's not real. that all we see are moments frozen in time and a glimpse of what they want us to see. and i understand that no one likes to share the ugliness of their day or the pictures of their messy kitchens and projects gone wrong. no one wants to be that person and no one wants to constantly look at that. we demand to see pretty and perfect and happy. 

so today i wanted to let you know that behind these perfect pictures up there are some not so perfect people.

the reality of our day was not quite as pretty. you know when you're trying so hard to have fun? because you made these wonderful plans but you wake up and that feeling you can't quite define creeps up inside of you that maybe this day won't be so great after all? and despite all your best efforts you can't quite shake it?

i guess what i'm trying to say is that even though these pictures look perfect - we are not! 

we try to do our best but not every day can be like a fairy tale picnic and that's ok too. 

i think sometimes we get so caught up in the pursuit of this perfect life that we forget to actually live in the present. i know that for me this is something i am constantly working on - to enjoy the moment, relax and let things go. to be happy with the many things I have and not constantly pursue the latest trend. 

i don't want to be envious of anyone else's life because even though my life isn't perfect it is the only one i have and i am spending it with some pretty amazing people :) i don't ever want to miss out on that! 

a couple of videos

yup, he sure is a funny one, that one! must get it from his mama ;)

15 months have come and gone in what seems like the blink of an eye. just yesterday he was this tiny little newborn and all he wanted to do was eat and sleep. now he has turned into this funny, independent and oh so smart little man who pushes his play yard through the room to get where he wants to go.

15 months is pretty awesome.
15 months means...

waking up between 7.30 and 8 am 

only nursing once a day, in the morning

2 big meals a day

drinking only water and milk

learning to use a fork and spoon

napping for 3 hours every afternoon

going to bed at 8 pm

running 

walking on tippy toes

saying "uh oh" when he drops things or they end up out of reach

saying "nein, nein, nein" when upset (he is being raised bilingual, german and english, more on that soon)

saying "num num" when he knows food is coming

saying "dada" but refusing to say "mama" (one day, right?) 

getting excited and yelling "dada!" when ichat starts up or the phone rings

pretending to talk on the phone using play phones, real phones or old iphone cases 

making car sounds when playing

loving his puppy friends

climbing on everything

opening and closing doors

pointing at lights and fans or pretty much just about anything while continuously saying "da!" (there in German)

books are his favorite

mischievous looks and grins

kisses only rarely but more and more hugs

12 teeth 

puzzles and balls

pushing carts or his stroller

cuddling stuffed animals and dolls

still taste testing lots of things

being very musical and dancing all the time

loving bath time

being absolutely adorable most of the time!

i am honestly having the time of my life and i am so grateful to be able to stay at home with him every day. i know how blessed i am to have the opportunity to experience every little milestone and so thankful to that wonderful, hard working husband of mine who makes it all possible.


wishing you a wonderful weekend!