a tiny dress on a big day

(All pictures by The Gemmers)

Heather from The Gemmers took these wonderful pictures of her sister's vow renewal at dusk. I love the way she captured the little details, and the big love between this beautiful family - isn't the bride gorgeous? You can tell this special day was lovingly and thoughtfully planned, and it makes me so happy that I could help in a small way by connecting them to the sweetest tiny vintage dress for their daughter to wear (and doesn't she look a bit like Lark with that pretty ginger hair? She is a doll).

And that, right there, is a big part of why I do what I do. And I love it.

See lots more gorgeous pictures here and here.

p.s. a house update is coming soon!

fall wall

We have been crafting up a swirling leaf storm with all of the leaves we collected, thanks to a Pinterest 'kids leaf project' search. So much so, that I felt an entire wall should be dedicated to the madness. I think a new 'Fall Wall' yearly tradition has been started, and I am sure pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and turkey feathers will join the foray before Christmas takes over.

We started with some leaf animals. I did the moose (yep, it's a moose) to show Little Miss the concept and then she started layering the red maple leaves for the bird's tail all on her own. We collaborated to decide what it should become, but wow that tail! It steals the show. And I love how when the leaves dried it curled up so prettily.

Lark picked up leaves and pointed on the paper where she wanted me to tape them, and I think hers turned out pretty stellar as well. ;)

If possible I like to do a little craft/art project during play dates, so after preschool when LM's 'boyfriend' (her words, not mine) came over I sat them down to do a leaf rubbing. This project is really easy and fun. All you do is lay leaves down on a flat surface, place paper on top (I taped it in place to make it even easier), and holding the crayon sideways rub it over the paper to reveal the leaves underneath.

We also used the leaves as stamps. I found the easiest way to do this was paint the leaves and then lay them face down on the paper and put a paper towel over the top and press all of the edges down, then carefully peel the leaves off. It didn't work very well if there was too much paint on the  leaves. Afterwards we just let all of the painted leaves dry.

Lastly, and my most favorite - we made leaf characters on a stick! These guys were probably the most fun to make since they are so silly. We used the leaves the girls had painted the day before and added googly eyes, mustaches, feathered hats, and super hero masks. Or just one eye, you know, whatever. Obviously, these can't take rough play, but making them was the best part for us. LM was giggling like crazy.  Lark was wandering around chewing on a stick which to her is tops, so, winning!

Happy Fall leaf crafting! If you have any other ideas I would love to know, I 'll put them on the agenda for next year.

soak in the color

We love this time of year. When the trees put on a bright and colorful show that never fails to impress, and then shower their leaves down onto the forest floor like a grand finale with the most wonderful confetti. It just feels like a time to celebrate!

We went to our favorite spot up the canyon, not once, but twice last weekend to go leaf collecting. The colors are breathtaking, but they fade fast so we did our best to soak up every vibrant color while at the same time breathing in the changing of the season. The girls made sure to choose a leaf in every shape and shade. 

I'll show you some of the things we did with our bags full of leaves soon...

little vintage style: welcome autumn

Hello, Autumn! We welcome you with pumpkin-colored pants and a big pink bow for good measure. 

We are so happy with the lovely weather you brought along with you, and the beautiful colors creeping down the mountainside closer to us everyday. 

We don't even mind that your arrival dried up the stream bed. We like throwing rocks just the same and even have our pick of the lot...

LM wore: bow headband + top, Target//pants, vintage//shoes, Saltwater sandals

Lark wore: top, thrifted Gap//pants, Old Navy//shoes, gift, Converse

Yes, we are pretty happy you are here - we just wish you would stick around longer!

making a house a home: snapshots

We got to check some pretty major fixes off our house renovation list this past week. Including a new roof, and prepping the kitchen for the cabinets to be installed today (I haven't seen it all finished yet but there is a peek above, eep!). Husband has been working hard to help my father-in-law frame new walls in the basement to utilize the space better, and we are finally done patching and sanding all of the walls upstairs and have begun to paint!

There is still quite a bit of work to do, but we are moving along at a much quicker pace than I had anticipated. It feels so nice to slowly wash away the presence of past owners and make this house ours.

And, I have to say, it is starting to feel like home.

week of shop updates: day 4

Blue Sheer Dress + Pinafore//Pink Cardigan

White Triple Strap Mary Janes//White Flower Mary Janes

Pink Knit Pointelle Jacket + Dress

Navy Blue T-Straps//Fur Moccasin Slippers

Blue Sailor Onesie//Pink Pinafore + Dress

Blue Sneakers//Yellow Stripe Sneakers

Hearts + Scribbles Jumper//Yellow Bears + Hearts Jumper

Black Patent Mary Janes//Maroon T-Strap

 Red Elephant Overalls//Pink Rattle Overalls

Happy Friday friends. We made it to the end of the week of shop updates! Thanks for hanging in there while I bombarded you with these posts. It feels nice to have so many items listed in my shop instead of just sitting around in my craft room waiting for a new home. 

Now I am moving all of my energy over to painting our house this weekend. One of these days I am going to need a vacation. ;)

Have a great weekend! 

week of shop updates: day 3

Atomic Print Bow Tie//Maroon Bow Print Bow Tie//Brown Stripe Bow Tie

Pink + Navy Bow Tie//Brown Plaid Bow Tie

Cream Dog Overalls//My Toy Pocket Dress 

 Navy + White Blazer//Pink Corduroy Coat

Pink Gingham Overalls//Red Flower Overalls

Plaid Nightgown//Blue Flower Pinafore 

Yellow Ruffle Bib//Mint Knit Romper 

Blue Scallop Yoke Dress//Fall Plaid Dress

Hello again! Here is round three of the week of shop updates. I hope your week is going well. I'll be back tomorrow with a bunch more items including shoes. See you then!