First Day of Preschool

Well, the 1st day of Preschool has come and gone! I'm surprised at how emotional the event was - I cried! After all, my little girl is starting school! I felt happy, sad, and way old all at the same time. (by the way I am the only one who cried. She was a champ!) There she is in the new shirt that I made for her & decked out with her super cute backpack and lunch tote. *sniff sniff.

Kindergarten Week - Kid Supplies

Crayons-a-Go-G0 by sweetdarlinranch

Kindergarten Week Continues.....check out these fun kid supplies. Inspire imagination!

I love the bright fun colors in this crayon rollup by sweetdarlinranch. Their Crayons-A-Go-Go hold up to 16 crayons. (16 crayons are included when you purchase!) How Fun!

Speckled frogs finger puppets by staceyrebecca

How cute are these guys! This set of 5 little froggy finger puppets is sure to spark that imagination in your little one. They even come with a little felt log for to hop around on!

Twelve month Subscription of play dough by Do Si Dough

If your little one is anything like mine, he/she LOVES to get a package in the mail that is just for them. Even better that it can be play dough - hello! Do Si Dough offers a 12 month subscription where your child can receive a new play dough in the mail every month! a 6 month subscription is also available. Their dough is made with all natural ingredients...and can even be scented if you'd like. wow!

Oil Cloth Art Smock by JessicaLeman

When you are 4yrs old imagination = major mess! (now that I think of it, that equation might just apply to adulthood too!) Battle kindergarten mess with a super cute oilcloth art smock from JessicaLeman. Styles for boy and girl.

Kindergarten Week - Make an Insulated Lunch Tote

Do-It-Yourself Kit by cascadelemonade

Continuing with Kindergarten week....up today is a fabulous DIY lunch tote.

Make your own lunch tote! Grab one of these kits from cascadelemonade. Each kit includes all the supplies needed already cut to size to make one insulated lunch tote. - that's right, I said insulated! You can pick your own fabric too. I purchased one of these kits yesterday and can't wait for it to arrive so I can make my daughter a lunch tote to go with her new little backpack!

Kindergarten Week - Backpacks

Kindergarten Week!

In honor of my little one starting Pre-Kindergarten next week I give you...Kindergarten Week! This week I will be showcasing super great handmade items perfect for your little girl or guy to to start kindergarten.

First up: Backpacks. I bought this owls backpack from Etsy seller gardencris a few months ago in anticipation of my daughter's first day. How fabulous is this thing! It's pink, it's quilted, and its one of my favorite Kaufman prints. LOVE!



Want an alternative to the backpack? This mini person sized messenger bag is for you. It measures 9" x 6" with a 2 inch gusset. Recommended for age 2-4. Super cute! by meeabee


Bratsacksbaby makes these cute corduroy backpacks. Each one has a little applique on it. She does custom orders too. ...and how cute is her shop name! by bratsacksbaby

How to Make a Gift Box

As promised...here is a paper box tutorial comin' at ya!

O.k, so here is how I make the boxes that my little soft shoes come in. This tutorial is a slight variation of one that I found online. The difference: this one gives you a CLEAN box top with no creases. Other tutorials produce a box that has fold creases running from corner to corner. (a visible "x" on the top of your box. ewww!) The perfectionist in me can not cope with that! So here it goes...

You'll need:
Ruler
Pencil
12" x 12" square of paper (box top)
11.75" x 11.75" square of paper (box bottom)

Finished box will measure: 4" x 4"

1. Place your paper wrong side up. Start by using a simple trick learned in middle school geometry. (and you thought you'd never use that stuff!) Place your ruler diagonally from corner to corner and mark a pencil line in what seems to be the middle of the ruler. (eyeball it) Do this again from the other corners. Where the two pencil marks form an "x" is the middle of your piece of paper. TIP: If you mark the "x" lightly, you can erase it later so as not to be seen.


2. Fold each corner of your paper up so that the point meets the center of the "x". After you've folded up all four corners, you can erase the "x" mark if you wish for it not to be seen.

3. Fold the bottom edge up to the center. Repeat with the top edge as shown above.

4. Fold the Right edge in to the center. Repeat with the Left edge as shown above.



5. Now unfold the last couple of steps until your paper looks like that above. Fold botom edge up as shown. Place index finger where shown. Keep it here.

With your other hand fold the left crease inward so that the two edges meet as shown below.


I hope the picture is worth a thousand words for this step since it's not easy to describe.


6. Once you fold in the sections on both sides they will look as shown in the top picture above.
Now fold the vertical section down into the box top. This forms one side of the box.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the other side.


7. Wipe the sweat from your brow, 'cuz your box top is complete baby! Pinch your sides in so that they stay down. Pinch at the inner corners to conquer any flaps that will not lay flat.

8. Repeat with the smaller square paper for your box bottom. You are a box-making machine!

DIY Bird Mobile

Someone pointed out this bird mobile to me and I just have to pass it on. I can't wait to have a second bundle of joy so I can make one of these! Modern and fabulous...LOVE it! You'll just need some scraps of fabric and a few clean twigs. I've seen some fabric shops offering fabric scrap packs on Etsy - perfect for this project! Get the bird pattern at spool.