Candy Corn

After Owen's party I have a TON of candy corn leftover. I had bought a bunch thinking I would use more in the table centerpieces, but I ended up going with the pumpkin candies instead. So the result? A couple of huge bags filled with candy corn that I have to tell myself I just should not eat (really, it will make me sick)...repeat to myself so that I believe it....

While in all honesty I will likely end up just tossing the candy, here's a cute idea if I got the crafting urge in this last week of pregnancy. A candy corn wreath! Super cute, right? Fun to dress up an interior door.

All you need is a styrofoam wreath form, black duck tape, ribbon a glue gun, and of course candy corn! Find full directions here.

With candy corn on the brain I wanted to check out some other fun candy corn projects. Here are a few from Etsy...

Having a Halloween party this week? Print Your Party has a printable candy corn favor treat bag. Fun and easy!

Or feeling more ambitious? Here's a pattern to make your very own candy corn knit hat for baby from Sugar Lane. Awwww, now that's pretty cute. Especially for a baby who doesn't really need to be dressed up on the big night out. A cozy outfit and this hat would be perfect!

This weekend I was over at a friend's house and we were discussing the upcoming Halloween festivities. We're heading to their house for a little get together followed by trick or treating (assuming I'm not in the hospital that is)! But anyway, she mentioned making Candy Corn Pizza. First thought, yucko. And then she explained it's just made to look like candy corn with the cheese. Cute idea! A quick google search pulled up this recipe from Taste Buds.

And how about these for dessert? I don't think I in the bakers world that could attempt macaroons (I hear they are notoriously difficult to make), but I sure do love to eat them and thought these were super cute. From Barbara Bakes.

Hope you enjoyed this candy corn overload! Happy Monday!

It's the little things in life...

Remember this mug I blogged about last week? Well with the 20% friends and family discount at Kate Spade I just couldn't resist ordering one. It arrived today, yippee! The packaging - ADORABLE. Think I'll have to keep the box. And the mug, fun and cute and the perfect size for afternoon tea. So I brewed up a cup of my favorite decaf chai with a touch of milk. Perfect for the gloomy afternoon we are having here.

And doesn't it just brighten up the console table behind our couch? It sat here while I folded laundry and Owen played on the floor. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Happy Friday!!

Good Design...with Kids in Mind

Kirsten at 6th Street Design School is devoting a whole week to "Good Design, with Kids in Mind". So far posts have been titled "Can Kids and Nice Things CoExist?", "How do you Kid-Proof your House?" and "What are the best fabrics and finishes to buy with kids?" She has a panel of experts from the blogosphere chiming in with their tips and tricks. With a busy toddler and another baby on the way this feature definitely caught my eye! I'm constantly trying to infuse our mid-90's track home with some personality, but I of course have to do this with little ones (and future little ones) in mind.

Here are the experts...some of my favorite design bloggers, including Janell from Isabella and Max Rooms, Emily from Emily A. Clark and Jenny from Little Green Notebook.

So what is some of my favorite advice, tips and tricks? Here are a few of my favorite quotes in response to the first question....can good design and kids co-exist?

"You just have to roll with the punches and not freak out. Rules should be set, but I try to remember that no thing is more important to me than my relationship with my child/children."

- Jenny, Little Green Notebook

"Yes! Being a mom doesn’t mean living in a day care center! Just because you

have children doesn’t mean that you forfeit the right to enjoy an attractive home.

I also believe that growing up around nice things (expensive or not) helps to

teach children respect and self-discipline."

- Traci Zeller

"Relax and accept the fact that your idea of great design may have to be altered a bit. Not given up. Just altered. I still believe that every space can be beautiful and have incredible design. But I also have accepted that some spaces need to be kid zones. And that is the new beautiful. I had to change the way I looked at the mess!"

- Courtney, A Thoughtful Place

And some of the best tips to "kid-proof" your home?

We don't do a lot of "kid-proofing"...we just tend to stay away from items that aren't kid friendly. For instance, a coffee table. I'd love to have one, but inevitably a kid would fall and crack their head open on the side of it (plus my boys wrestle all day, every day, and a coffee table would be right in their way). So rather than having some ugly "bumper" on the side of it, we just don't have one. One day, when my kids are older, I'll pull stuff back into the house that I love (like a coffee table...I love coffee tables, sigh.)

- Emily Anderson, Three Boys and a Little Lady

I don't know if this falls into the kid-proofing category, but my tip is to have everyone take their shoes off in the house. It is amazing how much dirt those little shoes can drag in and when they stay at the door so does the dirt, cutting down on how much damage and mess is made in the house.

- Janell, Isabella and Max Rooms

I say YES and YES. We don't have a coffee table and I'm all for a shoes off rule.

And the best fabrics and finishes for a kid-friendly home?

"I also use indoor/outdoor rugs a lot. Dash and Albert makes some really great outdoor rugs that don't look or feel like many others do. I also use FLOR tiles a lot in homes with pets and children. It's so nice to be able to replace a tile or an area that gets damaged.

Make sure to invest in good rug pads with kids. Keeps rugs from sliding and gives some extra padding for slips and falls."

- Jenny, Little Green Notebook

"We install wainscoting or bead board painted in semi-gloss paint in high traffic areas, like halls, stairways and bathrooms. Little handprints easily wipe off of semi-gloss paint, and the added architectural trim adds character, warmth and value to any space."

- Autumn, Design Dump

Be sure to check out 6th Street Design's blog to see all of the other fantastic tips. She also included this photo of her own living room. Love the pillow, rug, dark blue/yellow and pops of orange color combo. Oh and yes, that huge exersaucer for her baby. Because seriously, those things are handy right? And with a baby in the house, it's nice to see that even designers live with both fantastic pillows and an exersaucer.

Hope you find some of these tips helpful in your own home! Happy Tuesday!

DIY Flower Pins

I recently discovered the website Jones Design Company and it's fantastic! I'm especially in love with her DIY tutorials and I wanted to share two for flower pins. I MUST try these. I see them everywhere, Etsy, Anthropologie, even Target...how fun would it to be to make some of my own?

First up, a fluffy version made from wool. Full directions can be found here, but below is a quick rundown.

Here's what you need....

Cut out a few petal forms...

Fold and snip...

Attach to the main circle base...

Repeat, repeat, repeat....and voila! So cute right?

And here's one that's a bit more fancy. Requires a needle and thread...and a candle...see told you it was a bit more fancy. Full directions for this one can be found here.

Materia

ls you need...

Cut out a few squares and then round the corners...

Burn the edges...

And you have these!

Layer them up and sew together...

Add a few beads...

And here you go! Another adorable flower that can be attached to a pin, magnet, hair clip...

Or some super cute baby shoes. Yep, have to make these. Lets see I have about two weeks until my little girl arrives. Luckily they don't wear shoes right away :)

Check out Jones Design Company for a lot more great DIY tutorials, giveaways, and some great inspiration for your home. Enjoy and Happy Monday!

Pretty Smitten with Kate Spade

Checking out Shelterpop today and found they have a sneak peek of Kate Spade's new bedding line! Definitely just a peek, only three images to share, but I like what I see so far! Bright colors, fun patterns...and good prices too. Duvets range from $129 to $179. The line will debut this February.

And have you checked out Kate Spade's website lately? Love it. Again the colors, right up my alley. She's bold, fun and a little glamorous. Here are some items on my wish list...are you reading this my darling husband?

Not sure which I love more, the brooch or the adorable box it comes in...

I've been on the lookout for some leopard print flats - these will do just lovely thank you

And I'm sure my morning coffee would taste even better in these adorable mugs. Or how about afternoon tea while my babies are napping? Yep, both sound fantastic. Plus they would make great gifts. Find them here and here.

The best part? This weekend is Friends and Family on the Kate Spade website. Everything is 25% off! Enter the code FALLFF10 at checkout. Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Owen's Pumpkin Patch Birthday Bash

Like I mentioned yesterday, we decided to throw Owen's 2nd birthday party a month early to avoid any interruptions that the arrival of baby #2 could cause! We found a darling pumpkin patch about 10 minutes from our house. We seem to have a variety around here....some huge, overwhelming and too commercial...and some that are just pumpkins with not much else to do. This one seemed to be the perfect combination...wholesome and fun, tucked away off the street, plenty of pumpkins and activities for the kiddos.

My mom and arrived about an hour before the party to set up. Being 9 months pregnant I didn't go overboard with the decorations, but I think it still turned out quite cute! We staked out four picnic tables and went to work.

The adults got pulled pork sandwiches, peanut slaw and kettle chips that I got from Lucille's BBQ. Do you have a Lucille's near you? It's SO yummy. Our favorite. I individually wrapped the sandwiches and packaged the slaw in takeout containers so that they would be easy to grab and eat while hanging out.

The kiddos got their own lunches of PB&J, apple sauce, raisins and goldfish all neatly packaged in apple baskets.

One of the first activities the kiddos decided on was a pony ride. It was Owen's first time on a pony! At first he was a bit timid, but having a blast by the end of the ride. And so cute to see all of his little friends riding around on ponies.

I kept the dessert simple too. Originally I had visions of a wonderful dessert bar. But in reality, we were in a pumpkin patch...with hay and dust and the potential for melting sun. And remember how I mentioned I'm 9 months pregnant? So I kept it simple with a cake and cupcakes. I sure didn't get any complaints! My favorite addition? Mini pennant flags to decorate the cake stands. What do you think, like them? I might start offering them in my shop when I reopen in January. So fun and festive and could be used in so many ways.

Another fun activity we got to do all together was a hayride. I think both the adults and kids had fun on this one!

Happy Birthday to our little man! Can't believe you are almost TWO!!!

We love you!

Waiting on baby...

See that belly of mind? Only 2 and a half weeks to go before our little baby girl arrives into this world! This pregnancy has flown by...I think between keeping up with Owen (a full of life, sweet, happy, charming and very active 23 month old) and keeping up with Pretty Smitten (a business/passion that just gets better and better), the days flow one into another and now here I am! Just a couple weeks to go! And I would love to show you a better belly picture, but nope...don't have one. See, how I'm the one holding the camera? My Dad snapped this picture of my little family, but in our house usually I'm the one with the camera and hence no pictures of me! Should really do something about that. Anyway, it showcases the belly pretty well. Lets just say it's getting quite big.

My big belly and I closed up my shop last week so that I can spend this last bit of time finishing up projects around the house, organizing life in general, and getting some rest! And lofty as it may be (especially given my track record), I'd also like to spend some time actually writing this blog!

So what have I been up to in my first week of "maternity leave"? Throwing my son an early 2nd birthday party! I figured if he was going to get a party, we better do it early to avoid any interruptions brought on my baby #2. She is due about a week before his real birthday! We went with the current seasonal theme...pumpkins. That picture? It was taken at his birthday party at the pumpkin patch. More pictures from his bash to follow, so stay tuned!