Kids Haus

Crazy Hair Day: Put a Bird on It

This year for Bean's school's Crazy Hair Day, we decided to "put a bird on it" since that seems to be the overarching theme this spring with the popularity of Portlandia. I have to say that this was a nice blend of teamwork. Bean & I "hatched" the idea of securing a birds nest atop her head and in a desperate pursuit to find colored hair spray because "everyone else at school uses that stuff", my husband set out with her last night to find some; however, none was to be found (thank goodness). Since they couldn't possibly leave empty handed, my husband decided to help her find some sort of nesting material and found this amazing coconut fiber. The stuff is brilliant! It sticks to itself, so it's easy to mold & shape...until...you have a birds nest!

Swoop Bags

Sarah Kirk, also a Seattle mom, contacted me about her Swoop Bags and I had to come out of my temporary blogging hibernation to share them with you. Clearly, only a mother could invent such an idea after having picked up a million tiny legos, Playmobil, blocks...and the list goes on, doesn't it? Seems like an easy and fun way for kids to pitch in and help pick up their toys before moving onto the next adventure. Pretty colors too!

Amber Alexander

I had admired Amber Alexander's paintings in the past as I would peruse Etsy and loved the way she would dress up stoic animals in bonnets or ruffled collars. As I was checking out Etsy today, I came across Amber's painting of a bear sitting on a loveseat...so charming! Well, now I'm at a loss because I can't seem to figure out which one to purchase with over 180 pieces to choose from. There are about a dozen that have made me smile and I want to bring them all home with me...

Jen Talbot Designs

I began following Jen's blog, Cup of Coco, about 4 years ago and was enamored with her creativity and sewing skills. I remember falling in love with a felt birch tree that she was making for someone because it reminded me of something I would dream of wanting in my room as a child but it was always a distant dream {sigh}. Jen has managed to take those childlike dreams and turn them into a whimsical reality - it's a feast for the eyes and imagination, truly beautiful. Jen has recently launched her new website, Jen Talbot Designs, and has been designing custom rooms for kids amongst other interesting projects. I'm seriously contemplating hiring Jen to make something for our newly remodeled basement. Enjoy looking through her projects here.

An Awesome Book of Thanks

Last night my daughter picked out 'An Awesome Book' as our bedtime story. It's undoubtedly one of our favorite books and as I was enjoying reading the inspirational words and admiring his whimsical illustrations, I wondered if Dallas Clayton would ever come up with another book. Ironically, I just opened my email and found a message from Mr. Clayton introducing his brand new book, 'An Awesome Book of Thanks'. How fantastic!! You can enjoy reading it online or you can purchase a hard copy for yourself or for someone else. Bean just read through it and LOVED it! It's over 80 pages with marvelous illustrations and a meaningful, inspirational message once again...THANKS!

Snug Attack Tees

I'll admit it, I have NOT been a good blogger lately! Summer has come to a screeching halt, weather and all, and now I'm finding that I have a little more time to get my brain in order and fall back into the routine that I thrive on. I've got so many things I want to do this year and I hope I can accomplish at least 50% of them...aim high, right?

Well, I've been getting a LOT of submissions all summer and I apologize to those whom I've neglected -- it's truly not intentional, I just haven't had the time. Slowly easing back into things, I wanted to share these playful and typographical t-shirts designed by the husband & wife team behind Snug Attack. I'm obsessed with nice typography and and these instantly caught my eye. Their twins were the original inspiration behind the designs. How fun are they? 

Portland and Babushkups

Almost 2 weeks ago, I traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend a fabric design class at PNCU hosted by the ultra-talented Heather Ross. I was originally #11 on the waiting list and I whimpered to my husband that I'll never get into the class (poor me). Somehow, the clouds parted, and a space became available. It turned out to be a fantastically informative and fun class that I will write more about in the next day or two. Anyhow, while I was down there, I set out on a quest to find a gift for my girls' to bring home. I spent a couple of hours in Powell's Books (which isn't hard to do) and as I was breezing through the Orange Room, these nesting Babushkups jumped out at me and, naturally, I had to bring them home! Adorable babushka dolls printed on each glass and because they nest within each other they double as great space-savers as well. They were a huge hit in our house!

Bastille Cafe & Bar Kids Coloring Page

Almost a year ago, I volunteered to illustrate a kids coloring page/menu for our restaurant to help loosen up my rusty gears, seemed like a good challenge at the time. I finally began sketching it 3 months ago and, today, I finally finished it! Gotta be honest though...I probably could have worked several more weeks on it, tweaking it, adding more and deleting a few things until I could have potentially destroyed it. I decided to stop dilly-dallying and just get it done -- the kids need a coloring page for heavens sake! Enough was enough! I had fun...

Strawberry Penguin Blanket by Isak

One of my long-time favorite companies has been ISAK. Sandra Isaksson is an incredibly talented designer of so many beautiful and inspiring things and she recently just came out with her Strawberry Penguin Blanket made of 100% pure new Norwegian wool that comes from sheep on fresh Norwegian mountain pastures (how good does that sound?). Just for a little trivia, did you know that wool can absorb moisture without losing its ability to insulate, is naturally flame retardant and is dirt repellent? I can't think of anything more perfectly suitable for kids!

Oh, I'm not done yet! While I was taking a peek at ISAK's shop, I saw that she's got water-resistant table cloths that are too cool! Too adorable to pass up!

Poufs & Floor Cushions

I know it's been said time and again but, really, how did we manage before the internet? Before Google? Before blogs? My quest for a great floor cushion or pouf for our newly remodeled basement began quite simply and it didn't take long before I found an abundance of floor cushion choices. In my search, I thought I'd share a few fantastic poufs or floor cushions that I found along the way. My criteria was: dark(ish) in color, washable, durable, modern and at least 2' wide and affordable. Ta-da! In about an hour of pouf-searching, I bought the gray one in the upper left hand corner from a fabulous & inspiring little business called Mookah. Clockwise from there: Poufix No. 24 by EvaForeva, Pumpkin Pouf, Ernest by Donna Wilson (via Small Magazine), Flora Pouf by Modern Dose. Enjoy!

Sushipot Assemblage

We've been ripping down walls in our basement in the last month and now have a wide open space that the girls can run freely without me nagging them not to bounce a ball because it could knock something over. It's a full fledged kid zone (for now). With the blank walls, I'm salivating over all of the options that I could decorate the walls with. I want something big, bold and quirky on one of the walls but I haven't quite found the right thing. In my grand search for art, I found Sushipot and am in love, love, love with these little assemblages! I only wish they were 3' x 4' to fill up my blank wall! Aren't they amazing?

My Mini Golf

How fun does this My Mini Golf set look?! When my brother and I were kids, we crafted a miniature golf course in our yard using various scraps of plastic and wood that we found in the garage - it's still one of my favorite childhood memories as we collaborated and schemed up fun ramps and roundabouts for the golf ball to follow. We literally played with miniature golf all summer long!

I find myself already thinking about how we're going to keep ourselves entertained this summer and this could quell a few of my quandaries. With an eight year old, the entertainment curve is substantially different than a three year old, so I've got to get creative. What I love about it is that I can envision throwing this set in the back of the car and heading anywhere with it and it's age appropriate for the whole family! Perhaps it's our modern day croquet?

Wooden Matching Memory Game

I was thrilled when I bumped into Lemon Tree Studio today and found that she hand-stamped forest imagery onto these wooden chips to make a Memory Game. I bought a bag of the same blank wooden chips over a year ago that I intended to screenprint for a personal project but I never got around to it. Instead, the girls' decorated a batch of them and pretended that they were coins (couldn't buy much with them though). So, to see that someone has actually taken these awesome wooden chips and made a really cute, creative game out of them is pretty inspiring and, seriously, what kid doesn't love a good Memory Game?

 

Garlands and more...

I'm staying in tonight...and I actually plan on staying in for the weekend. Do you ever have those weekends where you don't want to make any plans except for a good dinner, laying in bed after the kids have gone to bed and catch up on favorite TV shows from the week? That's exactly where I'm at. I think I might even go to bed without cleaning the kitchen!

So, I think I had one of the best nights with my girls' tonight. In the past several weeks, I've done a complete revamp of the art room and it feels great! There's plenty of space to spread out and I set up the kids table in a spot that I won't trip over anymore. Spontaneously, I tromped downstairs to do some sketching and C followed. It wasn't long before Bean was right along with us. At first, Bean said, "Mom, didn't you say we could watch a show since it's Friday night?...oh...wait...can I paint something too??" We spent a good hour downstairs with watercolors, pens and paper scattered everywhere. I got a little giddy that I was able to keep their attention for so long. My floor is covered with art and I love it...I think it will be a night worth recreating!

Well, not to get extra wordy tonight, but I found myself perusing The Butter Flying's Etsy shop and love her Poetic Butterfly House and Origami Butterfly Garland...they're perfectly delicate and pretty...sometimes those are just the accents a room needs to give it some charm.

Or how about these beautifully handmade garlands by Pretty Swell? The flowers look flouncy and I love the mix of patterns...so pretty! via Mixed Plate.

DIY: Lola's Butterfly Hairclips

Wendy emailed me back in January telling me about her adorable handmade Lola hairclips that she made for her son's friend who was having a Charlie & Lola themed birthday party. I think they're awfully sweet and the tutorial looks super easy...even for people who can barely sew...um, like me. I've been trying to figure out a good DIY project to do with the kids this week and I think this one could be just what we're looking for - especially since the girls' are all about decorating their hair these days! I'll let you know how it goes. Try it yourself by following Wendy's tutorial here...

 
 

Organic Cotton Finger Puppet Forest Friends by June Craft

Every once in a while I'll peek at who "hearts" my Etsy shop. Today, I found June Craft: Forest Friends Finger Puppets and am in love with them! I'm also a huge fan of her illustrations. These little finger puppets are printed using water-based inks and would make an easy on-the-go activity.

Untitled Fox Giveaway

Update: Thanks for everyone who left a comment and for the kind feedback regarding Fox - he's still blushing! We randomly chose the winner of Untitled Fox and it goes to Slim Pikins. I'm still trying to get a hold of her to let her know that she's the lucky winner since I forgot to tell everyone to leave their email address when leaving a comment...my fault!

One small victory accomplished! I finished printing my latest illustration yesterday. He's a dignified fox with a feather in his cap and I cannot, for the life of me, come up with a suitable name. I thought for a minute I could name his "Sir Foxalot" but...sounds a tad scandalous. I also managed to publish a Facebook fan page for Kids Haus his morning. It's still in it's infancy but it'll get there with a little time. I'd love it if you would follow me!

Anyhow, I'll have my dignified fox for sale in my Etsy store in a short while...so check back. In the meantime, I think I'd like to host a giveaway since it's been so long since I've had one. The winner will receive my freshly printed Untitled Fox. This Giveaway has ended.

Pincushion Pal Ring

Hi...perhaps you remember me? I started this blog a few years ago and would write incessantly about beautiful things that caught my eye...and then the holidays came and went and my husband and I went to New York City for a brief stint together (without the kids!) and then we promptly took a family vacation for nearly two weeks in Hawaii...and now I'm back. I can't say it was all that bad taking a break from my blog, it was fantastic for family bonding, which is most important anyhow, right? Quite honestly, I'm feeling fresh and back on track! I've definitely got a list of things I want to share with you and will be setting out to do that over the next couple of weeks. I've also begun illustrating after hitting an "illustrator's block" for a couple of months and I will eventually share those things with you too.

But let me just start with this brilliant little Pincushion Pal Ring! It only caught my eye because Bean will be starting a weekly sewing class next Friday and I imagine we'll need little things like this. Well, perhaps it won't be a "need" right away but it certainly adds a little excitement to sewing.

 

Amy Hevron: Year of the Tiger Kitty Poster

How's everyone doing with the holidays? I got my mugs from New House Project today and they're even cuter in person - Kristin was sweet enough to throw in an apron which is ridiculously cute as well. I can't wait to show C. Before I head off to bed to fend off the soar throat bug that's overstayed his welcome since morning, I wanted to share Amy Hevron's Year of the Tiger Kitty poster. She's a local artist and acquaintance and it's impossible not to love her work.

Blank Matryoshka Russia Nesting Dolls

I completely love the idea of painting and decorating my own set of Matryoshka Russia nesting dolls and I'm absolutely certain that the girls would love it too (hmmm, should I add it to the Christmas list?). The mini set has an incredibly mini doll buried deep inside and you know she would be the favorite! Traditional size and Mini size...

CASAKids Loft Beds

I'm posting these pictures of beautiful loft beds by CASAKids with a bit of hesitation because I don't want Bean to catch wind of them, otherwise she will relentlessly beg me to buy one. Good news (for me) is, we actually can't functionally have a loft bed because we need a bunk bed (2 beds!) since both girls are comfortably squeezed into one room. However, if we should ever find ourselves with a bedroom for each girl, I would probably have to spring for one of these beauties - they are so functionally designed.

New House Project: Childrens Mugs

Look what I just bought! Two beautifully handmade children's mugs by New House Project. Oh, if I told you how much cocoa we made around here - you might shudder. I'm what you might consider a hot cocoa snob since I only like using Valrhona cocoa, sweetened with agave nectar and topped with a mound of homemade whipped cream or (not homemade) marshmallows. I think we'll unwrap these beautiful mugs on Christmas Eve so the girls can have hot cocoa in anticipation of Christmas morning.

Oh, and if you are a fan of Charley Harper, you have to read Kristen's post about unearthing this signed "Lucky Ladybug" print from from Goodwill - now there's some fantastic good fortune!

Smallabe Holiday Gift Guide

I feel fortunate to have been asked to participate in creating a holiday gift guide for one of my favorite online shops, Smallable. The challenge was to narrow down their incredible selection to only 8 gifts that would be fun for the little ones. I gravitated toward activity-driven gifts mostly because I really enjoyed watching my girls immerse themselves in their new projects or activities for several days or weeks after everything has wound down. Now for the best part: from December 7-21,  Smallable is offering 20% off of Kids Haus gift guide items using the code NOELKIDSHAUS at checkout. So, go ahead and take a closer look at a few of my favorite things and I hope you're enjoying the holiday season so far...

Laurence Jammes Animal Alphabet print

In the last couple of years, there's been a surge of alphabet posters for children. I'm going to have to gather all of them together for a post sometime because it's so fun to see the variations. This new alphabet poster from Laurence Jammes is very cute with the animals interacting with their letters (beaver is my favorite!). Now available on L'affiche Moderne. I will have a fun collection of holiday gift picks on Monday...so we'll see you soon!

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows!

These don't only look pretty but you know they'd be the ultimate stocking stuffer or best eaten on one of those overindulgent, overachieving holiday nights when you make a gingerbread house, stroll the block to check out the neighbors' Christmas lights, make hot cocoa upon your return and top if off with a chocolate dipped marshmallow! Okay...I just got a stomach ache thinking about it but it was fun to imagine how much fun the kids would have prior to the sugar crash.

Jaq Jaq Bird Chalkmats

Grace from Jaq Jaq Bird kindly sent this awesome Damask Chalkmat over a couple weeks ago. As soon as I tore open the box, it was out of my hands within .05 seconds and in the clutches of my overanxious girls. After digging out a few pieces of our personal supply of broken chalk they scribbled away for about an hour - scribbling, wiping, scribbling, wiping. Then, when dinner came, we flipped it over and took advantage of it's placemat side. We don't typically use placemats at the dinner table but this quickly made me wonder why I don't because it made clean-up so much easier! One thing I would suggest is getting the Chalk Pens or Butter Chalk instead of the old-fashioned chalk since I found it to be a little temperamental on the plastic chalkmat surface. Coming up with a few creative eating games for the chalk side and I think I can keep my girls from jumping out of their chairs every 30 seconds!

 

WOOLi HOP Floor Mat

One of my favorite little Etsy shop discoveries is WOOLi - I absolutely fell in love with their soft toy boxes. Out of curiosity, I took a peek into their shop this evening to see if they might be up to something new and found this undeniable fantastic baby floor mat! I think it's the construction and choice of materials that has me giddy - who doesn't love thick wool and organic cotton for baby to sit and play on? (or is it just me?). The cover comes off for easy washing - and you know that will happen more times than you care to imagine.

Nature Crown

I was just thinking what a great October we've had around Seattle. Sunny and rather unusually warm weather have made it extra enjoyable (except for dipping temperatures and rain today). I was looking forward to picking up C from school last week so we could have a fun afternoon together. After reading about this nature crown craft project from BKids, it just seemed like the perfect project to do together since we could wander through the yard and pick pretty leaves and flowers for our crown. This was the final result...we added some jewels for added princess flare...

Hana Blomst

I know it may not be all that practical to give a child a porcelain cup or bowl but how could anyone possibly resist these simply beautiful porcelain bowls, cups and dishes from Hana Blomst? I let Bean start using "breakable" dishes when she was about 5 while we sat at the dinner table and, so far, we haven't broken anything (crossing my fingers). Of course, when they're dashing around the house in need of a snack or drink - I go for the plastic or stainless steel bottles! Blomst's porcelain dishware is very special though and would make a fantastic gift.

The Power...

Wow! I don't know what to say other than that I continue to be amazed by the power of blogs and friends! My thoughtful friend, Esther, at Babyccino blog read my post about the "Under Her Wing" whale print that I created in honor of my friend Marge. All of the proceeds will go to Kylie's college fund (scroll down for the full story). So far, I've sold 14 whales out of 50 - so we're inching our way up there! Thank you to all who have shown your support and love in my effort to let Kylie know that we're here to help her along the way. xo Michelle

Native Vermont

I've been contemplating purchasing one of these Native Vermont prints -- the Black Bear Swimming or the Constellations Polar Bear. They have an air of sophistication with a bit of whimsy. My other quandary is where I would find the wall space to hang one of these lovely bears. Aren't they sweet??

Under Her Wing

This is my new print, "Under Her Wing". Let's see, I'm trying to find a way to explain the meaning behind this print without getting too emotional or sappy but it holds a very strong purpose. At the end of August, a dear, dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. I knew Margie in high school but it wasn't until we went to college that we became really close friends. In life, there are a handful of people that bring out the best in us, the ones that make us laugh in the purest form, the ones that support us through everything - you know the type. Simply put, that was Marge. She had a lightness and an ease about her that drew people to her. Sadly, in the last several years, we lost touch but not for any other reason than distance and busy lives. I won't even begin to go into the regret I hold for letting life get in the way of such a friendship. Let me just say that it's made me take a closer look at things.

So now, the tough part, the primary impetus behind "Under Her Wing" is for Kylie, Marge's 8 year old daughter (knocks the wind out of me just thinking about it). She's nearly the same age as my daughter and I can't even begin to comprehend the implications of a young daughter losing her mother...or a parent, for that matter. So, in lieu of flowers, Marge's family requested that friends send money for Kylie's college fund. Education was a big part of Marge's life as she was a Special Education teacher. That's where this print come into play. If I can show my support and love for Marge and her daughter, this was one way I knew how. 100% of the proceeds from "Under Her Wing" will go directly to Kylie's college fund. If you'd like to help me in taking Kylie under our wings, I've printed 50 of the mother and her calf and just put it in my Etsy shop...

Pottock Prints

I'm really, really trying hard to focus on creating another series of prints this month and came up with a whale illustration the other day that I think I like...which is unbelievable, since I'm usually a bit tough on myself. It's missing that element of surprise, but I'm getting close to finishing it. Sometimes, it can be such a long process for something seemingly simple. This evening, while searching various online shops for a present for a friend, I found Pottock Prints via Rose and Radish (one of my favorite indie shops). What caught my eye was this fantastic Little Whales Wallpaper - I love the simple silhouettes! Ah, see? It looks so easy but I wonder how long it actually took him to come up with that fantastic design.

Springtree Road

This post has been a very long time coming. Finally! I'm setting a little patch of time aside to tell you all about Maya's handspun yarns but it's been worth the wait, trust me! If you've never read Maya's blog, Springtree Road, you're missing out on a little bit of sunshine. Maya and I have been blogger friends for a while now and though we've never met, Maya is one of those people whose warmth radiates through her words - I wish I had that talent! She was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I opened my Etsy shop a year ago and I'm forever grateful for her support. So, several months ago, Maya bought her very own spinning wheel and has been vigorously churning out hand-dyed and handspun yarn which naturally led her to open an Etsy shop, Springtree Road! (fans are cheering!). The colors are radiant and the yarn practically looks edible! I haven't a clue how to knit but I know there are plenty of talented knitters out there and with chilly weather on our heels, I imagine knitting scarves and sweaters are what comes to mind. Congratulations, Maya!

I couldn't go without mentioning one of Maya's first customers, Brandy Jaggers, who bought her yarn and made these delicately gorgeous props for babies to wear in her photographs. I don't think I've seen anything more precious, really...have you? I wish I had gotten photos of my girls like these when they were newborns. If you want to coo, melt and crumble to the simple sight of babies, then you simply must check out Brandy's website...

 

Lullatone

I honestly got the nicest email from Shawn at Lullatone telling me about his "Pajama Pop" melodic tunes the other day, but what Shawn didn't know was that I had already dowloaded a smorgasbord of tunes from their various albums a few months ago after getting hooked into his Raindrop Melody Maker a solid 20 minutes. You can make your own music - It's beautiful, therapeutic and fun - give it a try! So, after listening to several of their songs online, I instantly knew that it would be the ideal music to play during or after dinner, while the girls are in the bath, pulling their pajamas on and winding down for the evening. That's precisely what I've done on numerous occasions and the girls love it because it's both mellow but fun. Their newest album, Songs that Spin in Circles, was originally composed for their newborn son and it consists of loopable lullabies for babies -- just listen to "A mobile over your bed" and you'll understand.