The Poppy Halter Dress

Introducing the latest pattern from Lavender Kitty - the Poppy Halter Dress!! I'm bursting with excitement, this has been a long time coming!

So ever wonder what to do with all of those old or unworn men's shirts? Well, here's a fun pattern to help you turn them into pretty dresses for the sweet little girl in your life. Not only will she look incredibly cute, but whoever donated the shirt (dad, grandpa, uncle, etc) will feel extra special. Make one to celebrate an occasion like Father's Day or to feel close to a far away loved one. They're also great for everyday - MG loves how easy & breezy they are. The possibilities are endless and you can feel great about recycling an unused item!
A NOTE ABOUT MY PATTERNS: I write my patterns in a way that's very beginner friendly (lots of pics for reference). So if you're new to sewing they should be great for you. If you're a pro, you could sew up a ton in no time.

-HALTER HAPPINESS FOR SUNNY LITTLE GIRLS EVERYWHERE-

Hmm...boy maybe?

Okey doke, here's the deal - I had another ultrasound yesterday and I'm thinking baby 2 is a boy. No seriously, it looks just like Tim!! And the never-ending tae bo that this little one insists on practicing has me thinking it could be a super hero in training. Heaven help us! Now we all know my track record with guessing is not so great (completely wrong in truth), but you take a look... I'm not nuts right? Well, at least not with this one!

Now enough baby chatter, get outside and enjoy this gorgeous weather!! Happy day to you all!

- NEW PICS OF A HAPPY NEW LITTLE ONE -

I spy with my little eye...

... a really fun crafty kids project! MG has been "I-spying" all over the place lately, so I thought it would be fun to turn it into a free tutorial. And, since we're trying to save moola, I figured it would be an added bonus to make it a recycled art project by only use goodies from around the house. Who doesn't love that?!

What you'll need:
- a clear egg carton
- any tiny goodies you can find (one of each thing - screw, paper clip, hairband, toys, button, dime, etc)
- rice
- packing tape or a glue gun
Place the rice and goodies into separate bowls. Then have your little one scoop the rice into one side of the carton. As they do this, let them add some goodies to each cup every now and then. Once the rice is level with the 1/2 egg cup (see pic) and all the goodies are added, close the carton and secure in place with packing tape or a glue gun. Now you're ready to play! If your kids are still little like MG, have them try to spy what they can find. If they're older, keep a list of all the goodies and see if they can find them all (big folks can have fun doing this too). Both games are great because they encourage curiosity and you could theme yours by what you put in it. For example - "Princess" with sparkly things or "Handy Guy" with washers, nails, etc. Happy spying everyone!

PLEASE NOTE - this craft has tiny parts so it's for kids ages 2 & up

Font Fridays - Featuring Werk

Wow, I can't believe we're back to Friday again, the weeks are flying by! So happy weekend to you, it's going to be a great one with lots of sun. I can hear my garden calling already - especially the bazillion weeds that need pulling. Yikes!

On to Font Fridays ... today features Wilton Foundry's newest font, Werk. It's already a "hot new font" on MyFonts.com and I'm sure it will become a designer favorite quickly. Here's why... Every trade has at least one piece of equipment that is an essential workhorse - for a gardener it may be a spade, for designers, it is a no-nonsense, versatile typeface family... hence the name "Werk" which is intentionally designed to be a "workhorse" typeface family. Hope all of you creative types out there enjoy it!

- "WERK"-ING HARD TO KEEP DESIGNERS HAPPY -

Happy Earth Day!

Hooray for Earth Day! In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd plug MG's favorite place on the planet - Earthplace in Westport, CT. Their mission is to educate the community about nature and the environment. It includes a 62 acre wildlife sanctuary with trails, an interactive natural history museum, live wildlife for public viewing and many nature programs. MG goes to the little preschool where they get to visit with the animal ambassadors every week - it's too cute!

So, if you're looking for a quick field trip with the kids or would like to take a great hike in the butterfly meadow this summer, check out Earthplace. If anything, "Chatty" the bald eagle will make you happy!

- KEEPING THE EARTH HAPPY ONE ANIMAL AT A TIME -

Happy Studio!

Happy news everyone - my dad and I are finally moving into our new studio!! Given that Robbie de Villiers Design (my dad's company) has been working out of a spare bedroom for many months, this is HUGE. And thanks to Newton Remodelers, it's extra gorgeous with tons of windows and super high ceilings. We even have the perfect wall to hang one of my brother PJ's amazing paintings. It makes the space. If you'd like to check out more of his fine art work you can look here or for commercial work visit his company, Shallow Tree. It's very cool stuff!

Ooo, I can't wait to get our desks this weekend and to settle in. Hooray!

- HAPPY SPACES MAKE FOR HAPPY DESIGNERS -

A Small Blog

Every now and then I fall in love. Don't worry, no need to warn Tim, I mean in love with a brilliant design or idea. Phew, I know you were worried!

Well, I've been getting the online magazine "Small" for a while and it's insanely cool. So when the email fairy let me know that Small has a new blog my heart fluttered. For any of you that love design, have kids or know some kids, it's worth checking out. Lots of pretty pictures and beautiful things to lust after. The latest features are the Kellner Steckfiguren plug-in figure from 2 Foot 9 and a great collection of rubber stamps from all over. Even the site sponsors are pretty to look at! Check it out - it'll make you want to be a kid all over again!

- HAPPY THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES -