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chart this baby blanket into your future

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I may be out of town doing supposedly (hopefully) fabulous things, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging! Here is an oldie but goodie: a favorite, yet often overlooked post that I wanted to share all over again. Enjoy! I’m dithering over this post. I’ve gone through several topics that are lingering on my [...]

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round about: apps & vids to keep us going

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As you’re reading this, we are somewhere on the North Carolina coast celebrating at a destination wedding. I hope we’re having a blast, because I sure intend to have a blast! One thing I’m sure of, we need lots of different things to help ensure that Birdie has a blast too. So, I’m gathering up [...]

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worth 1000 words: such a doll

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I may be out of town doing supposedly (hopefully) fabulous things, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging! Here is an oldie but goodie: a favorite, yet often overlooked post that I wanted to share all over again. Enjoy! Can I make this my day job? Painting little wooden dolls? See the entire gorgeous [...]

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sfb 2.0: furry messages

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I may be out of town doing supposedly (hopefully) fabulous things, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging! Here is an oldie but goodie: a favorite, yet often overlooked post that I wanted to share all over again. Enjoy! Forget chalkboard paint on walls, whiteboard calendars, stickers, post-its, and regular old notes. It’s time [...]

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cardboard comes alive

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Things that move on their own are the most fascinating of objects. Is it just me, or do you want to know how they work as soon as you see them? Sometimes I think I should have been an engineer, though I’m fairly certain I lack the patience required. Now you can enjoy the fruits [...]

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the cat in the shoe is a doll

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Yesterday was one of those horrible, awful, no-good, go-back-to-bed kind of days. Please, by all things holy, let today be better. Or, I’m going to have to pretned I’m one of these pajama-clad girls from The Cat in the Shoe and just go back to bed. I could hide under the duvet with my iPad, [...]

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animals and creatures and dolls oh my!

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Jess Quinn is such an inspiration. I can hardly pick out only a few of her creations, her Etsy shop currently has 199 of them, and they’re all pretty damn amazing. She has such a unique perspective – it’s both completely endearing and a wee bit odd. But one of my favorite things about Quinn [...]

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grow your own hideaway

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Where the heck is Spring?! I’m getting desperate over here, and it sounds like much of the Northern half of the US is feeling the same way: cold. It has me double-duty daydreaming of plants in an almost obsessive way. I caught myself huffing the dirt of one of my houseplants the other day. Honestly, [...]

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teach them it’s a balancing act

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Games based on the good old-fashioned laws of physics are the perfect thing to pull a family together on game night. They don’t require advanced math or reading skills, which keeps a broad range of ages interested. The more physical game play is perfect for squirmy youngsters. Plus, the eventual collapse is the kind of [...]

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bring this doll to your tea party

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Even before I saw Oz the Great and Powerful last night (which we thoroughly enjoyed!), she had caught my eye. I think I go a little gaga for ball joints. Now, now, I’m talking about the elbows, the wrists, the knees, and the ankles of this adorable little doll. The China Girl from the movie [...]

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best bunnies for spring

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I suppose I’ll have to stop eventually, but I love giving Birdie a stuffed bunny as part of her Easter festivities. But I’m a toy lover! Give me any excuse and I will exploit it to find the perfect stuffed animal to fix the situation. I suppose if I don’t stop, we’ll be overrun with [...]

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putting the j in junior

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I’ve always thought Jonathan Adler really likes to play with his design approach. His style has been ready for kids decor and upbeat interiors for years. But now it’s verified: he has introduced us to Jonathan Adler Junior! They’ve even quietly included some of his existing line into the Junior category on his site, which [...]

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better “brika” brack

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I have two important things to note today! First, have you heard of Brika? It’s this gorgeous little site full of curated handmade goodness. It’s like Etsy without the filler. You can thank Brika for helping me find these amazing soft books, I’d recommend checking them out (Brika, that is. Ok and these soft books [...]

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wooden you love it?

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It seems there is no end to innovation in the land of wooden toys. The category keeps growing and morphing as new designers come into the mix. I’m seeing the signs everywhere of the Etsy seismic shift – bigger companies and independent designers are all working to embrace things that feel more “real”. These wooden [...]

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be a part of the neighborhood

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It turns out I’ve been hoarding a fun project and not sharing it directly with all of my readers. It just hit me that there are 8 wonderful printables waiting for you over at the Neighborhood, and I forgot to let you know. How miserly of me! We’ve been creating these lovely little homes so [...]

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