Wordless Wednesday (This one will make you smile!)

Welcome to Lucas' Library Party!

On Saturday, we celebrated the impending arrival of our newest nephew, Lucas. Lucas' mom is a librarian and I thought that it would be perfect to have a book themed baby shower. Instead of a card, guests were asked to bring a book. The baby now has his own library of picture books to get him started. I made some book page wreaths for the front doors and put a chalkboard out to welcome guests. It was such a lovely day, full of so much celebration, delicious food, and laughter. I took many pictures, and I will warn you in advance that this is one photo heavy blog post! So, come on in and check out our party.

Welcome to Lucas' Library

I had so much fun decorating, and after having spent countless hours on Pinterest, I came up with plenty of adorable little displays. Some tiny wooden chairs were the perfect spot for a couple of reading bear cubs to hang out, and to add the letter "L" to the display.

At the entry we set up a book display. I used a couple of tiny red chairs, and made some book page bunting for the stair rail. I also made a book page wreath, and added the baby's name to the centre. 

Ready to get reading?

The living room was great fun to decorate as well.  For months I had been hunting around for some old fashioned style wooden blocks. I was so excited to find several bags of them at a local thrift store. I grabbed all the bags and headed to the cash. On my way out, I couldn't believe it when I spied the most amazing item - a lamp with blocks all over! EEEEK! I grabbed that as well, and for less than $10.00 I had found the most perfect collection for a side table.

 I apologize for the quality of this image, I had taken many photos at night because I knew I wouldn't have time in the morning. Not a great photo, but you get the idea! I used a vintage baby scale and added some books. I found a lovely printed sign for the top. I dug through those bags of blocks I found, and discovered the baby's initials, LDB. Perfect!

Some plastic balls filled up one of my favourite apothecary jars for the coffee table. We had several little ones come to the party (including 4 two year olds!), and it turned out that they couldn't wait to get their hands on the balls. I don't know how I hadn't thought of that! However, the kids loved the balls and many of them took a few home when they left. Even my dog ran around chasing a few wayward balls so everyone was happy.

 In the front hall there were tiny baby shoes tucked into another apothecary jar, and some delicious "L" cookies resting in vintage file bins.

Yummy!

Everyone hopped on over to Peter Rabbit's garden (also known as my dining room!) to enjoy a salad bar lunch. My favourite thing from the whole party was the Peter Rabbit salad vase full of all the things any rabbit would love! We put the salad dressings in baby bottles and added a few planted "carrots" to the mix. The table was rimmed in faux grass that I bought in a huge strip and cut it down to fit all around the edges.

Peter Rabbit's favourite things!

Doesn't that grass look like the real thing? 

Check out the rabbit's pom pom tails - CUTE!

Even the bathroom got decorated for the party! I added fabric alphabet strips to a hand towel, and covered a soap dispenser in a book page. I found a wooden "L" sticker and stuck it on the front. A few tissue paper pompoms added the final touch.

Thirsty? Come and grab a book party water bottle! I cut 2 inch strips from old books and glued them around the water bottles. Red polka dot straws were tied to the top with raffia (Oh, you didn't think I would leave polka dots out of the action, did you?) . I used my fabric scrap bin from Ikea to hold the water bottles. Along with the blocks I scored, there was a bag of magnetic letters. I just stuck them all over the metal bin. I couldn't believe my luck when I found a large "L" in the mix, and all the letters needed to add baby's name to the front. 

A reading dino? Good job he's under glass -might be dangerous!

Ok, let's talk about this cake. Seriously, this cake is the BEST cake I have ever eaten. It was made by Kristin over at Sugar & Love Bakery http://sugarandlovebakery.com. Underneath all that fabulous exterior is the best lemon blueberry cake with lemon curd you will EVER taste. Didn't she do a great job on the book cake? Kristin also made the sugar cookies, decorated with green polka dots and the letter "L". Delicious! 

My brother and his wife opened up all the generous gifts that were brought to the party. I think that they are almost ready for the baby to arrive now. I know that Big Bro and Big Sis sure are!

On their way out, all guests were given a cookie and a little marble composition book with a pen. I shredded up some old pages and stuffed them into the clear bags along with the tiniest little notebook.   

It was a marvellous party, and the perfect way to celebrate. My two favourite ladies and my best friends, my mom and my mother-in-law, worked so hard and helped immeasurably with the preparations. We always have fun together and have lots of laughs. I was sad to see them head home yesterday, however, I have already had a chat with each of them on the phone so I miss them just a little less. I told them they could go into catering, but I'm pretty sure this one was just a huge labour of love. This party was the perfect reflection of what family is all about - lots of hard work, but so much joy. Now, we wait for baby Lucas to arrive, so he too can join our ranks. We will welcome him with open arms, and I sure look forward to being part of his journey. 

First Birthday Flower Power!

My latest sewing obsession has got to be baby onesies. They are like a tiny blank canvas just waiting to be all dolled up with cuteness. Recently, I was contacted by Kristin over at Sugar & Love Bakery http://sugarandlovebakery.com about making her daughter a sweet onesie. Last week Kristin made me a baby shower cake, which deserves its own blog post entirely. I took so many photos, and I will share them soon. Kristin told me she had a red skirt all ready for the big first birthday party, and she wanted a personalized onesie to top it all off, and to wear at the cake smash photo shoot. Cake? Polka dots? Baby onesie?  Red and turquoise? I'm all over this assignment!

Being that spring is sure to make an appearance sometime soon, I decided that a flower design would be perfect. The flower has ragged edges, which provide a sense of dimension and whimsy to the design. The green leaves have a bit of silver sparkle to them, so it only made sense to bling it up!  Here is a close up of this cheery little flower.

A little birthday bling, anyone?

I know that little Sophie will have a marvellous celebration for her first birthday, and I was thrilled to add just a little something special to the big day. Happy Birthday, Sophie!

Burps, Bears, and Buckets

This week is full of preparations for my brother's baby shower this coming Saturday. It's lots of fun to see everything coming together, and to start setting up the decorations. My mom arrived today to give me a hand, so we will have to get to work!

I finished sewing up the last of the items for my gift to the baby. I might have gotten a little, teeny bit carried away, but it has been so much fun! One of the final things I wanted to complete was a really cute little project I saw on Pinterest. Every new mom can certainly use plenty of burp cloths for so many reasons. They come in handy, and I remember using them regularly with my girls. So when I saw this adorable "Bucket O' Burpies"  fancy burp rags project, I knew it was perfect for that one last little present. 

I used a tutorial for the burp cloths and for the sticker from the See Kate Sew website. Here is the link in case you would like to make your own adorable little bucket for a baby in your life. http://seekatesew.com/bucket-o-burpees/. I just couldn't resist the cute factor in the presentation of such a simple item. I made the burp cloths from a variety of materials, but mostly from some pre-fold diapers and a strip of flannel extra softness. I just used my serger to finish them off, and they were done lickety split! I created a few more with some terry cloth left over from the hooded towel I made earlier, and a couple with some water resistant owl fabric backed with terry which should be great for changing time. Here they are all piled up before I stuffed them into the bucket!

burp cloth pile up!

I printed the label on a piece of the sticker paper that I purchased at Walmart, and then I just cut it out by hand. Of course, I had to make a little teddy bear in matching colours because, as previously mentioned, I got a bit carried away. I can't seem to stop - once I get into my sewing room, I forget about everything else. Isn't this bear the cutest little guy? added a ribbon loop so that he can be hung from one of those colourful links on Lucas' stroller.  And, of course, there are polka dots involved. What fun!

Well, I am off to get to work on all of the little bits of things that must be done before Saturday rolls around. I am really looking forward to seeing all of my family and celebrating together. I will share some pictures early next week, so come on back for a visit!

Hippity Hoppity...Easter Puppy?

Rosie is "hopping" on by to wish you all a chocolate filled Easter weekend! I am working on some Mother's Day totes this weekend and will have some photos to share soon. Enjoy your time with family and friends!

April Showers Bring.....Snowflakes???

Yesterday's raindrops had me thinking of planting my spring flower pots, and dreaming of the blooms of summer. April showers bring May flowers! Today is an entirely different story - April showers turned into enormous April snowflakes. We are back into full on winter. A veritable snow storm rages outside my window this morning, and I think we can all agree that winter can take its leave now. Even my dog has no interest in her usual long walk today - around the block and home is all we managed. So, for now, I am using this day to work away in my sewing room. But I will really be daydreaming about summer flowers in full bloom and toe dipping on hot days.

 I hope that this nasty bit of weather passes quickly, and that we are soon surrounded by warmth and sunshine. In the meantime, I can hear a pitiful yelp at my back door. Off to let my little Rosie in from the cold so she can curl up on the sewing room rug and be my assistant. Stay warm!

A Modern Bag For Lucas

Vibrant Colours!

And his name is......LUCAS DANIEL BRYER. We finally have a name, and a lovely one at that, honouring my dad, Daniel.  This past weekend went by in a blur of activity. I had ensconced myself in my sewing room with the express intention of finishing up the diaper bag I planned to make for my soon to be born nephew, Lucas. By the time I emerged, the house looked as though it had been turned upside down and shaken a few times! It seems that teenagers are unable to pick up after themselves - dishes, laundry, shoes, and coats....all over the place! On the positive side, the bag is complete, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I have spent the last couple of days getting the house back in order and just found time today to take some photos of the diaper bag. The lighting was perfect for the job. A bright sunny day was good not only for photography, but also for a lingering sense of despair about the poor weather we have been experiencing. Oh happy day! I even opened a couple of windows...imagine that!

I once again used my favourite diaper bag pattern, from Susieddesigns on Etsy. I love that there is so much opportunity to combine several fabrics in one tote bag. The vibrant colours I chose for Lucas' diaper bag just made me happy to look at them : ) I must admit to one stumbling point, however. I REALLY wanted to put orange polka dot handles on this bag. But I had to keep in mind for whom this bag was being created, so I went for a blue accent handle that I felt would better suit my brother's taste. My brother is a very talented artist. He is the type of person who, with an almost imperceptible  sleight of hand, can create beautiful drawings. I love watching him draw. His hands fly across the paper in what appear to be short strokes, and he has full knowledge of where his design will end up from the first line. He is an animator, and so many of his drawings are comic style, often of robots and various other creatures. After he has visited our house, I usually find some drawing lingering about that gives me pause to smile, and be left in awe of a talent that flows so effortlessly. There is currently some Star Wars type creature sitting in with my pens by the phone that was scrawled on an earlier visit. I like it, and keep moving it around the drawer just because. All this to say, that my brother and I have very different artistic sensibilities. His tastes run to a distinctly modern aesthetic, which I couldn't recreate if I tried. His home is all clean lines, and modern woods, timeless wall colours and as much minimalism as is possible with kids around. His home flows, and despite being modern, is warm indeed. You will almost always find a dog on the couch, or a kid riding a scooter through the living room. Now, contrast this with my own preferences - colour, and lots of it! I love anything vintage, antique and well used. So, I knew that I would have to temper my unbridled desire to throw even more colour at this bag, keeping it as clean lined as I could possibly manage without losing my own vision for its outcome. I think I succeeded!

A tote for Lucas

I used a grey denim for the main panels that I happened upon while visiting King Textiles in downtown Toronto. What a find! The denim is just soft enough to be perfect for tote bags, and durable enough for consistent use. Not to mention it looks gorgeous! I put the name in simple, straight letters across the front of the tote, which I think looks very sharp. Of course, there are some polka dots, but my brother will just have to live with that! Also, I couldn't resist a sweet little fox tag for the back. I didn't put a Bryer Patch label on the tote, as I'm pretty sure my brother and his wife will know exactly where it came from!

Don't lose that soother!

So, this bag is going to be a gift at the upcoming baby shower. I will fill it up with lots of little goodies for the new baby. I made a very handy soother holder to match to colours of the bag. Nothing worse than losing a soother to a dirty floor with a tired baby! The side pockets are so great. They are the perfect size, and convenient for things that will be used with regularity.

Handy side pockets

Only a couple of weeks left until we will be celebrating with a family baby shower. I am busy getting all of the goodies ready for the party, and will share some photos of our book themed gathering. It won't be long now until Baby Boy makes his appearance and I am beyond excited. Better get going on filling this bag up with necessities. Have a happy day!