B's Wedding Gift

I'm a planner. I love making lists and organizing things and for the most part having a general idea of what to expect (I'm partial to surprises). I'd say the most extreme example of this would be B's wedding gift from me. B's gift was a DIY project that I have been putting together for the past (almost) 6 years. Um, what? That sounds a little insane, right? Let me explain.

For those unaware, B and I met online in July of 2007. I had just graduated University, had been in and out of some pretty bad and/or lame relationships and was pretty jaded when it came to dating. At the time I wasn't looking for anything, but somehow we found one another. We spent a little over a month talking when we decided to meet, and less than three months from our first online exchange I hopped on a plane and spent my 22nd Birthday weekend with him in NYC. So, now I sound more insane - right? Well, let me explain further.

Clearly, I knew when I was booking that flight that there was something different about him. For the first time in a long time I trusted someone. We spent hours everyday emailing and chatting (both online and on the phone). Those hours we logged really helped us to know one another without anything physical getting in the way. He made me laugh, and I finally found someone that I felt I could truly be me around. I could tell he had strong family values, and he never gave me any reason to think that I would regret my choice to fly to New York. Of course I received criticism and extreme reactions from my family and friends, but I had safety nets in place and I knew deep down that I would regret not going. 

We spent an incredible weekend together and when I flew back to Toronto, I couldn't believe it was all happening to me. Was I starting another long distance relationship? Was I really going to open myself up like this again? Yes, I was and I knew I had to. When I arrived home that night, I took out a pen and paper and wrote a letter to B. That letter shared how I felt and things that happened that weekend. Excuse me for being vague, but I sealed the letter after I wrote it, dated the envelope and put it away.

For the next year I wrote to B almost every single month. Sharing feelings, hopes, dreams, milestones in our relationship and anything else that came to mind. Since that first year letters became less frequent, but they always touched on the same sort of topic. Today, I have 36 letters, tucked away in a box that B's Mom gave me for this exact purpose. 

This personal documentation of our relationship and love is my gift to B. Little memories and moments, all of the reasons why I love him and even the ways we found the strength to pull through some of our hardest times. 

I hope that this gift is something that B and I will share together for the rest of our lives as a reminder of where we started and how hard we have worked to keep our love alive. After all, we learned so much about putting in the effort during that first year that spent long distance. 

Did you exchange wedding gifts with your significant other on your wedding day? Did you go big, or did you give them something small and sentimental? I'd love to hear what other's did to make their special day!

Don't Forget Dad!

We're still busy getting things in order around here, but I just wanted to pop in and remind you that 15% off at Minted on all of your Father's Day cards and gifts ends tomorrow! So head on over, create something special for Dad and don't forget to use the promo code FTFDAD15 at checkout!

Tiny Easter Treats

Growing up, Easter was always a fun holiday for us. We never had an Easter Egg hunt as children, but my brother and I would always race downstairs to find our baskets filled with tasty treats and often a little gift. I can only hope that Halle will have similar fond memories as she grows. I don't want Easter to become all about the stuff, but who doesn't love a little treat every now and then. With Halle still being so young, there's no need for her basket to be filled up with chocolately treats, so I came up with my own ideal Toddler Easter basket...

1. Purple bunny ears - $2 - Real Canadian Superstore. There is nothing cuter than some bunny ears on your little one's, and it's always a fun way for them to dress up for the special occasion. I loved these purple one's and at $2, how can you turn them down?

2. Graduates Juice Treats - All toddlers deserve a special treat on a holiday, but I for one don't want to hop Halle up on chocolate. Instead, some yummy fruit snacks are a great alternative and the light colours of these Graduates treats fit in with the Spring holiday. I picked these up at Real Canadian Superstore, but you should be able to find them at most grocery stores.

3. Pink Woven Easter Basket - $1 - Real Canadian Superstore. I always remember having my own yellow basket that we would put out every Easter for the bunny to fill with treats. I wanted Halle to have her own as well, and when I saw that Superstore had these cute one's on for $1, I had to grab one for her. Not too big and not too small, it's the perfect size for a few treats and a little gift or two.

4. Bright Baby Touch and Feel Easter Boardbook - $4.95 - Indigo. Halle loves books, and we love reading to her. It's one of our favourite things to do, especially right before her nap or bed. It was a no brainer that we would want a book to be a part of her Easter basket and these touch and feel books are always a win. 

5. Plastic Egg Fillers - $1 - Real Canadian Superstore. Rather than putting juice treats into the basket in their little packaging, why not make them a bit more festive and place them inside these Plastic Egg Fillers? 12 Eggs for $1 - there's no reason not too!

6. Green Toys Race Car in Pink - $9.95 - Indigo. We love Green Toys around here. They are cute, and eco-friendly. When I saw the small pink race car, I knew our vehicle loving toddler would be a fan and the colour worked well in our basket. They also come in red & blue.

Easter shouldn't be all about chocolate. I'm most looking forward to special time as a family, and playing with Halle and her new toys.

What are some of your favourite Easter memories? What treats do you love the most? Are you a Cream Egg fan, or is your weakness Cadbury Mini Eggs, like me? Spill the beans on your Easter plans, and what would be in your ideal Easter basket.

Head's Up!

Hi friends! No Fancy Friday Love this week since it's been absolutely crazy... and still is. I'm preparing for a shopping night tomorrow that I will be a vendor at, both with my Stella & Dot jewellery, and my Halle Handmade gift tags. As part of this, as of tomorrow my little Etsy shop will be "on vacation" for a week. Any tags that are not sold by the end of today will be coming with me to the shopping night and be up for sale! 

If you are interested in shopping my Stella & Dot site, feel free to do so at any time! It's a great place to grab some Christmas gifts, and have them shipped directly to your home! You can find some of my favourite picks for Christmas below. So why not cross some items off your list with my two little shops today? 

{1. Love Bracelet - Friendship Bracelet: $19} {2. Geneve Lace Bib Necklace: $138}

{3. Bryant Park Scarf - Poppy: $64} {4. Mercer Zip Wall - Poppy: $84}

{5. Joy Candle: $32} {6. Secret Garden Ring: $42}

Shoot me an email if you have any questions and I'd be happy to answer them, or help you find the perfect gift for the people on your list! Happy Shopping & Happy Weekend!

Other Little Shops

Since opening up Halle Handmade, it's fair to say I've been spending WAY more time on Etsy. I'm definitely not complaining though as I've come across some really great shops and have been finding some great pieces that may make it onto my wish list or gifts for others. 

I thought with all of the pretty stuff I've found recently, it was high time I did a quick round up of some of my new favourite items/shops - check these out...

I came across the sweet little shop of Layla Amber, last Thursday. These handmade creations were so cute and won me over immediately! Though everything made me "oooh" and "awww", this sweet little British Bunting Necklace was the star attraction for me. Adorable, don't you agree?

Last week I was lucky enough to win one of Sara's giftaway's that she is doing this month. I was extra excited that it was something that I myself could gift to Halle for Christmas. How cute is this sweet doll from the shop, Melissa Love? If you are looking for a sweet doll for a little one in your life, I highly recommend her shop! You can even customize your own doll, but I was able to pick a ready made one and this blonde hair blue-eyed Holly was perfect!

cabin + cub is another "wet coast" shop, and one you may recognize as Valerie was a featured seller the other week. Each piece in her shop is beautiful and fun, but my favourite piece has to be her Map & Pin set! This is something I've wanted to add to our home for ages, and I may have just found the shop to purchase it from! 

You may already be familiar with the stunning work from the shop of Eye Poetry Photography. Her work is beautiful and I would love her Wanderlust Calendar to adorn my wall for all of 2013...

There are just so many treasures to be found on Etsy - I could spend as much time on there as I do on Pinterest (usually pinning the things that I find and love). 

What are some of the great Etsy shops that you have stumbled upon recently? I'd love to hear what some of your great finds are (so I can check them out), and what's on your wish list for this Christmas season!

AND if you haven't already, be sure to swing by Halle Handmade. I've just added a new design and restocked the shop after my first couple of sales. I'd really love to hear what you think of my work!

Here's a Head's Up...

There is no way that I am the only one who has started to think about holiday shopping... am I right? I mean, I know it's only October, but don't you find that once November rolls around you are just so busy with events and other holiday prep, that it's hard to spend quality time with friends, or even get that important shopping done? Well, I'm going to make it easy for you and help you cross some of those gifts off early this year!

I don't post about my fabulous gig as a Stella & Dot stylist very often... okay, rarely ever, but I'm doing it right now because you NEED to see the brand new holiday line, which you can shop at my online store. Between the beautiful new pieces from the Breast Cancer Boutique, to the lovelies from the holiday line, I am sure you will find something beautiful for a special someone in your life.

Even if you just spy something for yourself - why not share it with a loved one and guarantee you'll get what you want this holiday season? I'm happy to answer any and all questions you have, just shoot me an email. I'd be happy to discuss hosting a trunk show (to earn you credits to shop for WHATEVER YOU LIKE!) or even the opportunity to become a stylist yourself! 

A Mobile for a Little Man

Life is pretty exciting these days! Things seem to be changing (for the best) every day, and every time that I turn around someone else has great news to share. Right now, I am most looking forward to the arrival of two special little people this fall. Two of my cousins are expecting babies, about one month apart, and what's more exciting than that? 

During my last visit home, one of my cousins mentioned she wanted a bird mobile for her little man's nursery. I instantly thought of all of the fabulous ideas I've spotted online (mainly Pinterest), and asked her if I could sew her some little birdies. She agreed, and I couldn't wait to get started on my own addition to this sweet babies space. 

She had picked "Night Owl" in Natural as her inspiration fabric (this will adorn the cushions on their glider), so on Sunday we went on a little shopping trip to find some coordinating fabrics for the little birds. 

The colours were PERFECT and I couldn't wait to get home and start working on those little birds. Of course, a ton of birthday party stuff got in the way and it wasn't until late last night that I finally had the chance to sit down at my Mother's sewing machine and get to work. For those of you interested in how I went about making these birds, here's what I did.

After stumbling across this blog post via Pinterest, I printed off the pattern found here and started tracing my shapes.

I used plain white chalk for the darker/coloured fabrics, and pencil for the neutral fabric that you can see pictured above. It worked well, and then when I started cutting I found most of the fabrics edges frayed - pretty badly too. My Mom suggested I buy some fray check to keep everything smooth while I worked, and let me tell you - this stuff is fantastic. It smells pretty bad, and left some white residue on my fingers when they came in contact with it - but it did the job wonderfully.

Now for the sewing part. The tutorial that I read suggested hand stitching these little birds, with the rough edges of the fabric sticking out. I tried, but the weave on all of the fabrics was too loose and wouldn't really hold my hand stitches - so we opted for the sewing machine. We tried the first one with a blanket stitch, and it looked pretty cute, but for me was too much of a pain. For my others, I just used a regular old stitch, and it worked great.

I wasn't able to get any more pictures as I was flying solo on my mission, but what I did was sewed the head onto the body and closed up the entire back of the bird. I then sewed half of the belly closed and then half of the other side of the belly, leaving me enough room to stuff the bird. Once the fiber filling was in there nice and tight, I finished sewing the bird closed. At the moment, I have three birds finished, and I am almost done the fourth. (My bobbin ran out before I closed up the fourth bird, and I had no desire to fill a new one at 1 in the morning). Here are the three so far...

I still need to add eyes, and I also plan on adding some little brown felt beaks to them to make the ends look more clean. It's such a fun little project to work on, and has given me a bit of a break from only working on birthday party projects. I can't wait to share the final product with you once it's hanging in the nursery (which is still in progress).

Have you been working on any fun projects recently? Have you ever tried making any small stuffed animals, or your own mobile?

The Baby Shower Guide

Right now I have a couple of projects in limbo, so I was looking for some other ideas to post about. I started thinking and realized, that over the past couple of years I have been surrounded by women who have been blessed with pregnancy. I've watched so many ladies go through the wonder of bringing a life into this world, and I know sometimes we all struggle for a really great baby shower gift. How do you pick something really memorable? Something that Mommy, and maybe even baby, will appreciate for a long time to come? What can you give to stand out from all of the little outfits, blankets and toys that will be gifted? Here are a few things that I think were seriously fabulous gifts...

1) Mom's One Line a Day Journal: This is such a great gift. I received one last Christmas from my cousin, and it's been a great way to keep track of each day of our family, and specifically special moments and milestones with Halle. Baby girl will turn 5 by the time this book is done, so who knows, it may even include the pregnancy and birth of a second  baby. What a great thing it will be to share with Halle and any future babies we have! I highly recommend this as a memorable gift for a Mama-to-be!


2) Teethease Teething Jewelry: The one is a two-for! Not only is a great pretty piece of jewellery for Mama to wear, but it's super functional. What a great way to help out a Mama on the go with a teething baby. No more searching for tethers lost in those big ol' diaper bags, it will always be on hand. You can read the full review I wrote up here, but I have to say, I own one and I swear by it. I highly recommend this as a great gift!


3) Baby's First Year Calendar: I honestly think this is one of the best gifts I received! There are so many options out there, so you can find one that suits the Mama to be. Our's was gifted to us by B's Mom, and it was Winnie the Pooh. It was undated, so we filled in the month and dates for each month which is perfect, you can literally use one calendar for baby's entire first year, and it comes with cute little stickers that you can place for big milestones. I loved filling our's out, and it will be a great thing to share with Halle when she's all grown.


4) Jolly Jumper's Pashmama: I bought this for myself after Halle was born and I'm so glad I did. I had a very small bib for nursing her originally, but the Pashmama is large and makes nursing while your out and about so much easier. You can wear it as a stylish scarf, and when needed it completely covers up you and baby. It offers so much privacy, and it made me feel a lot more comfortable when Halle needed to feed right away. This is such a great gift for a Mama on the go!

5) Baby Sling: We didn't have a sling when Halle was tiny, only a carrier which she wasn't a huge fan of. Looking back now though, I do wish we had, had one. Halle wanted to be held at all times, which made it extremely difficult for me to accomplish anything around the house. I honestly think if we had, had a sling it would've made life so much easier. The one pictured above is a Serena & Lily sling, from Nordstrom, but there are so many options out there, so maybe find out if Mommy-to-be has a certain sling she's been eyeing. 


6) Sleep Sheep: We received the sleep sheep at our shower, and let me say it is still one of my favourite things! We use it every night for Halle, and she loves the soft sound of the waves crashing. Even B and I don't mind the sound of it coming through her baby monitor at night - the sounds are so soothing and relaxing and really help a drowsy Halle doze off to sleep. It comes in full size, and travel size, so whatever you think would work best for Baby and Mama, I am sure would be appreciated!


7) Baby Photos!: Halle's baby photo's (pictured above and taken by Nicole of Bittersweet Photography), are still some of my favourites. I honestly cherish them, and have a few displayed throughout the house. I think that newborn photos are so great to have, and if your Mama to be isn't considering getting some done, why not get some family and friends to pool some money together and purchase them a gift certificate for a nice session, and maybe even some prints afterwards. I can't think of any Mom that wouldn't love the gift of memories!


So there you have it, a quick round-up of some of my favourite gifts for new Mom's. What are some of the best gifts you received when you were pregnant/ a new Mom? What are some of the well received gifts that you, yourself have given?


This post was not sponsored and all opinions and thoughts are my own. All recommendations are based on my own experience and I was not compensated in any way for including this products in my round up. 

Little Bits from the Past

The other week when I shared some of the best gifts that we gave and received at Christmas, there was one that I forgot to mention. One of the extremely thoughtful gifts, given to me by B’s Mom and Grandmother, was this box of vintage handkerchiefs. 

They belonged to B’s Grandmother, and they were passing them on to me, thinking that maybe I could make some pretty doll clothes for Halle. However, after looking through them, B and I knew that we could not take scissors and thread to these beauties, so we are on a mission to find homes for them in our little house.  My two favourites are these pretty floral ones...

This one came straight from Poland, where B’s grandfather was from...

And this one was purchased by B’s parents on their honeymoon. How could I ever cut up such beautiful pieces? 

I hope that one can be added to Halle’s gallery wall in her bedroom, and that at least two can be included in the gallery wall in our living room.

What would you do with these beauties if they were gifted to you? Frame them, or do something unique? Were you gifted anything special or sentimental this holiday season? Or maybe just something beautiful that you can’t wait to incorporate into your home décor?

The Best of the Best!

Well Christmas is now 2 days past so I thought I would pop in quickly and share with you some of the best gifts that were handed out among our family members this year...


One of my favourites was this Wedgewood Baby's First Christmas Ornament that B and I gave to Halle. She was gifted quite a few ornaments, but I purchased this one back in October when we went to visit B's parents. I hope it is one that is special to her for years to come...

What do you get for the person (or couple) who has everything? That's what B and I were stuck on when it came to his parents. In the end, I found the perfect gift after scouring the web. The Smartbox gift card that we purchased for them is perfect. They love having nights away, and now they can use our gift to book one night away at one of the Bed and Breakfasts in the guidebook, located in the Northeast United States!

For my sister-in-law, I ordered her a custom return address stamp from simpleANDpretty on etsy. I picked the style below and then we bought her an ink pad and some pretty stationary to put together a little stationary set for her. It was so fun to do!

For B, I picked out a couple of lovely things to remind him of home. The Boston ORK poster...

And since he pretty much rules our kitchen (and melted our second cutting board), I ordered him this custom Massachusetts cutting board from AHeirloom, over on Etsy. A little heart resides right around the area of Boston!

Some of my favourites that I received were...

My One Line A Day Journal from my cousin. We both started them on Christmas Day together!

 

B got me the this journal. I already have the book, and the journal come with the checklist of all of the places. Though we have both traveled separately, and seen many of the places - I'd like this checklist to be of all of the places we have seen together. So far we've done 5 of the 1000... we better get on it!

I also got the Kate Spade teapot and cake plate I have been admiring since way back in June - thanks to my parents and my brother and sister-in-law! They were all so good to me!

B's Mom and Dad brought me some gorgeous vintage hankies, from B's grandmother! They are beautiful, and now I just need to decide how to display them.

What were some of your favourite gifts to give and receive?

B's off the remainder of this week and into the new year, and we plan on squeezing in some family time and crossing a few projects off of our to do list. I'll be back in the New Year, hopefully with a ton of bathroom updates and some other fun projects to share! 

Makin' A List

Happy Monday! We had a great time visiting back in Massachusetts, but this morning we're on the road back home... and I'm ready to get into the Christmas spirit!


Have you started your shopping yet? B and I got a lot of shopping done while we were away, and I thought I'd put together some fun little shopping guides for my readers who are still looking for some good ideas. I could've gone in a number of directions, but ultimately decided to go the traditional route of "For Him", "For Her" and "For the Kids". Here are my picks...

{1} Pendleton Merino Wool Blanket - $108.00 USD Kaufmann Mercantile  {2} Ribbon Necklace - $25.00 maneggi  {3} Fork & Spoon Wood Recipe Book - $26.00 Night Owl Paper Goods  {4} Hand in Hand Cashmere Scarf - $195.00 Kate Spade  {5} Madero Hoodie - $88.00 Anthropologie  {6} Large Little Vintage Hearts Book - $220.00 sarah & bendrix



[1] Leather Head Handmade Football - $115.00 USD Kaufmann Mercantile  [2] Menswear Tray (Shaving Kit) - $6.36 West Elm  [3] No. 1 Decanter - $39.50 Indigo Books & Music  [4] Reebok New England Patriots Vintage Applique Hooded Sweatshirt - $74.99 NFLShop.com  [5] Solid Suede Palm Convertible Glove - $9.99 Urban Outfitters  [6] Personalized Man Cave Beverage ID Tag - $7.00 TNTees

(1) Wooden Xylophone Toy - $48.00 Smiling Tree Toys  (2) Giraffe Pillow - $25.00 Little Korboose  (3) DUKTIG Toolbelt with soft toys - $7.99 IKEA  (4) Reindeer Rattle - $12.00 Indigo Books & Music Inc.  (5) The Original Slinky, Collector's Edition - $7.50 Lee Valley Tools  (6) Secret Garden, Embroidered Penguin Classic - $16.00 Anthropologie  (7) Plush Deer Girl - $65.00 PrettyPlush