how does my garden grow?

very well! my goodness it has really taken over with the hot weather. it is probably safe for me to say that i put too many plants in. it seems pretty crowded. but who knew that everything would actually grow?!

i noticed our corn the other day. how cool is that? that i am growing corn....!

lots of flowers for cutting.

a few cherry tomatoes turning red. four other tomato plants are doing well too. the lettuce is gone now that it is so hot. we had so much of it, and it was great to just walk out to the garden and pick it and make a huge salad. it was so yummy! cucumbers, jalapenos, tomatoes, carrots and corn will be ready soon. the herbs are doing well to and have been fun to cook with.

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two 4x9 beds just really aren't that big. might need to add another next year....or move to a farm! (i will post about that desire soon.) what's growing in your garden?

nos vacances d'été à Paris

Paris à l'été est si belle. Je ne vais pas vous ennuyer avec tous les détails de la folie de compagnie de retard et des annulations de vols, et de perte de bagages. Une fois que nous avons finalement fait de Paris, nous avons fait le plus de quelques jours, nous avions là-bas. Nous sommes arrivés le Juin 21, qui traduisent également au solstice d'été! Les Français savent vraiment comment faire la fête. Wow! Les rues étaient remplies de gens, de la musique live et tout le monde a eu du bon temps. Nous avons eu quelques attractions touristiques et juste à regarder les gens à faible accrochés à de nombreux cafés. Nous nous sommes promenés partout, le temps était parfait, et pas seulement les Français sont beaux, ils sont si beaux.
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Donc, avec un nouveau timbre de Paris dans mon passeport, je suis le partage de certaines des photos que nous avons pris. Certains sont des attractions touristiques et d'autres sont seulement architectural. Oh, et la nourriture et le vin? Très bon!

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Paris in the summer is so beautiful. I won't bore you with all the crazy airline details of delayed and cancelled flights, and lost luggage. Once we finally made it to Paris we made the most of the few days we had there. We arrived on June 21 which also translates to 'summer solstice'! The French really know how to party. Wow! The streets were packed with people, live music and everyone was having a good time. We enjoyed a few tourist attractions and then just hung low people watching at numerous cafes. We walked everywhere, the weather was perfect and not only are the French beautiful, they are so nice.
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So with a fresh Paris stamp in my passport I'm sharing some of the photos that we took. Some are of the tourist attractions and others are just architectural. Oh, and the food and wine? Very good!

photos from the big june sale

the big june sale was such a success! two great fun filled days, it took me awhile to come down off the high i was on. thank you to all my blog friends that stopped by and introduced themselves! it was fun to meet so many new people too.
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sorry for the delay in posting photos. i had a busy week after the sale, and then i headed off to Paris for a week. i'll post a few photos from my Paris trip later this week, until then, here are some photos from the big june sale. enjoy!

my all time favorite chair....i ended up selling her. i am sure she is happy in her new home!

we will have another sale sometime early october. you can watch for an announcement here, or follow us on the friends of a feather blog.

facelift : : zebra style

country, contemporary, mission, french country ...... are all styles of decorating. but why is there no zebra style category? i love, love, love animal print. you may remember my post about my new favorite zebra upholstered wing chairs that sit beautifully in my living room. i had left over fabric and have had this face lift project on radar for awhile.
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a new coat of cream paint, new foam, and all dressed up in a jazzy zebra fabric. *heavy sigh* but how many zebra chairs does a girl really need? my intent for this chair was to give her a face lift and add her to my inventory for the 'big june sale'. i am not sure if i can part with it. i hate when this happens. i think she turned out beautiful!

this is a before photo. and i thought when i recovered her way back when that 'this' was my favorite. but that zebra....oh. my. goodness. i have such a weakness for it.
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in all of her beautifulness i am putting her in the sale. it was meant to be if she doesn't sell and i will find a space for her. oh, and the ever so cute burlap coffee bean bolster pillow? love it too, but it is also destined for the sale. i always create in my own style and in the color pallet that matches my home. really i just create what i like and every now and then it becomes an occupational hazard. meaning every now and then i really want to keep it for myself.
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back to the studio, i have more things to wrap up for the big sale!

bits & pieces

a few items that will be for sale at the 'big june sale' this weekend. i stayed up way too late last night (did my clock really say 3:30am?!?!) and created these fun things. above is what everyone needs....an organizer. it started out as a boring brown shadow box, i heard it scream for a makeover at a recent garage sale. so i painted it white, lined the back with paper, added two extra wood slates to hold mail, magazines, school papers...you know, all that stuff that is all over your kitchen counter most days. i also added 3 hooks to hang keys and a clip board for a note pad or photo. the bingo card is just there for decoration for when you don't have something for the clip board. if i needed an organizer i would be keeping this for myself because i think it turned out really cute.

this little art piece would make an adorable house warming gift. the house/heart domino is a game piece that i picked up on my mothers day road trip. wish i would have picked up more, but at the time i had no idea what i was going to do with it. so this is one of a kind. the black mat is behind the glass and the other pieces are glued to the glass on the outside. who says all of the art has to be behind the glass?

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what bits and pieces do you have laying around? think outside the box and create something from nothing for your home. OR be sure to stop by the 'big june sale' this friday and saturday!

friday fun finds

oh how i love scrabble letters. and oh how i love all things with numbers. so you can imagine my excitement for this friday fun find!

my two favorites combined into these scrabble tiles with numbers! they are from a game called Numble. i have never heard of it, and i am not sure how it is played. but that doesn't matter because i just bought it for the game pieces.

and this old tool box will be the new home for the number tiles.

they will be joining all of these collected game pieces. and all of these (but not the cool tool box!) will be for sale at the big june sale next week.

the countdown is on for finishing up projects for the big june sale. this chair was also a fun find. it was originally red with an ugly fabric on the seat. this is her with her fresh coat of white paint, all sanded down to have a bit of red peaking through, and a cute stripe to cover her seat. she will also, along with other redone chairs be at the sale next week.

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here is to a good weekend, and to getting projects done!

kid kafe

our street is having our annual garage sales this week. yes, it pains me to wonder what great sales i am missing out on while holding my own. but sometimes, i have to clear the clutter.
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instead of a lemonade stand, the boys decided on more of a breakfast stand. they sold muffins, coffee and cookies. it has been a bit cool this week so the coffee was a big hit! the muffins and cookies? SOLD OUT! next time you are pressed to have a lemonade stand....think of doing a kid kafe instead and let me know how it goes.

backyard birthdays

one of my favorite things is backyard birthday parties. it must be the old fashion-ness of them that i love. i hold out with these kind of parties for as long as i can (see putt-putt golf party post below). so we now have two parties.....one with school friends and a family party.
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the fact that we have summer birthdays makes it really easy to entertain outside. the kids love it because they just run around and have fun.
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good food, good company, and always....homemade ice-cream!
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how do you celebrate your birthdays?

putt-putt birthday party

i have been meaning to add these photos to my blog because this was such a fun and easy party. almost a month later, here they are......

we generally have our birthday parties at home because i just love at home birthday parties. but this year maguire decided he wanted to have a putt- putt golf party. i could not imagine 14 kids in my backyard with putters and golf balls. all i could see were broken windows.

so if your birthday people want to have a putt-putt party, i hope this post gives you some fun ideas. enjoy!


step 1: make cute invitations to get invitees excited about the party.

step 2: find a location. this 18 hole course that i found is close to our home. they had a party room and took care of the pizza, drinks, and paper products. probably one of the easiest parties i have ever done.

we had a beautiful day....warm and sunny. the water was probably the biggest attraction.

the golf balls float if putted (or thrown!) into the water. nets were available to fish them out.

a big hit with the boys.

step 3: make or buy a cake to fit the theme. i usually make my kids birthday cakes. this one is a little bit half and half. a local bakery made the base and i made the golf ball that went on top. a simple flag with a seven was the same flag i used on the invitations.

step 4: send them home with fun party favors! the location we had this at also provided a frisbee and we added iced sugar cookies to them. iced sugar cookies are our standard party favor. the kids always love them, they are relatively easy to make the night before, look festive all packaged up, and are a fraction of the cost of all that trinkity stuff that ends up in the recycle bin.

step 5: be sure to write thank you cards to all your friends that brought such beautifully wrapped packages!

big june sale

for months i have mentioned 'the big june sale' and here are the details for it. if you live in the kansas city area (or anywhere close, or are up for a road trip!), and you love fun sales....then this is one you will not want to miss! me and a slew of my most creative friends are joining together for a great sale. look for the big white tent and come on in to find that treasure that has been waiting for you.

i still have trays to create, furniture to paint and items to be re purposed. big things, small things, one of a kind things. there will also be a bake sale with all kinds of home made yummies, packaged up beautifully for yourself or for a gift. a fun two days....i hope to see you there!

friday fun finds : : cancelled for today

due to an unscheduled visit to the children's dentist friday fun finds have been cancelled for today. my son was eating a slow poke sucker (so sticky if you have never had one of these) and pulled his cap off.
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i will have some saturday fun finds though because i will be spending the morning at the brookside neighborhood garage sales. my favorite neighborhood + favorite sale of the year = lots of fun finds. stay tuned!

a hospital stay

seven years ago, today, i was lying in a hospital bed in saudi arabia. we were living there because of my husbands job. it ended up that i would be in the hospital for 4 days due to a major surgery. the nurses were fantastic, visits from friends and tons of flowers. 9 months prior to this hospital stay i was also in a hospital, undergoing IVF. so this 4 day stay after a major surgery (c-section) was a joyful stay because for the first time i got to meet this little guy.....

our son, whom we named maguire. his hair so white it sparkled and his blue eyes that everyone said would some day change to brown, he was such a beautiful baby. i could not believe that he was finally here. i thought i knew what love was, until i met him. *sigh*

i also remember feeling scared. scared that he didn't come with a manual! but just like making a tower out of blocks, we have taken life one block at a time. each stage just keeps getting better.

such a sweet boy with a great personality,

likes his dessert first,

has a little mischievous grin more often than not,

super cool,

very independent,and a crazy sense of humor.

and that hair and eyes? as blond and blue as ever! i am asked, daily, where does he get that hair? my husband and i both have dark hair and dark eyes, who would of thought and who cares?! HAPPY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY BABY!! i am thrilled to be your mommy, love to watch you grow into a young man, and am so proud of you!

mother's day road trip

i made this invitation for my mom announcing our trip to the flea market in Sparks, KS. the inside had all the when and where details.

a tiny town and so full of junk! we had such a fun day and the weather was just beautiful. neither one of us brought home that much stuff, my husband says 'that's a good thing'.

booths set up in fields and even in some of the run down little houses. what a charming little place for a flea market. vendors were also there selling funnel cakes, kettle corn, corn dogs, all that yummy and oh so bad for you food. it really added to the atmosphere and a funnel cake every now and then is ok in my book!

tons and tons of stuff just packed in everywhere. if you like to dig and hunt this is one sale you will want to attend. they have it a couple times a year. google 'sparks flea market' and you can get all the details.

this was my favorite booth. filled, jammed pack with game pieces, old vintage playing cards and letters. i could have easily spent all day here digging.

letters and numbers..... drool!!!

i selected only a few playing cards. i have a cute idea to re purpose these for a little something for my june sale.

this mirror has since received a dry brush coat of white paint and will be for sale in the june sale. the butcher paper cutter.....all mine! i have been looking for one of these for a long time. you know, to sit on the counter of that store i don't have. so for now it sits on the work table in my studio. still need to get a roll of paper for it and am pondering painting the gold part of it black.

with two boys, there is not a lot of pink around my house. i fell in love with this old ford jeepster. she's pink, rusty and adorable.

she is right at home on the mantel. i would love to have a real one to use as my garage sale vehicle.

i was excited when i saw this sign. thought i would pick a bouquet to take home. once i got around the side of the sign i cracked up. the flowers were all artificial. it is all about the marketing is it not?!

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a fun day with my mom! in honor of all you hard working mom's, i hope your mother's day was a happy one!

friday fun finds : : week three

well here it is friday again and i can not believe it has been another week since my last blog entry. and i thought i was supposed to be getting better at blogging more frequently?! oh well, at least i am consistently inconsistent.
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a rainy friday this morning but managed to hit a few sales. i found a really large pink basket, a large white bowl, a shiny tin and some old keys. that is it. kind of lame but the pickin's seemed slim today, or else i am just picky about what i bring home. regardless, it was a fun morning. i might skip next friday and feature instead what i find on saturday. i will be hitting a fantastic neighborhood sale that i never miss...i go ever year with my dear friend Joan and we find all kinds of fabulous things.
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and how lame am i ??!! i still have not posted photos from my fun day, with mom, at sparks last weekend. we had a great time. did not buy lots of things, but took many photos and will share them with you here sometime this weekend (in between a birthday party, soccer, baseball and MY DAY on sunday!) i promise to get them out here this weekend....so please check back.

may day....ready for delivery

wow...two posts in one day. that is so not like me. don't get used to it...it probably will not happen again. ;)

those garage sale baskets i picked up today, some flowers and home made signs (embellished with little red wood game pieces from the game box i found earlier today) are ready to be delivered to a couple of special neighbors. the boys wanted no part in decorating/creating may day baskets this year. but M assured me that he would ring the bell and RUN because out of all of us he is the fastest. happy may day!

friday fun finds : : week two

a rainy friday here in kansas city and pickin's were slim today as far as garage sales go. but i did manage to find a few fun things.

a wood table and chairs for two. how sweet this will look when i paint it white and add some numbers to the chairs. i will post a photo once it is completed. cool, large, (1970's) galvanized bucket. i love the rope handles on the side. there are so many uses for this baby but he is in the 'june sale' pile. *sigh* i just can not keep everything i find....even though i really want too! an oval metal photo frame that will soon become a pretty little cork board. baskets for our may day baskets that need to be made and delivered TODAY! and a cute, red plaid shirt for M that doesn't even look like it was ever worn. i love my boys in plaid and i could not pass it up....Talbots Kids...for a buck twenty five.

This was also a fun find today. a box filled with lots of different games.

i drooled over all these game pieces. the tiny card sets all have adorable vintage images on them. the wooden bingo pieces and the black and white cardboard letters. oooooh the possibilities.

i limited myself today to just a couple of sales. but my goodness i am craving more. hello, my name is kathi, and i am a junkaholic. the reason for my limitations today is to save some money for tomorrow. oh yes, tomorrow...saturday....i am taking my mom (for her mothers day gift) to sparks kansas. home of a fantastic (twice a year) flea market. i doubt i will even be able to sleep tonight. we will be hitting the road early and spending the entire day there junking. i will have photos and a full report here on monday.

garden update and completed rain barrel

i finally hung the garden gate. oh my how i love it! still need to cut the side post down and top with finials or birdhouses. thanks to my dear dad for coming over and tilling the garden for me with his power tiller. i don't know if any of you have ever tried to till a garden by hand....it is difficult and exhausting. i was so glad my dad had the power tool and the time to help us out.

our old potting bench was also moved into the garden area. i plan to grow something up the trellis to make it appear to be in a room of its own. chicken wire side gates are up to keep the pesky rabbits at bay. still need to line the bottom of the fence with wire to make sure they do not sneak in.

the boys and i planted seeds last week. carrots, lettuce, sunflowers, and marigolds. corn and pole beans will go in this week along with the tomato, peppers, and herb plants. our lettuce is already starting to sprout up!

plant markers and tomato cages are in and waiting. i divided the garden into sections with jute so the boys could each have a space and know where things were planted.

i signed up for a class on how to make a rain barrel. unfortunately i was sick with the flu that day, but my friends who also were taking the class put mine together for me. thank you lorie, amy and leslie!! i finally got around to painting it and installing it to the gutter. these are bit unsightly, so one of these days i will get some plants in around it. one project at a time. but for now.... let it rain!

friday fun finds : : week one

garage sale season....my favorite time of the year! i never really go to look for anything special, i just like the thrill of the hunt. so i thought i would start this little 'friday fun finds' series. each friday i will blog about my fun garage sale finds i found during the week.

let's get started!

how sweet are these tiny white chairs? (they measure approx. 7" tall) they were all lined up in a row and i could not resist them. as much as i love these babies, they are going in the june sale (details on the sale when it gets closer). i just need to decide if i will sit small potted herbs on them or a candle. so cute!

i also thought that this old wood table was destined for the june sale. but....once i got him home i decided that i needed him here on my patio. the cute round mirror has a plastic frame. it was cracked, but for $1 i knew it had to go in my garden or on my patio. love it!! i also found an old black tray and a garden trug, and a one can never have enough white bowl. i will put my tray bella touch on the tray and maybe some old garden tools in the trug and they will be for sale at the june sale. the bowl i will keep to hold fresh vegetables from my garden.

a photo of my patio. stuff just got lugged out for the season. looking at this photo i see lots of projects. wicker chairs need a new coat of paint and the wood coffee table and my new small table need a coat of marine varnish so they will withstand the summer weather. look how cute that tiny table and mirror look. a perfect spot to hold summer drinks or appetizers when we do summer entertaining. i knew i NEEDED that table!

have a good weekend!

who needs a gym when you're building a garden

did i mention how physically difficult building this garden has been? oh, there are no complaints here, i just had no idea that it would be this physically draining. i thought that building small beds would be an easy project. wow was i wrong. but i am loving every minute of it!

over the weekend i used a post hole digger (thanks dad!) to dig the holes for the gate posts. they are in cement and with all the rain we have had will most likely take a week to dry. that gives me time to find some gate hooks so that i can hang the gate. i will also even up the posts on the top and M wants to top them off with bird houses.

luckily the rain stopped yesterday and lucky for me it was during C's nap time. with my rubber boots on and already muddy jacket i headed out to work some more. i have a pile of bricks, left over from another unfinished project, and decided to add some visual interest to the front of the garden. these are just sitting there for now, hopefully this afternoon i will get them buried into the ground a bit. this makes it easy for the mower wheels to go over while mowing the grass. i also need to get these box woods planted and mulch around them.

i finally got all the dirt from the end of the driveway hauled back to the beds. some bags of compost and also mixed in some mulched leaves. once the dirt dries out i will get the beds tilled and we will be ready to plant. it is coming along and the kids and i can not wait to get plants in and watch them grow. i better get out there and get those bricks in the ground.... stay tuned.

easter traditions

chicks and eggs decorated sugar cookies always complete easter around our house. i use my grandma's swedish sugar cookie recipe, and royal icing to make these irresistible cookies. they are always quickly gobbled up by children....AND adults! i wish there was one left to go with my latte this morning.

coloring eggs is another easter tradition. the boys have a good time dipping the eggs and seeing what colors transpire. by the end, i think each egg gets dipped in ALL the colors. we never know what we'll end up with, and M thinks of it as some science project. we eventually got C to slowly lower his egg into the glass. but then he said 'i like to splash it'.

seems like we always end up with lots of purple and pinks. the pale blue ones are my favorite.

luckily these just go right back into the fridge....because you know how i feel about pastels. ;)

i prefer my eggs colored in strong coffee, but this was a kid project and as long as they are happy mama's happy too.

easter decorating

i am not sure why, but i always have a problem when it comes to easter decorating. my home is pretty neutral, so you would think that adding some pastel color to it would be an easy thing to do. but for some reason, when i go putting pastel decorations around, it just looks like the easter bunny came in and threw up.

i think the real reason is that i just do not like pastels. oh i like light colors, white, cream, grey and the lightest of browns. every now and then even pale blue but it has to have a bit of grey in it. so i do not do pastels for easter decorating, instead i use lots of browns and whites.

these cute little eggs, wrapped in strips of paper torn from a french book, are cozy in a nest that sits on an urn.

the perfect color of toasty brown.

spanish moss in a jar with a few eggs is so easy to create. a white rabbit next to a large cream crackled egg sits on my entry table.

this tall rabbit i love. i changed out his pink bow to a chocolate one and i like him even more. he sits on the mantel in our living room.

aaahhh looky there...some blue! i tuck nests here and there and some are filled with eggs. most of these i will keep up all spring.

i just love the simplicity of this white rabbit and like how he really stands out from the green plant he sits in front of.

little brown cast iron rabbit sits quietly on my other mantle waiting for the easter bunny to tuck a filled egg next to him.

so if you are also one that does not do pastels..... do not worry that you can not decorate for easter. just go with the more natural colors of springs. happy easter!

tis the season

for the flu! ugh! what a yucky weekend, thank goodness it's over and hopefully that is our only flu experience for a long time. i have been meaning to update my blog for awhile (where does the time go?!) but got busy busy with a project and then hit with the flu. sorry if you are a daily lurker and had nothing new to look at here. i am going to get better at posting more often...fingers crossed. ;)

so.... tis the season....FOR GARDENING!

for three years i have been wanting to make raised vegetable gardens in our backyard. with picky eaters, i thought it would maybe help them with their vegetable intake if they had a hand in the process.

in a sunny part of our yard we started the building. i had some helpers but after just a few smacks of using the hammer they were done. then they decided that a snack in the garden would be good. i hope they are as excited for snaking in the garden once we get some vegetables growing!

it took the better part of the entire day to get these two beds made. chicken wire around the exterior of the beds to keep those pesky rabbits out. a rusty gate i had stored in the attic for this project will be the door to our garden. these will be organic beds, so i could not use grass killer to kill the grass in the beds (and i was too lazy to dig it out). instead, i layered cardboard and then newspaper and then filled them with dirt. the truck load of dirt i had delivered to the end of my driveway was a three day workout for me. not much dirt fits into a wheelbarrow...back and forth, back and forth. wow, was i hurting for a few days (a good kind of hurt!)

our garden project is getting closer to being done. i still need to set the posts that will hold the gate and find something to hang the gate with. i need to mix in some organic soil and then i think we will be ready to plant. well....that is once snow and freezing temps get out of our forecast! stay tuned throughout the season and watch our garden grow.

we took a little trip

i took the boys to Branson, Missouri over spring break. we loaded up the volvo wagon, armed with the DVD player, snacks, drinks and a map and headed out. the 3.5-4 hour trip took us a little over 5 hours. without daddy, i was able to stop at any and all the flea markets on the way that i wanted to. a couple bathroom/stretch breaks were thrown in too. we rented a cute little condo and the boys thought the best part about it was the small t.v. in the bedroom. so every morning we had breakfast (lucky charm cereal) in bed and watched cartoons. it was nice that those few minutes in the morning was the only t.v. time we had.

we had a picnic lunch on the river. the boys spent a good couple of hours afterwards throwing rocks into the river. it was probably 80 degrees that day...just beautiful.

M found this rock that looked like a heart.

the boys got along so well. i was so proud of them.

down at the Landing we found this really cool store....Ridemakerz. it's like build a bear, but you build a car. upgrades can be made over the internet. M had a blast picking the body of his car as well as the wheels, stickers, etc. then he had to actually put it all together. a fun souvenir!

an afternoon playing putt putt golf.

for not even being 3 yet, C was pretty good and did not hold us up at all. he yelled "whoo hoo" every time he got his ball in the hole.

this photo was taken at a place we had dinner at. we actually had dessert (ice-cream) first that night, and then had pizza. the boys thought this huge banjo was pretty cool.

C was hesitant to get into the pool at first. but then i couldn't get him out.

this indoor pool was one of the reasons we picked this condo.

all in all it was a great few days and something fun to do. now that we are back, C keeps saying (when he wakes up in the mornings) "it's vacation day, time to go to the condo!" needless to say, he enjoys taking little trips.

finally....some trays

i finally got around to getting a {small} batch of trays done. they are on their way to Now & Then, the little shop that i sell them in. if you have been to Now & Then (in downtown Overland Park, KS) make a note that she has moved. she's on the same street, just a couple of store fronts north of her old space. i am delivering the spring trays to her on saturday. so if you are in the area, have some free time, need some me time go and check them out. i am not sure why the photo of the papers looks so washed out. these trays really did turn out beautiful with the brown and blue papers that i used. the black & white one is perfect for a wedding gift and the red one just makes you happy and ready for summer.

every cowboy. . .

needs a place to hang his hat. in my youngest sons case, it is a place to hang his baseball hats.

on a recent stop at a thrift store, C pointed at something and said "i need that for my hats". i had no idea what he was pointing at. i let him out of the cart to show me what it was he thought he needed. he picked up a peg rack and again said "i need this for my hats". his hats do usually just get tossed somewhere and i had to agree that having a peg rack for his hats would be a great idea. so for one dollar, it was his. we came home found a spot in his room and he proudly hung all four of his, well loved, baseball hats. though he is too young to realize the reuse, recycle reason why mommy shops at thrift stores, i am proud that he found something that he liked and is proud of. equally proud am i that he is beginning to show some organizational skills. {smile}

a tiny office nook

i recently did some rearranging and had used a small sofa table as a desk in my mudroom. i thought it was the perfect little spot to keep daily papers organized. after using it for a few days i realized that it wasn't that perfect. it was a smidgen to narrow, not allowing much space to actually write at. it also was not near an outlet so i could not have a lamp for task lighting. so on a trip to good juju last month i spotted a cute little table. i quickly dismissed it because i was using the sofa table and it was working fine. but i could not stop thinking of this cute table. good juju is open only the first weekend of every month. so for the whole month i thought about this cute table that i had seen. AND when they opened this past weekend, i was there when they opened and the table was still there. i was so excited and chalked it up as 'meant to be'.

with a little more rearranging i now have this tiny office nook (still in my mudroom). it is now by an outlet, so i am able to have a lamp on it. it also is the perfect width to actually house some organizing bins and still have room to write. i love, love, love it. funny how having this tiny space has made daily tasks a little more fun to complete.

rainy days and mondays

it was a rainy monday here in kansas city. every time it rains and it is a monday i am reminded of that song by the carpenter's. but rainy days nor mondays get me down, i use them to get some projects done.


i have had these old, i call them fishing stools, in my stash for awhile. i failed to take a before photo so here they are in their after. scrap zebra fabric left over from redoing some chairs, a staple gun and 6 minutes to do each one. when projects are this simple, it makes me wonder why i put them off for so long. these two beauties will actually be for sale in the upcoming "Friends of a Feather" sale in june. for the past two years i have joined a creative bunch and held a fabulous artist/junker sale. this year we are taking it up a notch with more vendors, a huge tent filled with so many lovely things and even more marketing. if you are in the kansas city area, this is one sale you will not want to miss. more details on it later. so it is tuesday, and it is raining.....what project will i work on today?!

the ever changing mantel

since it is march i decided to remove the red floral wreath and art piece with a red heart from the mantel. using what i had, i created this display.....for now.

it is quick and simple to create an arrangement like this when you stick with a color theme.
add or take away and just fuss with it for a minute and ta-da you have something new to look at.

i often get emails from snapfish with a coupon to create a free coffee table book. i think i will gather up all my mantel display photos and put them into one book. i often have friends and neighbors ask me to help them with mantel displays. they could use the book as a resource and be inspired. now that is a good idea!

a thing for letters and words

the other day my post was about numbers. today it is about letters and words. i love all kinds of typography. if you do, you will want to visit this fun site i recently found. so on with photos of things around my home that have letters or words.....
a recent find at good juju was this linen pillow cover. the colors are perfect and i just love all those letters on it.

this card reminds me of a bingo card, only with alphabets instead of numbers. oh, and no free space. it is eye candy in my studio, or sometimes makes it way into a august arrangement on my entry table. signaling the start of the school year.

the letter H. was found gold and quickly spray painted black. it lives on the wall in my master bedroom, above some pictures i found at a flea market and had framed.

the letter M. in my son's room. i love monograms and more often than not, if you have a decorating dilemma, this just might be what your space needs. try it!

ahhhh...words. as in 'use your manners please'. i have posted these pillows before, but think they are worthy of making it into this 'words post'. subliminal, yet effective.

ooops...here is another letter H. simply written on a chalkboard in my kitchen.

three lovely words, 'home sweet home'. i made this with scrapbook paper and those small luggage tags (that i am also addicted too!) a random pretty frame i had tucked in the basement and it becomes a piece of art.

the word 'cafe' in my kitchen. i am not sure why i love this word. maybe because i ran a cafe when i lived overseas, or maybe because {some days} i have a desire to run one again. or maybe because it is a short word and it fit this space?! ;)

scrabble letters are always a fun find at a yard sale. i use them for all kinds of things. this phrase 'wash hands' sits quietly in the boys/guest bathroom. instead of a hand towel in this bathroom i love having a stack of 12 wash cloths. you can pick these up on the cheap at target for around $3/12. it does make for a bit more laundry but the benefits are worth it. everyone gets a dry towel and less germs are passed around. after a party, there is always one person that comes up to me and says 'loved the idea of the individual hand towels, i felt like i was at a fancy hotel or restaurant'.

this a-z sign was found at a garage sale just at the time my oldest was learning his abc's. it is in his room, in that small space above the closet. now that my youngest son is learning his abc's i suppose it is due for a new location.

that is it for the letter/word tour. if you have a favorite word or typography around your house i would love to hear about it. leave me a comment!

a thing for numbers

two, five, three..... 9, 4, 21.... it does not matter what the number, or the order. i have a thing for numbers. i am not even sure when it started. i pick them up at flea markets and garage sales. or, if something is plain, i will add a number myself. as i looked around the house the other day, i noticed that i have quite the {collection} going. in no particular order... see for yourself.

the number 2. picked up at a consignment shop lays quietly on my desk. her original purpose was a house number. i wonder if she was alone on a house, or in a group? her purpose now, a paperweight.

the number 459. joins numbers 458 and 457 in our mudroom. each locker has one of these old swim baskets to corral the smalls.

numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4. march down the front of an old dresser. originally intended for my son's room so that i could tell him that his socks were in drawer #2, shorts are in drawer #3. decided that i liked it better in the living room for a bit of whimsy. *easy project with a stencil and some paints!

the number 5. why? why not! plain white plant pot gets a simple face lift. *another easy project with ceramic paints, or a sharpie marker!

numbers 1 - 12. the face of a clock. i think circles are pleasing to the eye and i think that is why i am so drawn to clocks. this little one sits on my bedside table. it is rarely wound because i can not sleep with the tick, tick, tick sound. it also finds a temporary home in january on my dining room table as part of the centerpiece.

roman numbers. another clock, again round. this one currently resides above a mantle, but also gets moved around. i really liked this one when i bought it, but am growing tired of the red. {it is actually for sale for $75. interested? send me an email and i can tell you more about it}.

numbers 1 - 12 repeated again in a round clock. maybe i have a thing for clocks too?! this was a wedding gift {14 years ago}. the frame was pine and has since been painted black and distressed. it is large and i love it.

number 4 and 6. as in happy hour 4-6. this little frame sets on my kitchen window sill. 4-6 is actually the witching hour around here. kids are starting to get hungry, sometimes cranky and dinner needs to be thought of and prepared. this little reminder helps me to think positive during these hours. and yes, sometimes i take it literally and pop a cork off a bottle of red wine.

dollars and cents. these little cardboard price tags i found at a sale. not sure what i will do with them but one day it will hit me. they are currently eye candy in my studio.

a mix of numbers. old bingo cards make me weak in the knees. i have no idea what it is about them, but i can not get enough of them. these came from a dear friend {thanks lauri}.

numbers 1 - 28 and sometimes through 31. a huge framed calendar that i made because i am such a visual person. each month the magnetic numbers get moved around to their appropriate day of the week. strips of paper are used to add the happenings of our days. a real piece of {useful} art in my mudroom.

number 6 and 9. a framed vintage race car poster in my son's room. i love the large graphic, the numbers, letters and colors in his room.

another framed poster in my son's room.

that wraps it up. hope you enjoyed the tour of numbers.

tomorrow?? a thing for letters/words!

what's on your mantel?

the mantel is a show piece around christmas time. it seems that i load mine up with so much stuff in the months of november and december. that come this time of year, i just want something simple.

this old frame is a favorite of mine, it appears several times on my mantel throughout the year. for february, i hung a red rose wreath that i had stashed in the basement. you can never go wrong with white pillar candles, line them up all in a row for a bit of a modern look. a favorite piece of art, from a friend of mine, adds to the 'love' theme of the month without going overboard.
what's on your mantel?

how sweet it is

i signed up for treats for my son's valentine party at school. i am taking strawberry and cheese cube kabobs. kids love food on sticks and i thought something healthy was a good idea. but since it is a party afterall, i also wanted something fun, pretty and sweet.

i found this FUN COOKIE SUCKER recipe here. wrapped up in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon these turned out adorable! they were so easy to make and really didn't take any longer than making and icing cupcakes. my son loved how they turned out and is excited to see if his classmates think they are getting a sucker instead of a cookie. i also heard him in the living room tell his dad "i have the coolest mom ever!" and this morning when he saw all 25 of them (21 classmates + a few extras) on a tray he said "wow, you baked 72 corn muffins for boy scouts this week, and now 25 cookie suckers, you are the best mom ever!" now that is SWEET!

fun find

it was a beautiful day on saturday...might have even hit 70 degrees. i had some errands to run down in the village and really just wished that it was a spring saturday with lots of garage sales. but i knew sales would be few because it is after all... february. a few blocks from my house i saw it....a SALE sign! i was so happy. even happier when i found a bingo game. we had family game night friday night and i was wishing we had just a simple bingo game. there it was....along with boxes of dominoes, scrabble letters, chess and checker pieces. i had a smile on my face and my soul was happy. odd what spending a buck will do for you on a february day. oh yes, all of my finds were just $1.00 oh, happy day! ;)

face lift for a garage sale find

i have had this cabinet for awhile......maybe two years. i scooped it up at a garage sale for 5 bucks. i always had intentions to paint it, but since it lived in the basement, i never got around to it. then at some point i did some rearranging and the cabinet ended up in my living room. even in the ugly state that it was, i still liked it. i guess because when i looked at it, i could see the potential. every time i looked at it i was reminded that it needed a face lift, but it was functional, so it just became a project on a long list. two weekends ago i finally tackled the cabinet. i am always so amazed at how little time and really takes to paint a cabinet. why did i wait so long to complete this project? one word explains it.....PROCRASTINATOR! here is the end result.....

i had recently found an old french paperback here and i tore it up and used it on the back of the cabinet. i love how it turned out. a fresh coat of paint, some light staining, new hardware and it is finally done.

the top shelf has a few of my favorites...especially the ceramic crown. a subtle reminder that, with no girls in line behind me, i will forever be the queen of this household. ;) the middle shelf for my husband who likes his scotch on the rocks after a hard day at work. the bottom shelf for the boys, a basket filled with baseballs that we pick up for cents at garage sales. and behind the two doors on the bottom, baskets of toys for the boys.

it feels good to have this project crossed off my list. since i have painted this cabinet, i have spent the last two weeks completely cleaning and rearranging bedrooms. it is what happens when i clean....stuff just gets moved from one place to another. and wow does it feel good to have my house so clean. even the closets have been cleaned and we have several bags of donations going to local shelters this week.

here is the before photo of the cabinet in its ugly state. so next time you see something ugly at a garage sale, look for the potential in it. paint is inexpensive and it is a great way to update a piece. you will also be saving money, and the environment by recycling these pieces.

a store of my own

a new store in town, stella grace. named after the girl name i had picked out, but never got to use. filled with treasures that i find out junking. some pieces were found in great condition, others have been repainted, or re purposed. all displayed beautifully in a casual, eclectic way that makes you want to visit every week just to see what is new.

services are also provided to stage clients homes. reusing what they have, or help them find the right spot for that piece they just purchased from stella grace. or maybe they just need holiday decorating done, or maybe decorating for a party they are having. i could do it all.

and then i woke up. yes, this is just a dream. a dream that i come back to often. a dream that between being a mom, wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a den leader, at home business owner, cupcake baker, junker, decorator, ect. hopefully someday will become a reality.

the photo above was created by visiting this site (thanks to tracey over at cottage industry) .

my actual store front would have cool, old shutters on each side of the windows and some beautiful green plants in the front. perhaps a cute table out front to enjoy a cup of complimentary coffee at. my desire to junk and resell, display, decorate, play, all wrapped up into one store. and speaking of wrapping, i would offer gift wrapping for the smalls. because who doesn't love getting a beautifully wrapped package?

when i close my eyes.....i can see it. *sigh* someday.

what is your dream?

a day for history

i am not a history buff. i never liked, or did well, in history in school. it wasn't until i started traveling the world and seeing places, that i had only read about in history books, did i become remotely interested in history. i vaguely remember watching the space shuttle take off for the first time in school. it was cool that we had t.v.'s in our classroom but for some reason it just didn't make much of an impact on me. but today is different.

while watching the inaugural address today, i felt so proud to be an AMERICAN. i also felt so excited to be witnessing history in the making. a day for future hope, a day that will hopefully make a difference in the future of my children. i think i am excited about today because i am old enough, and mature enough to recognize this historical moment. it is a fresh start, it is exciting and it is fun to be witness to it. CHEERS! to the red, white, and blue.

xoxoxoxoxo

a valentine tray of mine to be featured in the february issue of Taste Bud magazine. my friend heather writes for them and so thoughtfully asked to use one of my trays in her february article.
the article is on breakfast in bed and who wouldn't love to have THIS delivered to you on valentines day morning. heather also has her own event floral design business called Botanica.
i am excited for the taste bud issue to come out. it is so fun to see your own creations in print, it makes it seem so real. heather, thank you for using my tray and taking such a beautiful photograph!

small spaces

it is no secret that i am a fan of small spaces. last year my volunteer efforts included trying to save my neighborhood from the mcmansion (you can read more about that here if you are interested http://www.preserveoldleawood.blogspot.com/. i mean really, how much space do we really need? it takes effort to live in small spaces and i really think the biggest secret of it all is simply staying organized. lately i have seen other blogs talking about small space ideas and my local newspaper recently also wrote an article about small space living. i thought i would share with you today the ideas in my house that allow us to live comfortably in a small space.

my house is approximately 1700 square feet. it is the typical ranch floor plan with living/dining in the front and kitchen/family room in the back. long hallway to three (used to be 4 until we decided that a master bath bigger than a closet was needed) bedrooms and a hall bath. i often refer to it as my double wide trailer. i nixed the dining room, since it really wasn't even large enough for a table, 6 chairs and the buffet. i turned it into our mud room with built in lockers to corral all the daily necessities. so now our 'dining room' is on the back of the house and viewed from the kitchen. i also split my couch and love seat up .... one is in the front living room, the smaller love seat now faces the fireplace off of the kitchen. giving me more of a hearth room feel.

my kitchen is narrow. i really wanted a kitchen island and was thrilled to find this old dresser to use for it. this is not your typical eat at island. but with a stool at one end, snacks are often enjoyed here. back to the dresser.... i love all the storage it has. the center doors open to 3 pull out drawers. the sides and back i wrapped with bead board and trimmed it out. new knobs and it fits my kitchen perfectly. with my dishwasher on one side and the ovens on the other i was in need of something narrow yet functional. a long dresser fit my needs and it is probably one of my favorite pieces.

the back of the island - wrapped with bead board. you can see my loveseat and dining area in the background.

in my master bath a towel rack i made out of old door knobs is so functional.

this is pretty to look at, was a fun, easy project and does its job of keeping towels off the floor.

when we remodeled our master bath we didn't put in any built in cabinets. i had this piece from living overseas that i loved. white towels stack nicely and are convenient. all the small drawers below hold extra soap, etc. i love having furniture pieces in my bathroom instead of built ins.

back to the kitchen.... above my cook top i opted for a mantle instead of a cabinet. this allows for me to display some of my favorite things and frees up the counter space.

i love my armoire. i love that it adds height to the room, hides the t.v. and in the bottom the kids have baskets of toys and games. again, i think being organized is key to living in small spaces. everything has a home and gets put away.

again, multipurpose furniture helps. a bench, turned coffee table, also functions as storage for small cars and blocks. it is easily accessible for the boys and encourage creative play.

our hallway to the bedrooms is our photo gallery. putting photos here helps control the clutter of having tons of small photo frames on every table surface in the rest of the house.

those are just a few ideas i have for living in small spaces. i hope you found them helpful and if you have some small space ideas, please leave a comment with a link to your ideas. i would love to hear more.

apple-cheddar muffins

a new muffin recipe that i tried this week. apple-cheddar muffins....yummy! moist, not sweet, goes well with a bowl of soup, with a cuppa coffee for breakfast or great in the lunch box. enjoy!

apple-cheddar muffins

1 large apple
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup regular uncooked oatmeal (rolled oats)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

preheat oven to 400. butter standard muffin tins.
peel, halve and core the apple. cut it into 1/8" dice, set aside.
in a large bowl stir and toss together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. set aside. in a medium bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and melted butter until smooth. stir in the apple and cheese. add to the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended. spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about three-quarters full. bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. cool in tins and then remove. makes about 12 standard muffins.

a before and after without the before photo

one fall day i hit a garage sale. i found two wing back chairs, one avocado green and the other pumpkin orange. they were heavy, sturdy Hickory chairs. i did not need them. i did not need one more project sitting in the garage. but i loved the shape of them and i had been thinking about two chairs, of some sort, to add to my living room. at $25 each, i just couldn't pass them up. they came home with me and were stashed in our already full garage (my husband hates this!) ;) i searched the internet for fabric and found just what i was looking for..... a linen, java and cream zebra print! my decorator friend had them upholstered for me and they are more wonderful than i thought they would be.

leather piping is a small detail that i am glad i went with. they are just beautiful and they are just the WOW i was looking for in my living room.

they also are so very comfortable. heavy, solid chairs....oh my, did i mention that i LOVE THEM!!! i wish i would have taken before photos, but oh well. i am just completely thrilled with these two beauties in my living room.

they have become my new favorite place to sit in the morning with my vanilla latte and read the newspaper. i never need anything, but love when i find a good deal with potential at a garage sale. is it spring yet? i am ready for more garage sale hunting!

fun birthday stuff

a friend of mine turned 50 and i attended her surprise party saturday night. i knew i wanted to give her a couple of cupcakes. she loves antiques, so i thought putting them on a small vintage cake stand would make for a good presentation. i didn't really find any small cake stands and i was getting frustrated that i could not find what i was looking for. but then i found this cute little toy drum! i knew my friend L would love it, and it made for a perfect, think out of the box, cupcake stand.
i also thought that anyone turning 50 should have a crown to call their own. L also loves paper crafts so making her a paper crown was another little gift i knew she would love. my kids picked up crowns on a recent lunch at burger king. they were the perfect base for creating my crown for L. here is a photo of it flat.... (just click on the photo to see it enlarged)

and here is a (fuzzy, my camera doesn't do well with glittery, sparkly, stuff) photo of it put together. i used old dictionary paper, sparkle/glitter paper, ribbon, lace, and WA-LA a crown for the birthday queen. happy birthday L!!! i had such a good time at your party!

this crown was so easy to make that i think i will make one for myself....just to wear, when ever i feel like it. maybe it could become my 'mom is in a bad mood crown'....it is sure to lift my spirits when i get cranky and it would be fair warning to the boys and my husband that i might growl!

happy new year

so hard to believe that it was nine years ago that everyone was freaking out about it being the year 2000. wow how the time has flown by.

we did our baking this year on new years eve. three different kinds of goodies all packaged up and delivered to the neighbors to wish them a happy new year. i love using freezer paper, it is heavy duty, slick on one side and flat on the other. not to mention i love the simple color of it...white. you can buy it at your local market right next to the aluminum foil. it also is great to just roll out a huge sheet of it and let the kids color on it.

happy new year!

after christmas decorating

the day after christmas i start to itch to take down the tree and the christmas decorations. i put them up the day after thanksgiving, so to me, it seems as though they are up forever. yesterday i finally got everything all packed away. after seeing the layers of decorations throughout the holidays, my decorating mantra for january is one word... simple!

i like to use bits and pieces of the real christmas garland here and there. above my mantle in the hearth room i simply hung a evergreen branch on a frame. then tucked in bingo cards, i had in a stash of mine, because it brings happy memories of playing games all winter long.

white candles and some pine cones and that is it for this mantle.

some greenery also ended up on the dining room table centerpiece. a small clock on a cake pedestal makes a grand presence when topped with a glass dome. it is also a nod to new years eve! a few silver ornaments and a glitter star add some sparkle.

the mantel in the living room was filled with garland, stockings and glitz. now it screams simplicity with just a winter scene painting, a little bit of greenery into an urn and one candle.

i love simple decorating and that, at this time of year, my house is free of clutter (most of it anyway)!

one more spot for greenery, in a vase with some tulips. a sure sign that spring is soon to come. i know winter just started....but i am looking forward to when spring is in the air.

next up, clean the closest and the light fixtures that for some reason always get forgotten.

christmas outings

my boys love going to union station, especially at christmas time. volunteers put up this awesome train exhibit. the detail is amazing. i think it is as much fun for the adults as it is for the children. my dear friend J and her son M joined us on our outing. the boys love to run up and down the grand hall, and it is a good space for them to burn off some energy. at the end of the grand hall there is a huge christmas tree. around it is this train the children can ride on.

union station hooks up to crown center, eating at fritz's is a must. at crown center they had gingerbread displays, with a train, that the boys enjoyed watching.

then on friday we went back to union station, so that the boys (and my husband) could ride the train to grandma's house. it is only a short 36 minute train ride, but it is a fun, inexpensive adventure.
so all in all our christmas week was a really good one. our celebration was spread out over four days and gifts were at a minimum. we still have this week off from school. we have some reading to do, playing with new toys, and taking down the christmas decorations. a nice, easy and very enjoyable week. i hope yours will be the same.

thank you santa!

we had such a great christmas. here are a couple of photos of the boys, with santa, i forgot to post earlier. such a fun week filled with family, friends and lots of fun things. i'll post more photos later today of other christmas happenings.

hey santa....

we have been very good!

we hope you will be coming down our chimney tonight.

we have cookies and milk waiting for you.

the children were all nestled and snug in their beds.....

merry christmas to all, and to all a good night!

christmas decorations '08

i had all intentions of joining in on one of the holiday home tours. but for some reason i just never could get around to getting my photos loaded. better late than never, and still in time for christmas, so grab a cuppa something hot and enjoy my christmas decorating.

i ditched the red again this year and went with more natural decorations. lots of burlap, white, cream, silver and green. it fits my house better than traditional red, green and gold. and i kid you not, it is so calming. i do not feel rushed, crazy busy or hurried this year at all, and i think a lot of it has to do with the calmness of my christmas decorating. again, i used lots of things that i already had. M and i made a paper chain, out of an old dictionary (free from a garage sale), for new garland for the tree. i also just added christmas-y items to decor that i already had out. my favorite is probably the tiny white mittens that i slung over a photo of C when he was a baby. thrifty, easy, calm.....awww...let it snow! enjoy, and if you have any questions about anything please leave me a comment with your email and i will get back with you.

thanks for coming by! i hope you enjoyed my tour. have a happy, & blessed christmas!

being santas helper

i feel like i have a pretty good grip on staying on top of the toys in our playroom. or should i say room(s) because it seems like we have toys in every room. always before the next rush of birthday or christmas gifts come in, the boys and i sort through what doesn't get played with anymore. we still have way too many toys to play with. it makes me sad to pack up the toys that don't get played with. maybe they rest in the garage sale box until the summer, or sometimes they get put into the donate box and go to charity. i guess i read the velveteen rabbit too many times, because it really does make me sad to send (i can't even call them unwanted) the unplayed and outgrown toys away.

but today i had an idea. it seemed like we had baskets of small toys laying around. some mcdonalds toys, a few books that never get read, leftover favors from birthday parties ect. i collected them all into one big basket and then started sorting the small toys into categories. i went to my stash of cello gift bags and grabbed some fun polka-dot ones. my favorite part of christmas (the gift part that is, i do like christmas for other reasons too) are all the small gifts in my stocking. so i thought it would be fun to package up these small toys into little gift bags. i will donate these this week to a church shelter. these gifts will be waiting for 'santa' to pick up and tuck into a needy child's stocking. and on christmas morning the children and these toys in their new homes will be surprised and happy.

it feels so good to be able to help 'santa' in this way. small gifts, that do add up when you go out to buy them, already packaged up. hopefully making christmas a little more special for those in need. i am not sure where the tears come from that are rolling down my cheeks as i write this. is it because it really does feel good to give, is it that these small toys, all packaged up, look really cute, or is it that i feel guilty that my children are so blessed to have what they have? maybe it is a little bit of everything and maybe i am just happy that these toys will be finding a new home in a few days.

an afternoon with friends

this is the third year i have hosted a cookie exchange. i always look forward to this little event as i get to spend a couple of hours with dear friends. old friends, new friends and lots of beautifully decorated cookies. it is so fun to see the kind of cookie that everyone brings.

i use an old sled on the kitchen island to hold some snacks. we have wine and mingle and just enjoy. i love to host parties, but i always regret that i never got to chat as much with each guest as i would have liked. i feel so blessed to have such a great group of friends to share a couple of hours with.

thanks for coming, being who you are, and for saying my house should be in a magazine (ooh how i wish!) ;) oh, and i thought of it too late for this years party, but i have a little idea for party favors for next years cookie exchange. i am bummed that i have to wait an entire year to do them, but it gives me and everyone something to look forward to next year! if you host a cookie exchange party, leave me a comment, i would love to hear about it.

fun at a local children's bookstore

if you live in the kansas city area, i am sure you have heard of The Reading Reptile. it is an independent children's bookstore in brookside, and it is adorable. it is a great mix of creativeness, kid friendly, feeds the soul, bookstore. they have story time, birthday parties, and a million things to look at while you are there. here, the boys found a comfy seat to pose for a photo.

riding the vintage horse is a must for every child.

the walls are covered with murals, and fun things hang from the ceiling. such a colorful, creative space.

i just love looking around the place. the books they have are beautiful and you can find books on every subject. i also love that they have a section for local authors/illustrators. i have purchased several of those types of books for gifts.

the boys love this little hide out. it seems that every time we visit the reading reptile we find something new.

they also have a front window with available toys for the children to play with. they will often be amongst other children and the house cat, who is usually stretched out on a little table in the sun.

please visit this bookstore if you have not. it is a great little gem that we have here in kansas city.