fall for fun

fall came in with a bang for us. temps were in the low thirties this morning but quickly warmed up as the day went. since it started out brisk i thought the best thing to do for the boy was layer his clothing. that way as the day went he could shed a layer or two as the weather warmed up. i’m tempted to pack up his shorts but i’ll wait til we get deep into the season. i myself have packed up the summer wardrobe because i don’t foresee the weather getting about 80 again this year. and that’s where my shorts-wearing gauge starts. adiós summer!

shirt:  carters (similar)  ||  vest: gap (similar)  ||  jeans:  osh kosh
shoes:  vans  ||  hat:  gap

best buds

here’s little man spending a little quality time with his cousin, bella, this summer. they are finally getting to the age where they enjoy each others company. yes, i’m using the phrase “enjoy” very loosely here, it was more like tolerate each others company. there were occasional squabbles but for the most part they got along. not bad, considering they are both two and we all know how terrible they can be.

shirt:  gap (similar)  ||  pants:  mini boden
shoes:  vans  ||  hat:  diy

the girl is crafty | freezer stencil

t-shirt:  american apparel  ||  button-up:  crazy8
jeans:  osh kosh  ||  shoes:  converse

**i thought i’d share with you the process i used to make the cute buck stenciled shirt the boy wore for his first day of school. this is a tutorial i made a long time ago but it’s the same process i used to make the new shirt. i made a few modifications from the original post but it’s basically the same thing.

step-by-step tutorial on making a freezer paper stencil

materials:

• freezer paper (can be purchased in your local grocery store, usually in the foil and baggie section.)
• tee shirt
• printer
• scissors or sharp blade
•  fabric paint
• brush or sponge

take a sketch/image and turn it into a simple stencil. you can do this by hand or on a computer. (if you want to do a really complex stencil i suggest using a computer and uping the contrast on the image, sorta like what you’d get if you ran something through a copy machine) for this tutorial i kept it simple.

adjust size to what you want and print out. (i was able to print the image directly on the freezer paper after cutting it down to 8.5×11. it was a little flimsy so i tried to staple it to a heavier sheet of cardstock. it ended up getting jammed in the printer, so i just fed the freezer paper by it’s lonesome and it worked. and make sure you print on the flat side of the paper not the shiny/waxy side)

cut out negative image using a sharp blade. (be sure to leave little arms for any positives in you stencils such as the eye. you’ll paint those in by hand as the final step.)

iron stencil onto desired surface, shiny side down. (as you can see, you can use the stencil multiple times before it loses it’s clingablity. is that a word?)

make sure you have something underneath your surface before you start stenciling. the paint will more than likely bleed through. be sure to use paint that can adhere to your surface. i used fabric paint and a sponge to apply. begin applying the paint. you can apply one coat or if you want a bolder color apply a second coat after the first coat dries.

let paint dry and begin peeling the paper off.

be sure to color in the positive space with a brush and paint.

presto! you now have a nice stenciled tee or whatever you decided to tag with your artwork. you can now leave as-is or embellish it with some flair.

little rugby

lately the boy is fanatical when it comes to a subject. mind you it’s not one subject but all subjects. he’s all in. last week it was music, woke up wanting to karaoke to music videos, listen to music on our phones, singing in the tub, etc. this week it’s trains. wanting to hit up every train table he’s ever come in contact with, turning my candles into a train and actually using his own train table. well, a mom can only take so much choo-chooing at the top of his lungs so i was happy when he said yes to playing in his sandbox. now if i can just get him to keep the sand in the box.

shirt:  carters  ||  cargos:  carters
shoes:  vans  ||  hat:  born to love

* hat was bought through babysteals

a happy dance

first full day of school. both mom and boy are doing a happy dance. it’s amazing how much you can get done when you don’t have a kid in tow. errands, exercise and even blogging. have i mentioned the boy no longer takes naps. so any mommy time i did have has been non-existant the last few months. hopefully i’ll get some crafting done. already started with the boys new big boy room. i’ll hopefully be sharing the transformation going on in there in some upcoming posts.

off to pick him up and hear how his day went. i’m super excited to hear how much he liked it. at least that’s what i’m hoping.

shirt:  crewcuts  ||  jeans:  gap (similar)
shoes:  converse  ||  hat:  born to love

* shoes were bought used through ebay and hat was bought through babysteals

first of firsts

yesterday the boy started school. although the sign gives the impression he’s starting pre-k, he actually started pre-pre-pre-k. (aka two-year-old class) yesterday was an ease-in day and he only went for a little over an hour. he did great. even got a sticker for using the bathroom on his own.

yes, little man is getting the hang of using the potty. i must say, it’s going a little easier than i thought it would. i thought he’d be four and we’d still be changing diapers. we still have issues when we are out and about, but for the most part he’s doing great. at this point i’d say he’s 75% potty trained.

the chalkboard was something i made as a photobooth prop. if you know me, you know i LOVE photobooths and our props for said photobooth is growing with each event we do. luckily it came in handy documenting little man’s new milestone.

can you tell my laziness in posting pics lately? the convenience of my camera phone has made it easier to update. not to worry as life around here gets back to “normal” my normal pics will be making an appearance again.

t-shirt:  american apparel  ||  shorts:  baby gap (similar)
shoes:  converse  ||  hat:  born to love

* shoes were bought used through ebay and hat through babysteals

well equipped

a good biker needs some fabulous accessories. i usually don’t splurge on anything. most of what the boy has/wears is bought secondhand, on sale or a gift. for instance, shirt, helmet and bike all gifts.

when the boy first started riding his bike he would occasionally stop and pretend he was getting a drink from a camelbak. one, i was surprised he was pretending to do anything and two, i couldn’t believe he remembered drinking out of one once as opposed the millions of times he’s drunk out of a sippy cup. so when i saw this little camelbak at REI this past weekend i couldn’t resist. the boy was very excited when we pulled it out for him. he immediately put it on and was off. i have to say it was a perfect gift for him!

shirt: gap  ||  shorts: carters  ||  shoes:  vans
helmet: bell  ||  bike: chicco  ||  backpack: camelbak

swim fan

i meant to post this yesterday but wordpress on my phone was not cooperating.

i’m pretty sure i’ve gone swimming more this year then i have any summer of my life. i’m just not a fan of the pool, the sun, etc. i was a weird kid. the boy on the other hand has become a great big fan of the water. pretty big change from the post earlier this summer. i’ll have to post some pool shots but here’s the boy after a day at the pool.

t-shirt:  american apparel  ||  cover-up: circo
shorts:  mini boden  ||  shoes:  gap

balance biker boy

and we’re back. not that this was an intentional hiatus but life has been really busy around these parts. we have not had a single free weekend since the middle of june. phew!! things are starting to slow down so i thought i’d better get back to blogging.

this is the boy’s new love: cruising on his balance bike. i’m amazed at the progress he’s made on it in such a short time. he has gone from barely being able to stand, to riding long periods with his feet off the ground. all this in about a month. it’s amazing! (*the point of this bike is to avoid training wheels.) and by the looks of it he may be on a two-wheeler sooner than i thought. i had a video of him riding when i initially took the photos but he’s gotten so much better that i wanted to share a more recent video. enjoy!

shirt:  children’s place (similar)  ||  pants:  mini boden
shoes:  converse  ||  helmet:  bell

* shoes were bought used through ebay

i wanna be sedated

i got this onesie a while ago at tj maxx, i’m pretty sure it was before the boy was born. i’m not quite sure why it’s a onesie since it’s made for a 2-year-old. and for some odd reason it’s made for a child with a huge head. if he didn’t have an undershirt, he would be sporting an eighties off-the-shoulder look. the boy hasn’t worn a onesie since pretty much birth, so he wasn’t a fan of the snap crotch. he did allow me to tuck the back in so he wasn’t sporting a butt-flap. i may somehow modify this to make it more like a tee. but it doesn’t look too bad in it’s current condition.

sweatshirt:  joah love (similar)  ||  onesie:  sourpuss (similar)
cut-offs:  osh-kosh  ||  socks:  diy  ||  shoes:  converse

* shoes were bought used through ebay