Smile And Wave

My Little Lover Boy

One evening right after Valentine's Day we were getting the kids ready for bed when S sighed a big six-year-old boy sigh and said, "I just can't stop thinking about her." Brett and I both started in asking who he was talking about and he mentioned his sweetheart from school for the first time this year. He'd had a crush on a sweet little girl with 'yellow hair' named Emma in Springfield but hadn't had another girl steal his heart in the same way until now. 

"I'm in love with her," he said dramatically as I tucked him in to bed. We proceeded to have the longest conversation of his life about how she smiled at him in gym class but didn't talk to him because she's shy and that his friends that know he likes her make fun of him. He asked me how she would know if he liked her and how he would know if she liked him back and I offered up my nuggets of how to treat girls you like. You know, don't hit them, push them, tease them, or ignore them and to say nice things to her like how pretty he thought she was, etc. 

I sat there informing him that it wasn't okay to kiss any girls at school no matter how much he liked them unless he asked their permission. And then only on the cheek. Flu season, duh! Then I remembered getting my very first kiss from our neighbor friend, Robert, behind the couch at my house while my mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I think he had a runny nose, too. Gross.

I couldn't believe we were already having this conversation and my heart both ached for the passing of time and exploded for this new territory that allowed my son and I to talk so openly about something so innocent and sweet. 

I felt ever so keenly how important my job is as his mother to teach him how to grow into the kind of man that respects and appreciates women-one that can be both strong and gentle, kind, honest, thoughtful, playful, brave, and steady. I know a time will come when he won't be so eager to tell me that he's smitten with another 'yellow-haired' girl or ask me if he should have one of his friends tell her he likes her. I'm going to enjoy this rare opportunity with a captive audience and do my best to help him maneuver through the treacherous waters of young love. 

I picked him up after school today and the first thing out of his mouth was, " I gave her some lipstick I found." 

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I gave R some lipstick."

"What lipstick? Do you mean chapstick? From home? You shouldn't share chapstick. GERMS."

"No, I found it on the floor. It was watermelon."

He's getting there.

-Rachel 

The Weekender

We had a low key, stay-at-home weekend with Brett working and catching up on housework. I was feeling the winter blues and riding the hormone train that comes right before my cycle each month. There was a thrift store trip involved at the end that made up for it.

We did get to enjoy the company of our neighbor friends' kids so they could go out on a date. We traded nights and I think we've all decided we need to start doing it once a month. It's a guaranteed date night, we don't have to pay a sitter, our kids get to play together at each other's houses, and everyone likes pizza for dinner! Trading nights with another couple has been something I've wanted to do for a long time so I'm thankful for our friends being up for it! Have you ever swapped date nights/playdates with anyone? 

There's still snow on the ground and it's going to be hovering in the 30's all week but the sun is out today and the streets are clear so I'm feeling more cheerful already. Oh, and I also got some fun news that I was selected again this year for Babble's Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs! I think I share Alison's sentiments over feeling a little broad with my topics on this blog since I tend to post about diy's, family time, outfit posts, and home decor but those are all things I love and I'm just not sure I'd feel as motivated to narrow it down to one or two.

I do love that I'm not alone in feeling this way. I'm also really thankful to have been chosen along with some of my dear friends and so many creative women I've long admired!

And with that I leave you for a trip to the hardware store. Always running out of nails.

-Rachel

 

What I Wore: Date Night

Brett and I were able to hit the town for our first date night since Christmas break last weekend. These nights are pure gold for us as they are for most couples with young kids and I always enjoy a reason to put on a dress. We went to see Quartet at our downtown theater and then had dinner at Shuga's. I am obsessed with their salmon bruschetta and their atmosphere can't be beat in town. Next time you're in Colorado Springs you need to stop in and try it.

I tend to stick with the dress, tights, cardigan combo when it's chilly out but I'd recently seen Katie style a similar skirt with a sweater and happened to have something I thought would work. It felt a little more casual and comfortable for a cold night out with my love. I think I've also found my favorite new shoes for spring and summer.

Outfit Details: Sweater, thrifted. Dress, tights, flats, Target. Vintage velvet bag, thrifted. Gold watch, gifted. Stone necklace c/o Moorea Seal.

Brett and I were running a bit late to catch the show but I still insisted on taking a few outfit photos because special occasions need to be documented in my world. Ha! We pulled into a paid parking lot across from the theater and one building had a fun mural of horses running across the middle. We got out to take just TWO MORE photos and saw a sweet couple taking what I imagine were their engagement shots by a professional. It was sweet. I liked thinking about our time as newly engaged sophomores in college and how I really only wanted to spend time with Brett and could care less about my Western Civ. classes. I still can't get enough time with this guy. We could go on date nights every night and I know I would always wish for more.

That's the way it should be, huh.

-Rachel

Three-Tiered Lampshade DIY

Necessity is the mother of invention, right? I had originally thrifted a few lamp shades in similar shapes trying to get the right proportion but ended up deciding to ditch the lamp base altogether. I purchased a cord kit from ikea and used some white floral ties to connect the shades and then added a hook to the ceiling and I had myself a new light fixture.

I love the extra layer it adds to this side of the room and how it works with the lamp on the other side of the piano. If I was going for more pattern and color I think this kind of tiered lamp shade would look fun in three coordinating patterns (gold stripes in different widths) or some sort of ombre. 

Tip: If you're on the hunt for shades at a store and aren't getting them from the same place just note the shape and sizes to make sure they're going to look good together. 

-Rachel

Living Room Tour Featured on A Beautiful Mess

I rearranged our living room yet again after finally getting our piano moved in and I'm finally really happy with how everything is set up. It feels cozy but there's still plenty of open space and almost every piece of living room appointed furniture still fits in here. I've shared an interview along with photos over on A Beautiful Mess. It was such a treat to be invited to share our space. If you haven't browsed through all the other rooms in the At Home With feature you need to clear some space in your afternoon. 

Room Details: Almost every piece of furniture in this room has been thrifted or DIY'ed. The new pieces are from ikea (rug, floor lamp, striped fabric on pillow, white plastic write-on frame), the heart print is from Gingiber, art prints on the wall are from Hula Girl and Kiki & Polly, oversize print is blown up from a family photo, pillows are mostly handmade, magazine rack was a DIY, the three-tiered lampshade I made myself, and the kids as well. 

It's such a good feeling to have a room finally feel like it's figured out. I do, however, give myself permission to rearrange things as soon as I get the itch. Know the feeling?

-Rachel

40 Projects Just For Fun: Copper Himmeli DIY

I was working on my straw himmeli earlier this month when I got the idea to try a similar shape out in copper for 40 Projects Just For Fun. I wasn't sure if I could find thin copper tubes at our local Lowe's and actually ended up making one out of 1/2" copper pipe but it was rather bulky and not as graceful as I had imagined. I was back at Lowe's for cement for another project when I thought I'd better go look again and sure enough I found smaller tubes wrapped in plastic. They run about $5.25 each so this isn't the cheapest DIY but with four rods, a pipe cutter and some twine you'll get a lovely sculptural himmeli to hang in your window.

The copper tubing comes in 1/4" x 2' sections. You'll want four of them to get this size himmeli. A larger himmeli would be a beautiful statement as well but will obviously cost more. This sized pipe would allow smaller sizes to work nicely as well. Be sure to get a pipe cutter or a hacksaw if you have one. You'll also need about 16' of twined, a sharpie, and some scissors. Mark your pieces so that you have eight lengths of 8" and four lengths of 3" to get this shape. Cut along your marks using the pipe cutter. Gently place the pipe in and tighten it until the blade is in contact with the pipe and twist two or three times. Tighten again and twist. Repeat until it has cut through the perimeter but do it gently as this size of pipe is soft and could get smashed.

Cut your twine into four lengths of four feet and tie in the center. Separate into four sides and slide both pieces of twine from each side through an 8" piece of pipe as shown. Next take one strand from two long pipes lying next to each other and slide them through opposite ends of a 3" piece as shown. Repeat until all four 3" pieces are attached. Slide the last four pieces over the ties in each new corner as shown so that they come out the other end together. Hold your himmeli upright to even things out and then make a knot at the top. I braided my ends and made another knot to hang it from a ceiling hook.

After making one I researched Etsy and found there are some lovely brass himmelis for sale that are also being marketed as pot holders. There are a variety of shapes and proportions you could come up with to suit your aesthetic and I do think a trio of three would make a lovely statement on a front porch-possibly in place of the trip of succulents hanging in macrame pot holders that I have nearly let die!

I love finding ways to add unique items to our space. I also love stumbling upon a new medium or concept and exploring with it for a bit. I think experimenting with something unfamiliar can pull you out of a creative block or just open another avenue of thinking and invite new inspiration. 

Have you ever tried something new and been surprised at how much you loved it/learned from it? 

-Rachel

40 Projects: One, Two, Three, Four

Valentine's Day 2013

This Valentine's Day was so different from last year. Last year we were having brunch with our dear friends the morning after our going away party at Red Velvet and then headed back to our house to pack for our big move. This year we're about to mark a full year in our new city. 

My friend, Jessa, and I had planned to do it up real good for our boys' class V-day party since their Christmas party consisted of celery, apples, and popcorn at their desks while the class next door had paper chains hanging from every wall and Christmas music playing while they all danced around the room. Thankfully, his teacher welcomed our enthusiasm and we spent the two days before the party gathering and making.

I reused a lot of things I had leftover from Ruby's pink and red birthday party but made extra garland from felt squares, a garland of love letters, some felt hearts to hang from the ceiling, and a fringed felt heart for their class door (seen on our mantle mirror). There were balloons and healthy treats in the mix and Jessa made the best cake pops I've ever had. It was so fun preparing for it because I knew the kids would enjoy the extra festive feeling of their room and I really wanted S to have the same kind of party memories I have from elementary school. We had some great room moms! I still remember you, Mrs. Donahue!

The afternoon I was supposed to take everything to his classroom to set up I got a call from the nurse's office saying Sebastian had a temperature of 104. I felt bad for the kid. He was going to have to miss his Valentine's Day party and all the fun of exchanging Valentines with his friends. I wasn't about to pull out of party decorating, though, so he got hauled back up to school with Ruby and his carpool buddy and they helped set the party table and played with balloons while I got tiny electrocutions every time I lifted a ceiling tile to hang garlands. It made me feel better that he was still able to take part in a small way.

On Valentine's Day we putzed around the house and got a few fun packages in the mail from family far away before heading back to school to pick up Sebastian's valentines and take our decor down. His teacher said the kids loved it and he appreciated it despite some of his other male teacher friends giving him a hard time about all the pink and red. We were able to bring home our decorations and string them up in our own space to finish off the day with a shrimp stir fry and plans for a date night the following day.

We also got to enjoy the fact that Brett was at home with us to celebrate instead of being away with work responsibilities. A vague timeline that I was dreading for months when we moved here has come and gone and his job is keeping him stationed here in town for the time being. It's been a small sigh of relief but I also know not to get too comfortable with anything the Army decides as things can change so quickly. For now, I'm learning to be so grateful for the time we've been given. 

Almost exactly one year here in our new town. That blows my mind. I still feel like we just got here. 

Did you do anything special to celebrate V-Day? Ruby bedazzled her giraffe. 

-Rachel

p.s. Some have asked how I made the garlands and fringed heart. For the garlands I cut felt squares in half, folded the top edge over some braided twine, and stitched it down before cutting fringe up to the stitch line. I spent a lot of time at the sewing machine but it's almost mindless work after awhile and there's always netflix. Plus, they're reusable and great for birthday parties. For the heart I got some felt yardage, cut out a heart, cut strips of felt that overlapped the edges and were about 5" wide and stitched them to the heart shape at the top before cutting fringe into them. I made sure the next layer of felt covered the stitch line until I got to the top. Then I cut four holes in the top of the heart piece but under the fringe to string twine through to hang it on the wall/mirror.   

Colorado Springs Flea Market

The Colorado Springs Flea Market is one of my happy places. It is a huge fenced cement lot full of both storage spaces and vendors that set up camp every weekend of the year no matter what the weather. Two dollars gets you in (12 and under are free) and another $1 gets you a cart. I've been five or six times both with and without kids and it's always fun to go treasure hunting. They've got a bounce house and ferris wheel so my usual strategy with the kids is that if they're good halfway through the flea we'll go buy tickets for some bounce time and then finish the rest of the flea. I always give them a small amount to spend and they usually come home with vintage My Little Ponies and Transformers that cost fifty cents. I never have to talk them into going!

My parents used to take my brother and I to a place called Denio's Farmer's Market in Roseville, CA growing up. It was full of booths that sold just about everything-cheap plastic toys, colorful sunglasses, pinatas, Mexican blankets, bouquets of flowers, blankets with wolves and dolphins on them, tacky velvet paintings, colorful umbrellas, superhero toys, princess wands, and rows and rows of fresh produce. If ever there was a place to buy fresh produce it's California. I remember saving up to buy a pink skateboard, plastic slap bracelets, and pogs. Oh, pogs. This one isn't nearly the size of Denio's but I still love roaming the rows of tools, fresh produce, and toys from my childhood and I love sharing it with my kids. 

Have you ever been to a huge outdoor flea market? 

-Rachel

What Ruby Wore: Pigtails!

Outfit details: Shirt & tights, Target. Skirt, handmade. Vintage loafers, thrifted. Teepee c/o PlayHaven.

I was able to talk Ruby into pigtails for about twenty minutes on Valentine's Day! Her hair in the back is long enough to make it work so I'm thinking I can start with twenty minutes once a week and work my way up. Ha! She helped me pick out half of her outfit. She loves her lion shirt and these sparkly tights and I picked out the skirt and shoes. She ended up wanting to change them into her geriatric looking gold loafers and I'm not one to stand in between a girl and her favorite shoes. 

While we were opening our Valentines at breakfast the doorbell rang and a man with a tall, thin box greeted us telling me I just barely looked over 21 so he needed my signature on it. He gets a gold star for being charming. The kids were thrilled with their teepee sent over from Play Haven and spent the rest of the morning playing in it. As a girl with a lot of teepee making experience under her belt, I have to say I'm quite impressed with the craftsmanship of this kid-sized teepee. It's beautifully made, just the right size so that it doesn't swallow a room, and I pulled it out of the box and was able to set it up right away without needing to assemble it. It doesn't get much better than that.

Here's to pigtails and teepees. 

-Rachel

 

All You Need Is Love

Thank you for visiting Smile and Wave time and time again, sweet people. I am thankful for your presence here and all of your encouragement and support throughout the last six years. I hope your Thursday is special and inspiring and that you feel loved. 

-Rachel