could you tell...

we are taking a holiday break. We will be back in January!

picture from here... (i want to make sugar cookies this pretty)

felt stockings

i made some christmas stockings this last week. it was super fun to look at pictures of stockings to get ideas of what i wanted to make. i created a gallery on flickr with my favorite handmade felt stockings, you can view it here. go ahead, take a look, there are some really cute ones:

i might have totally copied some for our families stockings. i love looking at flickr for inspiration, or in this case, something to copy. happy handmade holidays!

DIY christmas trees

actually, these are for sale here (with lots of other cute things) and here.

but, being the cheap person that i am, i think they could also easily be made. how cool would they be if they were made out of drift wood? and if you wanted to decorate them i am sure you could find lots of random things as well as some pretty shells to adorn them with.

yep, i am going for a long walk on the beach on sunday (i will be back in hawaii this sunday!) in search of wood to make one for myself.

i don't even want the gift, just the topper

have i shared my love for succulents here yet? i love them. if i could, i would wrap every gift i give this year just like this:

how to found here.

free advent calender

while it's still the beginning of december, download this free advent calender here from mibo.

super cute, super easy. too bad their aren't free treats behind each door!

billy buttons

I know you have seen them around. Cute little yellow ball like flowers. They are called billy buttons and I just love how happy they are. They are sunshine!


picture found here

and the others found here

for the love of design*sponge

do you read design*sponge? if you don't, you should. i have noticed there are a good number of posts here, inspired by things there, and why wouldn't there be? there are so so many cool things going on on the design sponge blog- i love reading their posts and drooling over their pictures.

some of my faves latley have been:

*tiger wallpaper- you can make it yourself and it's removable! genius!

* any and every one of their before & afters:

* and i have really been digging on ashley english's small measures section, in which she gives great tips on how to be a bit more friendly to our mother earth.

so click on over to d*s, and try not to get sucked in for too long. i dare you.

get wet wednesday

oh to be an octopus

just imagine what you could get done if you had 8 legs!

(image)

Pretty Swell

I (Katie Speed) opened an ETSY Shop! It is called Pretty Swell and we sell fabric flower garlands. The are all hand sewn by yours truly and you should go check them out. The are so cute for decorations (think bedrooms, holidays, parties, showers, weddings etc) and they really create a lot of fun ambiance.

Also, I would really like feedback if you have time... deciding on prices, colors etc. is actually really hard so any criticisms (positive or negative) will be much appreciated.

sweet idea

Have you heard of Made? Here is my favorite project from this blog. She took a men's shirt and converted it into a dress for a little girl. Clever?... yes... the best part is it was a dads shirt made for his daughter. Such a cute concept. I'm for sure doing this one!

2 great chairs

This little scene is great. The chairs are standouts. I have wanted an Eames rocker for oh so long. (the chair on the left) And wow... the yellow chair is also amazing! Is that something that could be DIY-ed? anything is possible right?

(picture spotted on Design Sponge)

calligraphy

WOW! I am in love with this calligraphy. Coming from someone who took calligraphy in 5th grade, she. is. good. Recently I addressed envelopes for baby announcements and it is so time consuming. One day when my budget is a bit larger, I will hire Jenna!

small space organizing

Here is a good tip from the queen of organizing herself...Martha Stewart.

"Make space for supplies over the bathroom door so that they'll be accessible when they need to be replenished. Use wood screws to secure a pair of wooden shelf brackets to either side of the door frame; screw shelf to brackets. The shelf should rest on top of the door molding, which will help support the weight. Keep small bottled items and toilet paper in handled boxes. Bars of soap can be stored, unwrapped, in an airtight glass container."

I thought this was perfect for all of us who live in such small spaces, and is very simple!

indie pop! shop giveaway

My etsy shop is now open! I am doing a giveaway on the creative blog The Coterie, that you should check out and enter.

The giveaway is for one of these custom silhouette pillows.

Good luck!

BOO banner

i stole this picture of a friends blog (i would link it, but it's private).

i love simple earthy looking decor, and the fact that this is made of burlap, black paint and a little twine makes me happy. not to mention, you could make this during nap time and feel like you totally accomplished something.

teach your children well

i can't think of a better way to learn how to count

pom-pom headband tutorial

*i have had headbands on the brain for the last week (pun intended).

this one is a really quick easy project, even though it looks like there are 1,000 steps.

and if you like free stuff, i am giving a headband away at my blog. click on over and join in the fun.*

words to live by

I need one of these in a well trafficked area. A good family motto i think! These posters have been all over the blogging world for a while. Somewhere I read that these were printed in England during WWII... here is a more full story.

Lots of places to buy on etsy...

Movie

So our giveaway for a free cry baby matinee was not so popular. Although, I do realize that readers who do not live in Laie... or on Oahu... can't really go. If you are in the area and are reading this, whats up? Would a different time or day work better? Laie Palms has agreed to let us give away movie tickets so let us know (so you can go fo free!)

(ps. Jonna, you win a ticket!)

overcast

We have been having some cloudy but bright days here in Hawaii. It really makes for good lighting during the day...

for renters...

If you are renting and you want to add some cute details to your place without having to invest a lot of money, this idea is for you. Find cute knobs and replace them on you cabinents. I did it on the top row and the two below the sink. The knobs are all missmatched but they are in a specific area so it works. Be sure to keep the old ones, so when you move out it's just a quick switch.





(my knobs are from here, if your patient they always seem to go on sale )

movie ticket giveaway!

Laie Palms Cinemas has started to offer crybaby matinees! What is a crybaby matinee you ask? It is a movie where you can bring your baby, and not have to worry about him/her crying and bothering the other people in the theater because they are all Mom's too, with their crying babies!

This special matinee is offered every wednesday for $4.00! 2 and under are free and the shows start at 11:00 am so babies can make it home in time for afternoon naps!

The shows that will be playing for the next two weeks are:

Wed 10/21 Ponyo

Wed 10/28 Where the Wild Things Are

And guess what, by leaving a comment on this post you will be entered to win a FREE movie ticket! So please support our local businesses, leave a comment, hope to win, if you don't, come anyway, It is only $4.00! The giveaway will be closed Tuesday 10/20 at 12:00 pm HST, so comment away! Good luck!

how to make your own spooky stamp

materials needed:

1. wood block

2. sticky back foam

3. pen

4. scissors

5. stamp pad

6. spooky silhouette

First cut out the spooky silhouette, then trace it onto the sticky back foam with your pen (*hint: It is easier to see your tracing on a lighter foam, but black is all I had around, and it works)

Then cut out your silhouette, peel the sticky paper back off, and stick it onto your wooden block.

Stamp Away!

You can use any image, even your own. Kids who can use scissors can make their own shapes too. If you need some inspiration for what image to make into a stamp look here. Happy stamping!