Urban Comfort

DIY Clay Tree Trunk Pencil Holder

If I were brainstorming gifts for my son it's unlikely that a pencil holder would come to mind, but that's exactly what he's getting from me this Valentine's Day and I think he's going to love it. It all started with pottery classes, which I've been taking since September. My son has enjoyed watching my progress, taking particular delight in my mishaps since I am always reminding him that we get better at just about everything through practice. He mentioned recently that if I ever got past being able to make something other than bowls, I should make something for him. I think he suggested something totally ridiculous that I could never make in a million years, but I appreciate his confidence.

At any rate, I had purchased a wood grain texture mat and made a vase to use for the holidays, which I liked a lot and was continuing to experiment with, working to create a more organic, slumping profile that felt treelike. While making a slender vase and working with an unfamiliar clay, it stuck to my work surface, which tore jagged edges along the top. It reminded me of the hollow, jagged cypress tree trunks rising out of the swamps here and so I left the clay exactly as it was. And as I looked at that petite little vase, I thought it would make a cute pencil holder, which made me think of my son who's always looking for a pencil, and then I thought of the book The Giving Tree, which my son still enjoys even though he's moved on to chapter books, and then the fleeting memory of his little finger always tracing the heart outline on the tree in the book...and Voila! It was suddenly the perfect Valentine's gift. The red, personalized pencils I found on the Oriental Trading site sealed the deal. Red is his favorite color and I suspect he'll be very fond of seeing his name in print.

To continue this very long story, the pencil holder pictured here is not the one I'm giving him. His is made out of fired clay. But I thought I'd experiment and see if the technique for making the pencil holder out of pottery clay would work with air dry clay. Turns out, other than the glazing and firing, the process is exactly the same. Which means you can make a pencil holder or a vase or whatever vessel you might like. Just keep in mind that it won't be waterproof. If you want to use it as a vase, you'll need to line it with a glass or plastic container. 

It's also a little more difficult to carve the heart into the air dry clay, but I made my initial carving when the clay was fresh and then went back after it had dried for a few hours and used a wooden skewer to make the carving more pronounced and clean up the raggedy edges. Overall, I think it worked almost as well as the fired version.  Of course, if you have access to a kiln (some studios will allow you to pay just for firing) and some pottery clay you can make a more durable, waterproof version by following the same steps.

Here's how:

 

Step 1: Create a base. Roll out your clay (I used a wooden rolling pin) and use a round cookie or clay cutter to cut out a circle. I often cut it freehand, too, which can give you a more organic shape. Also, I made my base a good 1/4-inch thick since I wasn't sure how sturdy the air dry clay would be.

 

Step 2:  Make slip. What I didn't know before I started taking pottery lessons was that "slip" is the glue that holds clay together. Otherwise, the clay simply won't adhere to itself and your piece will break apart. All slip is, is a mixture of the clay and some water. I found it a little harder to make slip with the air dry clay, but just keep working the water into the clay until it starts to feel sludgy. 

Step 3:  Roll out the clay to form the body of the tree trunk and press the wood grain texture mat into the clay, using your fingers or the rolling pin.  Tip:  You control how much texture the mat leaves by how firmly you press it into the clay. For this project, I made a very strong impression. For the holiday vase I made, I used a much lighter hand so that the wood grain was just barely visible. It's all up to you.

Step 4:  If you wish to carve into the wood grain, this is the point at which I'd suggest doing so (I found it easier to do when the clay was flat). Use what you can find to work with - a toothpick, wooden skewer, etc. Just be gentle at first so you don't push right through your clay. Don't worry if the design looks a little messy, you can clean it up after the clay has firmed up a bit. Also, if you carve your heart in the middle of the clay, you can control the placement of it when you're shaping the clay into a cylinder.

 Step 5:  Trim any excess clay from the bottom edge so it's mostly even.  You can use a clay knife, though the needle tool worked just fine.

 

Step 6:  Scoring.  I use a needle tool (found in craft stores), but you can use a toothpick or something with a sharp tip. Score around the base. This roughs up the clay so that the slip will cling to it, joining your pieces.

Turn your wood grained piece of clay over and score along the bottom edge as well.

Step 7:  Apply slip along the bottom edge of the wood grained piece. (You can use your fingers to smear it on.)  You can see that my slip from the air dry clay is still a bit lumpy, but it didn't seem to matter. 

 

 Step 8:  With the scored base in hand, begin rolling the wood grained piece of clay around the base to form a cylinder.

 Step 9:  When you've finished rolling your clay into a cylinder, trim the excess clay, leaving enough to overlap and form a seam.

 

Step 10:  Score along the edge of the seam, as well as the area on the trunk where the seam will meet. (You can be a little neater than I was here. I had a camera in my hand at the same time.)

 Stand the cylinder up and begin smoothing out the seam with your fingers so it's less linear and chunky.

 

Holding the cylinder gently in your hand, begin to smooth out the bottom as well so that you don't have a seam in the bottom.

This is what the cylinder looks like without further manipulation. It's too top heavy for me, so I'm going to go back and pinch clay from the top to create a rougher edge. I can also manipulate the shape of the opening if I want, just gentle pulling and pushing with my fingers.

This is my cylinder after I've manipulated the clay.  You can see that the heart carving is still very rough looking.

Drying:  I set my clay on a baking rack to dry, so that air can get under the piece at the same time. You can see after a few hours that the shape has started to set and that I've been able to clean up the heart carving a little more (You can also gently sand round edges after the clay is fully dry, using a fine grade sanding sponge.)

Here's the air dry version next to the fired version.  The fired is a little whiter and brighter (I glazed with a Matte Opaque White), but the biggest difference lies in the carving. I suspect with a little practice that could get easier, too.

Finishing: (not shown)  I used a liner paintbrush and some acrylic craft paint to fill in my carving after the clay was completely dry. Once the paint is dry, you can spray it with a clear acrylic spray (a fixative) to seal and protect it. You can find these supplies at most craft and art supply stores.

Resources  

Clay:  I use DAS brand air dry clay.  It's my favorite of all the brands I've worked with. I buy mine at Michaels, but you can find it at multiple online sources, including Dick Blick.

Mat: If you like to work with clay and want to do handbuilding, I highly recommend the SlabMat. The larger size will run you $10 and the clay won't stick. Available from The Ceramic Shop.

Woodgrain Mat:  The Ceramic Shop carries various wood grain texture mats in different sizes. The one I used was purchased from The Big Ceramic Store.

 

Last-Minute Halloween Ideas

My thoughts on Halloween this year?  Bring on Christmas!!  I had an entire list of projects I wanted to make for myself, but professionally, I've been buried under Halloween for weeks now. So in my down time, I've been making Christmas ornaments. That's how it goes sometimes. 

All is not lost. I've tacked up a couple of decorations and we'll carve the pumpkins tonight. But today I'm focused on details, a few Halloween surprises just for my son - his lunchbox will be anything but boring tomorrow! I have 24 hours, but that's enough time to pull together some last-minute fun.  

Perhaps you're in the same boat, so here are some of my favorite easy, last-minute ideas pulled from my Pinterest board.

 

These make me laugh, and my son might just find one perching on his bowl of oatmeal tomorrow morning. From Family Chic.  

 

Take this downloadable template and basic craft supplies and you have instant fun! Check out Mr. Printables for these typography glasses, as well as other easy projects, like the printable candle wraps. 

 

Being mom to a boy, there's a lot of talk about bugs around here. I love any bug that's not real, so these DIY hand-painted insect plates from HGTV fit the bill.

 

Speaking of bugs, this is a quick and easy spider cake decoration from Country Living. You could pair it with my Black Velvet Cake. 

 

If you'd rather make cupcakes, these vampire bite cupcakes can be pulled off by even the most time and craft-challenged among us.

 

Who needs carving with the whimsical simplicity of these bat pumpkins?

 

Easy, cute bat napkin rings made from nothing more than black construction paper.

 

 

Last, but certainly not least, I love these printables from Creature Comforts. Kids will get a kick out of them, but they're sophisticated enough to entice the grown-ups. 

 

 

Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids

I remember when the first Martha Stewart Kids magazines were published, a dozen years ago. I wasn't even close to having a child, but I bought those magazines and loved them. I loved them for the reminders of my own creative childhood and I loved them for the possibilities they contained for the future. 

My issues are worn and faded now, as well-loved copies of old magazines get over time. So I was delighted to receive a copy of the new Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids. It's a compilation of 175 of the best projects from both Martha Stewart Kids and Martha Stewart Living magazines and it's a great resource for you and all the little ones in your life. 

One of my favorite projects from the book is the Shell Menagerie, and I've got a big jar of seashells awaiting transformation.  Personally, I simply have to make the Koalas. But my son?  Well, he's inspired, but he's going to create his own version of bugs.  That's what I love about all the Martha Stewart books - they're wonderful inspiration, which is sometimes all you need to forge your own path!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reprinted from the book Martha Stewart’s Favorite Crafts for Kids by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living. Copyright (c) 2013 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Photographs copyright (c) 2013 by Sang An. Published by Potter Craft, a division of Random House, Inc

Vintage Style Treat Containers

My love for the natural world and understated decor is rivaled only by my passion for the colorful, whimsical world of party decorations and glitter. Not so deep down, I'm just a party girl in search of the right party hat. And because I have yet to find a bridge between these two passions in my everyday life, I give my playful side free reign during holidays and parties. It keeps me balanced - and young.

I've had this idea in my head for the last two years and it was time to execute it so I could free up some real estate in my brain (it gets very cluttered in there). I had only planned to make a few, but you know how that goes. I also happen to have a 6-year-old who balances his love of sports with a love of sparkle, so he worked on a few, too.

This isn't a difficult craft, once you get the hang of glittering, and I have some tips to help you in that regard. But it can be time consuming, depending on the level of execution, so I wouldn't advise making these in mass quantities - I completed four in an evening. If you do decide to make a number of these, simple designs like the jack-o-lantern with the hat can be made fairly quickly, since only the details are glittered. But the others are perfect for your favorite little goblins.

 

I'll tell you how to make your own, but first, let's talk about glitter:

Basically, a lot of what I do for a living involves making things visually perfect. It's not enough for me to have a good idea, I need to be able to execute it for the unerring eye of the camera. As a result, I have a few techniques up my sleeve that might seem extreme to you, but can be helpful overall. 

Tools:

You can create the finest details with glitter, but only if you have the right tools. The most indispensible for me - fine tip metal applicators. You can sometimes find them in the glass painting section in craft stores. But if not, you can get them online at Dick Blick. And while you may find glittering glues and such that say they have a fine tip applicator, in my experience, it's never as fine as the metal tips (even the glittering glue from Martha Stewart Crafts - sorry, Martha!)

Another tool I like and use a lot is a needle tool, also available from Dick Blick or in the scrapbooking section of craft stores. I use it for other things, but I find it very useful when I need to nudge a line of glitter into place when it's wet or clean up a line after it's dry.

And finally, I have a goat hair brush that I use for cleaning off excess glitter once it's dry. It's an inexpensive tool, but I find it gets rid of every last stray piece of glitter - which is especially important when you're using more than one color on a single image.  And if it's your surroundings or body that need to be wiped of excess glitter, I find Swiffer dry cloths do the job nicely.   

Product:

When it comes to glue, you don't want to use a glue that's too runny and wet because it's harder to create details and it tends to wrinkle the paper.  On the other hand, you don't want to use a glue that's too thick to get through the fine tip metal applicator, as that will only lead to delay and frustration. I tend to use a mixture that's mostly Elmer's white glue with a slightly thicker white craft glue mixed in. That gives me the balance of ease and thickness that I'm looking for. And if you don't want to buy two products, use an all-purpose white craft glue rather than a specific glittering glue, which tends to be thicker. 

 

As for glitter, I favor ultra fine formulations for detailed work. The two brands I use the most are from Martha Stewart Crafts and Ultra-Fine Powderz from Confetti.com. (All the glitter used in this post was from Martha Stewart Crafts). 

One other thing to consider - some colors, especially orange, can feel too opaque and dull in traditional formulations. I find that iridescent glitter gives me a lighter, brighter, more modern effect. You can see the difference in the photo above. The orange on the left is opaque, the glitter on the right is iridescent (Orange Sorbet from Martha Stewart Crafts).

 

Technique:

If you're doing several colors in an image, start with the darkest color first. For all the projects shown in this post, I did my black details first, followed by orange, then yellow, and finally, white.  It's also important to let each color dry fully (and be brushed of excess glitter) before proceeding to the next. 

 

Now, let's move on to the project itself. Here's how to make your own:

Gather your digital images and resize them, if desired.

All of the candy containers start with glittered faces made from vintage clip art. The B&W cat face and the jack-o-lantern with the hat can be found at Matthew Mead Style. The jack-o-lantern with the round eyes is available at Urban Debris. The orange and black cat clip art is available as a digital download from Harmonica Goldfish on Etsy. The owl is an adaptation of a vintage die-cut, so it's not available, but you can find lots of owl designs on Etsy.

You'll likely need to resize the images you find. I resized all of the designs shown here so that they measured between 2.75 and 3 inches wide. Also, I found that the orange of the pumpkin with the round eyes was too dull when printed straight from the source. I lightened the color overall to make it brighter, so that the orange glitter would pop more.

Materials: 

• Digital clip art images, printed on white cardstock
• Fine tip scissors
• Glitter (black, orange, yellow, white)
• Glue with fine tip applicator
• Glitter brush 
• Cupcake liners
• Needle tool or small awl
• Toothpicks with one flat end (unless you're making lollipop covers)
• Black and orange cardstock (optional)
• Black glitter paper (optional)
• 1-inch notary circle punch (optional)
• Orange and black tape (optional)

 

Step 1 & 2:

Cut out images, then begin to glitter small sections of the image at a time. (I like to feather the edges of my glue a bit, so that I don't end up with hard lines of demarcation between the areas I'm glittering. You can do that with the fine tip applicator. Also, if you apply too much glue in one area, release the pressure on the glue bottle and use the metal tip to drag the glue out (almost as if you were using a paintbrush).

When the first color has been applied (remember, darkest colors first), let it dry thoroughly then brush off the excess color and repeat the steps for each color needed. 

 

Step 3:

After glittering your images, make a ruffled collar from cupcake liners. Gather three liners, scrunching them up to the center, and glue them together, if desired. Punch a small circle from glitter paper. Using the needle tool, make a hole in the center of the cupcake liner ruffles, as well as the black circle. 

 

Step 4:

From the bottom, stick the pointed end of the toothpick through the hole you made in the cupcake liners, then the hole in the black glitter paper, as shown above.

 

Step 5:

 
If you want a really finished design, you can glue your glittered image to a piece of colored cardstock and cut around the edges. To attach it to the ruffled collar, I cut off the sharp tip of the toothpick and use tape in the same color to attach the toothpick to the back of the glittered face.  I prefer this to gluing the toothpick between the layers - I don't like the bump it creates.

If you're creating a lollipop cover, however, you can skip the toothpick altogether. In that case, use a small awl or nail to create a hole through the cupcake liners and glittered circle and push the lollipop stick through the layers. Use a piece of double-sided tape to attach the face to the front of the lollipop, as shown above.

 

Choose your container:

  

I cut cardboard tubes down to 2 3/4-inches high, then covered them decorative paper. There are a couple of different ways to use them. If the treat you're enclosing fits the tube snugly (when packaged in a plastic bag), you can leave the bottom open. If not, put two layers of tissue or crepe paper over the bottom of the tube and tape it around the outside of the tube before covering it with decorative paper. To finish it off, glue a cardstock circle to the bottom of the tissue or crepe paper covered tube.  Leave the top open, fill it with treats, then stick the glitter topper inside (that's why I like to leave a long edge of the toothpick exposed under the ruffled liner - I can anchor it by sticking it in the middle of tube, surrounded by candy or treats). 

This patterned baking cup from Paper Eskimo is sold in packages of 25. Once filled with candy, the cat topper sits right on top. Again, the toothpick is anchored by the candy in the cup.  (I purchased my cups from Shop Sweet Lulu.)

 

The toppers are easily adapted as lollipop covers. The lollipop stick is inserted through the cupcake liner ruffle and the glittered faces are attached to the face of the lollipop with tape.

 

Resources:

From Martha Stewart Crafts:

Spring Loaded Scissors
Scalloped Circle Punch
Iridescent Fine Glitter:  Orange Sorbet, Lemon Drop
Fine Glitter:  Onyx, Marble
Craft Glue
Glitter paper from Carnival Paper Pad (also includes patterned papers similar to what I've used here, which was from an older pack of Martha Stewart Crafts paper)
Carnival Mini Cupcake Wrappers
Carnival Treat Wrappers (striped cupcake liners) 

Other products available at Michaels or sources listed in this post

Black & Gold Cupcakes (aka Chocolate & Vanilla)

For every celebration involving cake (such as my son's birthday party), there's a typical scenario that plays out in my house: 

 

A) Son presents mom with complex, highly detailed plan of cake that she'll never be able to accomplish in this lifetime.

B) Mom suggests that this time a professional will need to be consulted.

C) Son looks at mom with a long face and mentions how disappointed he'll be if she doesn't make the actual cake part herself.

D) Negotiations commence and scaled back design plans go into effect.

E) Last minute curveball.

F) Mom makes cake (or cupcakes) with a simple design, son is happy and applauds efforts.

...every time. This year started with a plan for a football cake - full field, lots of detailing, right down to the look of the football players. And if I'd let him continue, there'd have been a stadium full of people, too. So we get through Step D and then my son decides the night before his party that he doesn't really want a general football party any more, it should be a Saints football party, and those 48 cupcakes already baked would look really good if they just had gold liners instead of the silver they were sporting...

Fortunately for my son, I have a lot of experience working with editors and clients who have last minute brainstorms, so his curveballs don't throw me. I tweaked, we had the party, he loved the cupcakes, declared them magnificent (with his mouth full, of course), and all was a great success. 

But there's a greater issue that comes up when we decide to do cupcakes in the traditional flavors that he always requests. I have great yellow and chocolate cake recipes, but they just don't translate to cupcakes. Both are too moist and tender to hold up as a cupcake and they never dome enough, so I end up compensating with too much frosting. So I've cycled through recipe after recipe, looking for the best cupcake recipes I can find (because we both have exacting expectations of the taste, if not the design).

I've been almost satisfied at times, but this time I finally have some real keepers (which is the reward you get when you clean a small corner of your office and discover recipes pulled in 2008). Both cupcake recipes are from Food & Wine, as is the white buttercream. The milk chocolate frosting is from the Food Network and it's perfect for the yellow cupcake (and finicky children). So next year, when I find myself having the same conversation, at least I'll know I'm no longer facing the challenge of the cupcake as well. I'll take success where I can find it!

 

Chocolate Cupcakes:
(makes 12)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweeted cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the vegetable oil and water over low heat.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter mixture and beat with a handheld mixer at low speed until smooth. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, then add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary. Pour the batter into the lined muffin tin, dividing the batter equally among the cups.

4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 23-25 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

White Buttercream:
(enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (I used half-and-half which gave me a slightly stiffer frosting that held up to summer heat and humidity)

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

 

Golden Cupcakes:
(makes 12 cupcakes)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating well between additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, dividing the batter equally among the cups.

4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20 - 23 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

My Notes: I was baking these cupcakes in a pale colored, nonstick pan. Generally, I know that you lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees when cooking in dark, nonstick pans, but I didn't know if that also applied to the lighter color. So I made two batches and there was definitely a difference. I preferred the cupcakes baked at 325 for the same amount of time, even though they were barely colored. The cupcake with the slightly more golden exterior seemed a little dry. However, I baked the chocolate cupcakes in the same pan at 350 and they were perfect. So you might want to try baking the golden cupcakes at the lower temperature or check them just a bit earlier if baking them at 350.

 

Milk Chocolate Frosting:
(enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes)

3 1/2 ounces milk chocolate
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

2. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and salt and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  

 

A Stitched Note for Dad

Today is a two-for-one (to make up for my dismal lack of consistent posting). When you're finished here, I'm guest posting at Navy Blue Shoe. Olga is lovely and I hope you'll pop over and say hello!

I had wanted to post this before Father's Day, but I couldn't be sure my husband wouldn't see it, as he's a frequent reader of this blog. It's not a new idea. I originally saw this stitched love note, swooned over it, and immediately recognized there was no way I'd be hand stitching an entire piece of notebook paper. Call me lazy. But then I found a piece of printed linen and the idea came back to life for me.

My son decided that he wanted to write a letter to his dad for Father's Day, so I marked off the lines on a piece of plain paper and had him write his letter on that. Then I took an excerpt from that letter, transferred it to the fabric using tracing paper and stitched it. 

I don't have a lot of embroidery experience (okay, virtually none), but it was surprisingly easy to do, especially with a child's printing. And while this was a sweet Father's Day gift, I think it's a fun idea for any time of the year, even if it's just to capture something funny or endearing your child has said, preserved in his own handwriting. 

The fabric I used doesn't seem to be available anymore, but I've found other products and links for you to assist in creating your own version. Also, here's the step-by-step. Forgive me for not publishing a photo tutorial, but I trust that I'm giving you enough information that you won't need it at all.

 

Materials:

Notebook paper fabric (see directions below)
Iron and ironing board
Masking tape
Plain white paper
Ruler
Pencil and pen
Tracing paper for embroidery patterns
Embroidery hoop
Needle
Embroidery floss or DMC Cotton Perle Thread #5 (I used the cotton perle thread because I wanted a slightly chunkier, rougher look to complement the handwriting. I found it right next to the embroidery floss.)
Iron and ironing board
Scissors
Canvas panel or other method of finishing
Staple gun (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Create your fabric base (and here are a number of options for you):

• Make your own printed notebook paper fabric (tutorial and notebook paper download from The Gunny Sack)
• Machine stitch a notebook page (tutorial from Ol' Stitcheroo)
• Purchase another style of notebook fabric - a writing tablet print (from Timeless Treasures' The Pixie Pops Collection, available from multiple sources, including EQuilter)

2. Once you have your fabric base, iron it and tape the corners to a flat surface. Place a piece of plain paper over the fabric and use your ruler to mark off the corresponding lines on the paper (this will leave you with a piece of paper that's lined exactly like your fabric). 

3. Have your child write on the plain piece of paper.

4. Place a piece of embroidery tracing paper carbon side down on the piece of fabric. Place the paper, face up, over the tracing paper and make sure the lines of the paper and the fabric match up. Use a ballpoint pen to trace over the letters on the paper. This will transfer the design to the fabric.

5. Working in small sections, place your fabric in the embroidery hoop and follow the transferred design, using a simple back stitch or the stitch of your choice (tutorial for the back stitch from CraftStylish).

6. When you're finished, iron your embroidered fabric to remove any wrinkles or impressions from the embroidery hoop. Finish as desired (you can line it with another piece of fabric and sew it together to create a heavyweight paper of "paper," you can frame it, or you can wrap it around a canvas, stapling it to the back, or you can wrap it around a flat canvas panel and tape or glue it down in the back (if you want it to look tidy, you can cover the raw edges with a thin ribbon, decorative tape, or a larger piece of felt that covers the entire back).

 

***Don't forget - head over to Navy Blue Shoe!

Child's Own Studio: Soft Toys Made from Kid Art

Yesterday I attended my son's Kindergarten graduation (and tried very hard not to be overly emotional and embarass my son, but c'mon!). I also came home with a boatload of art and projects to add to the boatload I've already collected over the year. At the moment, I can't part with a single piece of it. I know this will change, but for now, everything feels like a masterpiece, something special or sentimental to hang on to. 

But I'm always looking for ways to get art out of boxes and bins and there's only so much wall space I can dedicate to it. So I was excited to find Child's Own Studio, where Wendy Tsao, a craft artist, creates toy keepsakes that are faithfully created from your child's drawings. For me, this is a much more satisfying idea than two-dimensional art, and probably a lot more satisfying for children as well. After all, who doesn't want to see their masterpiece brought to life?

Clearly, I'm not the only person who's fallen in love with this idea. There's currently a wait list for Wendy's creations. However, she has a "Softies Showcase" on her site that features other crafters who can help you with your project (along with examples of their work and pricing). 

 

 
Polly Peanut Butter Bee by Joel

 

 Mika, by Jayme, age 5

 

Self-portrait by Zoe, age 5

 

"Stobbayew," the 6-legged bunny, by Maya, age 4

 

All photos by Wendy Tsao

Book Review: The Homemade Home for Children

I've looked at a lot of craft books over the years. If a book contains at least six projects I want to make, I'll generally buy it. But then there are the few craft books that are so lovely to look at, so inspired, that it takes a while before I'm even willing to put them away in a bookcase. That's how I felt when I received The Homemade Home for Children by Sania Pell. (CICO Books, $24.95. www.cicobooks.com)

The book is packed with 50 innovative ideas that cost little to make but are stylish enough for the most discerning of parents (and children). There are projects for the nursery as well as bedroom decor for the older set, projects for children to use in play, fashion accessories to make, outdoor projects, and one of my favorites, stylish storage ideas. The styling and photography are gorgeous and the projects are accessible, with clear, concise directions. 

If you have children or need ideas for unique gifts, this is definitely a book to add to your library. And for more of Sania Pell's unique perspective, you can purchase her first book, The Homemade Home. She also has a beautiful blog, At Home.

 

Play Sail

© CICO Books

 

Curiosity Cabinet

© CICO Books

 

Treasure Jars

© CICO Books

 

Clay Butterfly Garland

© CICO Books

 

Graphic Boxes

© CICO Books

 

Artist's Palette Chalkboards

© CICO Books

Coffee Filter Flower & Carrot Easter Favors

When someone once asked my son what I did for a living, his response was that I made pretty things and mailed them to other people. That's just about right, so during holidays I try very hard to make things for his Kindergarten class. His look of pride when I arrive with gifts makes it all worthwhile. 

This year I was tossing around the idea of making crepe paper flower baskets, modeling them on versions found in one of my vintage craft books. However, I was so smitten with the coffee filter flower bowls featured in Martha Stewart Living that I decided to alter my approach for a faster, easier, less expensive version. But those frilly flowers just weren't going to cut it for the boys in the class. My son and I settled on carrots and I was still able to make them with coffee filters, which visually pulls everything together.

As fussy as these projects look, they came together very quickly. I dyed all of the coffee filters in stacks, which was a breeze. The greatest time commitment was the overnight drying time (which could be shortened by creating smaller stacks of filters).  Once you get the hang of it, each basket or carrot takes about 10 minutes to make, so definitely a doable project, even for a large class. 

Fortunately, they meet my son's rather exacting standards, which is all that counts. I caught him trying to sneak a carrot in his backpack, so I know we have a winner.

 

Flower Baskets:

Materials:

Junior size basket coffee filters (4-6 cup size)
Food safe food coloring (I used McCormick Neon, Regular, and Fall (orange))
Shallow dish
Paper towels
Large rectangular baking pan or wire racks
Scissors
Nut/candy cups
Floral stems (for basket handle)
Glue dots (optional)
Quick-setting gel glue (Beacon 3-in-1 Glue)

Directions:

1. Dye your coffee filters:  Mix 12-20 drops of food coloring into a small amount of water (approximately 1 cup).

For the leaves: Put a stack of filters in the dye (as they absorb the dye, they will completely flatten out). Let them sit for a minute or two, then remove them from the dye. Let the excess drip off and then put them aside to dry on a paper towel lined baking tray or on a wire rack set over paper towels.

For the flowers:  Working in stacks, dip the edges of the filters into the dye, letting it work its way up as high as you'd like, but not saturating the bottom. Remove the stack from the dye, let the excess drip off, then put them aside to dry face down, keeping the shape of the filter intact. 

2. Stack 5 dry filters together (2 of one color for the middle, 3 of another color for the outer petals), then fold in half. Make a slit in the middle of the half, then cut those two portions in half again. Finally, cut slits along the folded edge. Round the cut edges to make petal shapes.

3. Cut a floral stem in half, then bend it to form a "U" shape. Attach it to the sides of the nut cup using glue dots or another strong glue.

4. Take the top coffee filter and push it into the nut cup, arranging the petals as desired.

5. Put a little glue on the bottom of the nut cup and around the top edge on the outside. Attach the second coffee filter around the outside of the nut cup. These two layers will cover it.

6. Run a line of glue around the bottom and the outer bottom edge of the petal covered nut cup and attach the third coffee filter, cupping it up a bit so it connects with the glued edge. Attach the fourth and fifth filters by gluing them onto the bottom of the cup.

7. Fold a green filter in half, cut a leaf shape, then glue it to the bottom of the flower basket.

 

 

Carrots:

#6 size white Cone Filters
Junior size basket coffee filters (4-6 cup size)
Food safe food coloring (I used McCormick Neon green, and Fall orange)
Shallow dish (9-inch square dish is perfect)
Paper towels
Large rectangular baking pan or wire racks
Scissors
Quick-setting gel glue (Beacon 3-in-1 Glue)
Pinking shears (optional)

Directions:

1. Create a dye bath for the carrots and one for the leaves.

Carrots: Lay a stack of #6 cone filters flat in the orange dye bath and let them soak for a few minutes. Remove the stack, let the excess drip off, and set aside to dry on a wire rack set over paper towels or in a paper towel lined baking sheet. 

Leaves: Dip the fluted edges of a stack of basket filters into the green dye and let the dye travel up around the edges of the filter. Let the excess dye drip off, then put the stack aside to dry face down, so that it stands up and retains its fluted shape. 

2. Make a cone shape from the dry orange filter and secure with a line of glue along the seam. Fill the cone with candy, blocking the bottom hole with a piece of candy (chocolate eggs are perfect). Fill 2/3 of the way up.

3. Pinch the edges of the orange filter together to create a carrot shape. Take the green filter and gather it into a point at the bottom. Snip off the bottom tip with scissors or pinking shears. 

4. Run a little glue along the outside the orange carrot top; place the green filter over the orange "stem" and squeeze shut.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Before my son was born, I used to make fancy oversized sugar cookies that I piped and flooded and flocked. It was fun and labor-intensive and gratifying, not to mention delicious. But I'm more realistic now and I simply don't have the time or inclination to do that anymore.

My son, however, is a full-fledged cookie addict and there's nothing he loves more than rolling out the dough, cutting the shapes, and decorating with sprinkles. In fact, the kind of decorating I remember my grandmother doing over the holidays. We went back to that this year, and unlike their more elaborate counterparts, we were able to make dozens in an evening. We gifted them to classmates and friends, and filled our cookie jar as well.

Sugar Cookies:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened slightly
2 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; gradually add to the batter, mixing on low speed.

3. Wrap dough and chill, at least one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Roll the dough out on a well-floured board (1/4-inch for crispier cookies, 1/2-inch for shortbread like cookies); cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking.

5. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes. Let sit on pans for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Frosting:  Mix confectioners' sugar with whole milk and fresh lemon juice, to a consistency that's thin enough to brush onto the tops of the cookies, but won't run off. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of cookies with the frosting, immediately add sprinkles, then set aside to dry for about 30 minutes before packaging.

 

For a simple packaging idea, visit me on Momster today.

 

Edible Designs

It was my son's birthday this weekend and I had a bit of a last minute panic with his cake. We had a bowling party at a local bowling alley and originally we'd planned to have a bowling themed cake that I would pay someone else to make. Unfortunately, my son couldn't make up his mind which cake and cake design he wanted, only that he wanted it to be one of my recipes. I bake cakes - I don't decorate them. Before I knew it, it was Thursday and too late to order a cake. 

So I picked up a "cake tattoo" from Michaels and hoped for the best. Admittedly, I was a little nervous, but I found the edible sheets really easy to work with. While my finished cake wouldn't have made the cover of a magazine, my son was happy and his friends oohed and aahed over it, which also made him happy. What made me happy was that it didn't taste like anything and that it didn't change the texture of the cake or the experience of eating it. A win-win. 

I started researching edible designs, wanting to see if there were more sophisticated or modern designs that I liked. Mostly, no. I think the edible design transfers are more appropriate for kid parties or baby showers and some holidays like Valentines. But I did find the edible butterfly designs shown above, from Sugar Robot on Etsy. I think they're gorgeous and I wouldn't hesitate to use them for adult cakes and cupcakes. Even better, they're available in a range of colors.

I found a number of other DIY cake decorating options while I was in Michaels, including edible paper and special punches (similar to regular craft paper punches) to create borders and other designs for cakes in solid papers. Then there are stencils, die cuts for cake designs...it overwhelmed me at the time, but some interesting possibilities to think about in the future. 

 

Valentines is one of those holidays when I don't mind cute. I like this particular set from Lucks and I think the designs would also make good cupcake or cookie toppers (edible designs like this can be cut with scissors, so you're not limited to using them for cakes).

Cupcake toppers from The Frosting Gallery on Etsy. 

Carnival minis suitable for cupcakes or cookies. Can be purchased from King Arthur Flour.

My cake. The edible cake tattoo from Duff Goldman can be found at Michaels and Party City.

Babble's Top 50

I received word yesterday that Urban Comfort had been nominated as one of Babble's Top 50 Craft Mom Blogs of 2011 in the Best Overall category.  This is Urban Comfort's first nomination for anything, so it's exciting!  You can vote for your favorite blogger mama or submit your own nomination on Babble's site - or just get inspired.  It's a great roundup of blogs to bookmark! 

 

Strawberry Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope your day is filled with love in many forms - including cupcakes.

Strawberry Cupcakes
(Adapted from Sprinkles cupcake recipe)
makes 24

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (use all-natural frozen that have been thawed)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

3. Add vanilla and strawberry puree to milk and set aside.

4. In standing mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

5. Slowly add egg and egg whites and mix on medium speed until blended.

6. With mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture until just blended.

7. Add milk mixture and mix just until blended.

8. Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until blended. Scrape down bowl to make sure entire mixture is smooth.

9. Divide batter between cupcake cups and bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops are just dry to the touch.

Strawberry Frosting

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm but not cold
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pureed strawberries (use all-natural frozen that have been thawed)

1. Beat butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2. Reduce speed and gradually add confectioner's sugar and beat until incorporated.

3. Add vanilla and strawberry puree and mix until blended. Do not overmix, or the frosting will incorporate too much air. The consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Note: If you want the amount of frosting shown on the cupcake above, make 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe.

 

Sweetheart Candy Wreath

Judging from the number of hits on last year's Valentine crafts, plenty of you are ready to get into some holiday crafting. I thought I'd start out with a project that's perfect for the minimalist - a sweetheart candy wreath. It's small, at only eight inches in diameter, the perfect decoration to tuck into an unexpected place. I thought I'd hang mine on my inspiration board, but my son made off with it before I could. Which reminds me - it's a project you can make with your kids.

Materials:

salad plate or large lid to create a circle
Thin, but sturdy cardboard (package backing, gift box, etc.)
pencil
scissors
Sweetheart candies
Quick-setting gel glue (I used Beacon 3-n-1 Adhesive)
Seam binding or other ribbon, for hanging

Directions:

 1. Place your plate or lid facedown onto cardboard and trace around it with a pencil.  Cut out the interior of the circle, along the traced line, then cut around the outer edge so that you end up with a ring that's 1/4-inch wide. (I cut mine freehand since the ring wouldn't show and the outer portion didn't need to be precise, but you can trace around a larger plate if you're more comfortable.)

2. Start by arranging candies face down along the inner edge of the cardboard ring, the top edge of the candies resting along the middle of the cardboard ring and the pointed ends facing the center of the wreath. 

3. Arrange candies along the outer edge of the cardboard ring, with the top edge of the candies meeting the edges of the first row of candies and the pointed ends facing outward.  

4. When you're satisfied with your arrangement (If there's a small gap that's not large enough to fit an entire piece of candy, use that space for the hanging ribbon), glue the candies in place with the quick-setting glue (for less mess, apply a dot of glue to the cardboard ring, put the candy in place, then attach the next one).

5. When the two bottom rows of candy have all been attached, glue another row of candy on top, covering the seam where the bottom rows of candies meet, pointed ends facing outward.

6. Hang with seam binding or other ribbon. Further embellish, if desired.

Christmas Crafts for the Kids

This is the perfect time for kids to start Christmas crafting for classmates, friends, and relatives and I have the ideas for you. The projects pictured here are from a feature I did for Parents magazine this year, along with a snow globe ornament I did a few years back and still love. Most of the crafts are made from items you may already have around the house or things that are easily accessible and inexpensive.

Some of my favorites: 

Coffee cozies made from colorful, inexpensive knit socks found at Target (the beauty of knit socks is that the cut edges naturally roll up, creating an instant "hem" that doesn't fray). The snowman was made from buttons that were glued on and a scrap of felt for the scarf. The snowflake pattern is a self-adhesive felt sticker found at Michaels and embellished with a small button.

Bottle Cap Magnets are easy to make with fingerprint art and tiny scraps of wrapping paper.

Detail shot from the personal snaps I took to document what I was creating - see how perfect children's fingertips are for bottle cap sized canvases?

 

 

Stones decoupaged with strips of fabric and embellished with felt stickers make easy and colorful paperweights.

 

 

Finger puppets were made from felt covered coin wrapper rolls and 1 1/4-inch wooden doll heads (found at Michaels) that were glued onto the wrapper. Bits and pieces of felt and pipecleaners bring these guys to life. (If you twist in a small screw eye at the top of the head, I bet these would make cute ornaments as well.)

 

 

Even if you don't make the full ornament, I think these little pipe cleaner guys are lots of fun!

For more project ideas and directions for the crafts shown here, visit Parents magazine's website.

(Photos other than specified are from Parents)

Pumpkin Muffins

This is the first year I'll be making Halloween treats for a classroom and I don't want to send something overloaded with sugar. My son and I settled on pumpkin muffins and I thought of an easy tag idea that he could participate in. 

We've been making our way through pumpkin muffin recipes (as always, he's more than willing to be a helper), looking for the right balance of sweetness and a muffin that's moist, not oily. Here's the winner for us, an adaptation from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread.  They're perfect for breakfast or a snack and a nice alternative to all of the candy coming your way this month.

Pumpkin Muffins
(Makes 24-30 cupcake size muffins) 

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 2/3 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups sugar
Zest of 1 small orange
7 ounces water
4 1/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on tops of muffins 

1. Position one rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. 

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the eggs. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and sugar. Stir the orange zest into the water then add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.

4. Pour the dry ingredients onto the liquid ingredients and fold in gently until combined, being careful not to overmix.

5.  Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

6. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. 

**If you'd like to freeze some of them, remove the paper liners, wrap in plastic, then wrap in foil.

 

Tags:

Using a stamp pad, make a thumbprint pumpkin on a hanging tag. Let it dry for a few minutes, then draw on features with a fine-tipped black marker.  Add string (we used Divine Twine) and tie it around the muffin.

The Halloween Costume

I knew it would happen eventually and this year it did - my son decided he wanted to buy a Halloween costume instead of having one made. He's going to be Batman. The purchase has been made, he's ecstatic, and while it's one less thing on my to-do list, I'm already feeling a little nostalgic for the costumes of past years.  And so, to mark the end of an era, I offer you a trip down (my) memory lane:

The Pilot:

Ten weeks into the haze of new parenthood, I remember that this costume was the only thing my husband and I accomplished that day beyond the feeding and diapering. We were exhausted, but didn't want to let the first Halloween slip by unnoticed. I'm glad we did it because I still laugh when I see this photo. And the costume was so easy - I simply created an iron-on decal for his onesie, used a pilot's cap that someone had given us, and made goggles from felt (which I had attached on the inside of the pilot's cap with a little Velcro).

 

The Scarecrow:

I saw this costume in Parents, years before I actually had a child, when I first started working with the magazine. I loved it so much that I clipped it and saved it for the future - and finally made it. I loved this costume on him, but our evening was almost derailed when he declared he was going trick or treating in his pajamas. At the last minute he changed his mind (much to his mother's secret delight).

 

The Pirate:

Last year was the year I begged him to just let me buy a costume as I was neck deep in work and deadlines. He declined and casually suggested that I could just make something. This was the result of some last-minute maneuvering and he couldn't have been happier.  I put him in a pair of sweatpants that were a size too small (therefore, too short), bought some striped women's socks and pulled them up right over the sweatpants, made a coffee filter jabot that I attached to the front of a plain white T-shirt, added a fabric sash and bandanna, and purchased pirate accessories. He loved it - especially after he'd ditched the Pirate's hat and gotten rid of his face paint.

 

Now, if only he'd let me make that owl costume I've had my eye on...

 

It's Just Lunch!

I have lunch on the brain these days.  More specifically, WHAT to make for lunch. My son's school has a lunch policy - nutritious, no processed foods or snacks, and nothing sweet. Which is all fine and good, but I also have a child who's declared that he's "done with eating," and handles his blood sugar plunge about the same way I do. Clearly I want to send him to school with something he'll be eager to eat, for his sake and the teacher's.

Truthfully, I have never been much for "cute" food. I always think of it as too time consuming and when I spend most of my days crafting, it feels more like a chore. But I have noticed that my son is more inclined to eat something when it resembles something else, however inadvertent it may be. His tortillas get eaten into the shapes of various states, he arranges his fruit to look like tools and appliances, and lately one of his favorite books is about fruits and vegetables who have faces.

I give in!  I will attempt the art of the creative lunch. Doing a little research, I discovered Another Lunch, which is all about a mom's bento box lunches. They seem doable and cute and I'll probably spend a lot of time on her blog until I get the hang of it. I also found 20 Easy Bento Lunch Boxes on Parenting's website. These look a bit more complex to me, though awfully cute. Perhaps some of them I can pull off.

But I'm curious to know what others think and do.  Is there any benefit to the cute lunch? Do you think it actually inspires children to eat? And if cute food doesn't work, what do you do? It's a dilemma and challenge I face every day, except when he decides to confound me and eat the most complex thing he can find on my plate. I love food.  I want my son to love food, too. Is that too much for a Southerner to ask?

{Image from Parenting.com}

The Boy of My Dreams

It's hard to believe that my son is four years-old today. Sometimes it feels like I had him yesterday, sometimes like a million years ago. He was a gift after five unexplained miscarriages and a circumspect acceptance of a life without children.

I was never sure that I wanted to be a mother. Some women know for sure, but I didn't. I'm the oldest of five children. I understood early on that children were all consuming and often difficult and greatly hampered any notion of independence, and so I waffled and waited and waited and finally took a chance. And after I took that first chance, I had plenty of time to think about that decision before I finally became pregnant with him.

Motherhood has not all been rosy and there have been plenty of struggles, though it has gotten easier as we've learned to speak the same language. When he was younger, I never found him in any of the manuals, never felt like the experiences I read about had anything to do with me. I put the books away, as I finally understood that they would be of no help.

I was blessed with a very intense, willful, observant, bright, energetic, stubborn child with a heart of gold and affection to spare. If I hadn't been so exhausted in the days when he was a newborn, I might have understood what the pediatrician and the child development specialist on the street, and even strangers, were trying to tell me when they said, "he's so alert."  What they really meant was that I was in trouble and he was going to give me a run for my money. Truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way. He is so beautiful and smart, and full of spirit and life and laughter. How could I want any less?

He's growing up so quickly and for all his independence, we are joined at the heart. I was surprised by him and blessed, but I had no idea that his birth was truly just the beginning. My grandmother taught me to recognize love, my husband gave me the acceptance and freedom I needed to learn to love, and my son carved out a whole new corridor in my heart.

Happy birthday, my sweet boy.

A Year in the Life

When my son was three weeks old, I took him to Brimfield with me (yes, postpartum insanity, but we survived) and there was a woman who pensively told me to cherish every day because it goes so fast. In the cycle of exhaustion that comes with a newborn, when I wasn't sure what day it was or whether I'd actually slept, time seemed magnified and endless. 

She was right, of course, as I find myself with an almost 4 year-old who's lost all vestiges of babyhood, ready to head off to preschool for the first time. My husband has been feeling it as well and there's just the tiniest bit of sadness that accompanies this growth process (along with great relief that we'll finally have some uninterrupted time on our hands).

I've never gotten around to doing a baby book (though I have a box full of special items) and I'm not nearly as organized with the memories as I'd like to be. But one thing I did for the first year was take a photo of my son each month. I kept it as simple as I could, the photo taken in the same window (the only window that got light in my New York apartment) until he was 10 months old and we moved to New Orleans. I look at these now and it seems like just yesterday and such a long time ago. I'm so happy I did just that one thing.  

As he heads off to school, I'm looking for new traditions to implement in our lives. What do you do (or have done) with your children that works for you?