I can't stop...

...Making wall art for my boys' new room redo!

Late, late, late last night after a fun few hours spent away from my family with two of my favorite new friends, I spent a while thinking up some more ways I could fill wall space in my boys' shared room.  I plan on redecorating their room on a tight budget and when I found this print and fell in love, I knew I had to have it...or something like it, anyways:

{ photo via apple jack designs on Etsy }

What I really like about the inspiration print above, is the navy blue on white.  It comes as a pdf file for an 8x10 print your print yourself at home for just $8.  Not a bad deal at all.  But, I have to remember my budget, and I think I could do a lot with $8.

I decided to play around on picnik.com again and use the same grey and white background that I used when I made this rough draft subway art

to make my version of the inspiration print

It is still very possible I'll end up purchasing the original print by Apple Jack Designs because I really do love it.  Until then, I'm adding my copycat design to my Boys' Room Redo board on Pinterest for future reference. 

If you like my design, feel free to copy and save and use however you like.

Fave Finds Friday #5

"Me Time"

Although it is Saturday { nearly Sunday } I couldn't let the week go by without a Fave Finds Friday post.  I am in need of some serious Me time right now.  I probably admire single parents more than anyone in the world lately...between the middle of July and the middle of November each year I am a single parent, for the most part.  The man of the house is an outdoorsman to-the-extreme and spends every waking second he's not at work in the woods.  He even recently declared to love fishing, hunting and gathering as much as his own children.  "As much as"?  Really?!  This leaves me to fend for myself in the house with two cuh-razy young boys many months out of the year...

...Which brings me to today's Finds.  I'm craving Me time in a bad way.  And I think this li'l find will leave you searching for some Me time of your own.  Check out this beauty from Etsy shop Peg and Awl:

{ photo via }

 This simple but gorgeous tub caddy made out of reclaimed wood is just so perfect for relaxing after a rough day, journalling, soaking by candlelight, or whatever it is you do when you have Me time.  Do you like how I just assume you spend your Me time in the bathtub?  Just go with it.

Check out Peg and Awl for lots more beautifully handcrafted and elegant pieces for the home.

Fave Finds Friday #4

Today's FFF post is going to be short and sweet.  

Really it's like, the sweetest thing ever!  I wish I knew about these when my boys were babies.

{ photo via }

 Isn't this an excellent baby shower gift idea?  A 12 pack of baby onesies screen printed with "1 month" through "12 months".  The point is to take the baby's photo each month in the coordinating month's onesie.  This particular set from Culpeper General on Etsy.com is $75.

{ photo via }

So precious.  I'm 90% sure we're done having kids so...

Who's getting pregnant so I can gift one of these adorable sets?!

Fave Finds Friday #3

I really can't stop thinking about these all-over wall stencils I found at Cutting Edge Stencils on Etsy.  But we're renting.  So I have to stop thinking about them.  For now.

Until we finally buy a house of our own and I'm allowed to paint, I'll be dreaming about this every night:

And this one:

photos courtesy of Cutting Edge Stencils. 

Fave Finds Friday: make believe

Confession:  My kids are driving me nuts!

I've desperately been trying to come up with new and exciting ways to entertain my two lovely boys before I buy a one-way trip to somewhere warm.  And sandy.  With plenty of frosty, umbrella-clad drinks.  Ahhh, a girl can dream, right?

For the last, oh, year and a half I've been in the process of making one of those felt card table playhouses for the boys similar to this one.  I'm hoping to finish it before autumn sets in here in the Pacific Northwest and my boys start spending a lot more time indoors.  Which means I better get on it! 

To go along with the felt card table playhouse, I thought it'd be fun to have an entire trunk full of pretend-play costumes and clothes for my boys to use any way their little imaginations please.  Of course I searched Etsy first, and you'll see my awesome, fun finds below.  Click on the name of the item to go directly to it's shop.

knight's armor
dino tail

treasure map
incognito beard mask
felt chainsaw
reversible vests

viking hat
felt crowns
mailbag
felt baking set pattern

Fun, right?!  I'd totally rather my boys spend time make-believing and being imaginative than watching Sponge Bob reruns, and I think a pretend-play trunk will be just the thing to get those creative juices running!

Oh!  And while we're talking about make-believe, check out this awesome teepee I made for a customer recently:

I'm super proud of this one, and my kids are dying for a teepee of their own.  Spoiler Alert:  I'm scheduled to give one of these bad boys away to a lucky reader of one of my favorite blogs in September.  Keep checking back for the details.  I'll reveal where you can go to enter just as soon as it's official!

Fave Finds Friday

Sharing my favorite Etsy finds with you really makes me happy.  So I'm hoping to make Fave Finds Friday a regular installment here on the LilyBaby blog, and it would be awesome if I could ever figure out how to start a linkup party...someday, someday.  

The last few weeks, I've been searching out girly bracelets on Etsy.com and these are just a few of my favorites!

freshwater pearl bracelet- mixstone, $6.50
mixed bangle set, $9.75
cubic zirconia undulated bracelet- brooklyn arts, $52

vintage collage bracelet- lonkoosh, $59
estate style bracelet- lara lewis, $87

I have a ton of great jewelry finds to share with you; from casual & fun to dressy.  Stay tuned for a huge post on the jewelry I love the most!

Whaddya think, TIME grows on TREES?!

Today I worked on three different crib bedding sets and a custom-order Claire dress.  This translates into: I completely ignored my children and all housework for the entire day.  When it was time for a break this afternoon, I sat down in search of some new sewing patterns so I can stock the shop with a few fresh and exciting items.

A "few" turned into six.  Oy.  When in the world will I find time to make all of them, let alone one?!

I like to share my pattern sources with my readers who sew.  It makes me happy to let them in on where you can find the patterns I use to create my dresses, etc.  On my to-do list, marked "URGENT", is learning how to draft my own patterns.  There are so many ideas in my head just dying to get out!  I need to make that happen.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of the patterns I purchased today:

{ bolero jacket by dream spun kids & ruffle front cardigan by too sweets }

{ amelia top, acadia tee & somerset hoodie all by mama stellato }

{ summertime romper by sew sweet patterns }

Aren't they all adorable?!  I can't wait to find the time to make them all.  I took a poll on the LilyBaby facebook page today to see which style of the six the fans want to see in the shop first?  They overwhelmingly voted for the summertime romper.

Which style do you vote for?

No Teddy Bears or Choo Choos Allowed

As you may know, I'm the only female in a house full of men.  I don't have a mini-me to parade around in dresses, skirts, sparkles and curls, so my time is {wisely?} spent dictating what my boys will be wearing from day to day...at least, the days when we actually venture out of our pajamas, but that's a whole 'nother story for a different day.

Around here, there's a rule when it comes to dressing the little fellas; no teddy bears or choo choos allowed!  As tempting as it {never} is, we just don't buy the cute matchy sailor or dinosaur outfits for our boys.  T-shirts or shoes with cartoon characters are out of the question, at least until the boys are old enough to decide for themselves...

...Until then, I like to either buy packages of plain white Hanes tees from Target (so I can bleach the heck outta them later) or browse Etsy for awesome handmade graphic tees and accessories for my guys.  I don't mind spending a few extra dollars when I'm buying directly from the artist, crafter, maker, etc.  Nearly every time, the handmade items I purchase on Etsy are a far better quality than what I'd find at a local department store.  I feel satisfied when a screen-printed tee I picked up {straight from the person who hand screened it} two years ago for my oldest boy, now fits my youngest and looks brand new.

I do respect the opinions of the mommies out there who find the cute characters and fuzzy animals irresistible, and I do know their boys are just as sweet and charming as any Etsy wearing child of mine.  But this is my blog, and I'll do with it as I please.  Hee hee.

Here's a collection of to-die-for boys' Etsy.com finds to prove that frogs and puppies are not the only option when it comes to styling your little man.  Enjoy!

{ shoes & accessories }

clockwise from top left:
striped belt- belties, $15
knitted button loafers- three kittens knitting, $10
elastic toddler belt, playful peanut, $18 for three
lightening bolt shoes- boy girl boy girl design, $28

{ basic tees }

clockwise from top left:
birthday number tee- happy family, $16
military stripe tee- b. childrens' wear, $25
organic recycle design tee- apericots, $14.99
grow baby onesie- culpeper general, $75 for set of twelve

 { jackets & cardigans }

left: elbow patch cardigan- b. childrens' wear, $30
right: unisex peacoat- little star clothing, $90

{ you can never have too many tees! }

clockwise from top left:
tattoo onesie- mama monkey, $12
grey stripes organic v neck- jessalin beutler, $26
top gun aviator onesie- ovelo, $15.99
dad tattoo tee- wren willow, $22


Let me know what you think of my boys' finds.  I'd love to hear about it if you make a purchase based on what you see!  'Til next time...I've got clothes to fold!

Mentioned!

I just love waking up in the morning, stumbling to the coffee pot, then sitting down to my computer to find that LilyBaby has been mentioned somewhere in the blogosphere or social media.  And what's even better is when LilyBaby is mentioned by someone I totally look up to professionally.  That's where Stacy comes in.  Stacy, of Stacy Jacobsen Photography, is an all-around lovely lady & fun Momma to a handful of boys (which, as you know, is a "predicament" near and dear to my heart).

On her photography blog, Love Study, Stacy recently dedicated a post to the fourth birthday party she threw for one of her little men.  She special-ordered a whole bunch of felt feathers from me, and a half-dozen each of Peter Pan hats and pirate eye patches.  

The birthday party Stacy put together was to-die-for.  She has an eye for style.  Check out her Etsy shop, Dandy You, to find all kinds of goodies and ideas to make your next party the party-of-the-year!

Also?  Stacy's a darn good choice when looking for a family or wedding photographer.  We had an awesome family session with her in 2010, and she photographed our boys this past Valentine's Day.

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

{ photo by Stacy Jacobsen Photography }

We <3 Stacy!

Wishlist, part one

I don't know about you, but I can spend hours browsing Etsy.com and saving items and shops to my favorites.  I've even been known to pull all-nighter Etsy shopping sprees when I should be a) working on orders from my own shop or b) sleeping.  I want to share some of my favorite finds with you, and this post is dedicated to some of my favorite fashion finds, not including accessories-- that'll be a whole 'nother Wishlist post for a different day.

For now, here are some of my current Etsy fashion faves in no particular order:

{ Custom ruffled collar dress by ananya $50 }
This dress comes in just about every color you can think of.  I love the color with the polka dots.  I think it'd be super cute belted with boots and a cute cardi.

{ Triangle sleeveless cardigan by Jessalin Beutler $55 }
I love supporting Etsy shops, especially the ones that are local to me!  This beauty is from a  fellow Seattlite.  Although this yellow color isn't listed in the shop right now, the link will take you to a pretty Jade color that I love equally as much.

{ Blue snakeprint tunic by Replicca  $45 }
Why have I not purchased this yet?!  I wrote all about how much I love this shop here.

{ Ruffle front jacket by cotylee }
This shop is currently set to vacation mode, but I'll be waiting semi-patiently for them to re-open.  This is going to be my next fall/winter jacket.  

{ Natural soft green tunic with leaf applique by Minx Shop $70 }
This item was one of the first things I "favorited" when I joined Etsy.com.  I'm so happy this style is still offered in the shop.  There's something just so pretty about it.  There is so much I want from this shop, but this has been my favorite the longest.  Also check out the entomologist field dress and the dire situations skirt.  LOVE.

{ Steel Gray Ruffle Skirt by thread bare apparel $48 }
Gorgeous.  I'm really into above-the-knee-but-not-too-short skirts lately.  Maybe it's because after having two kids, my  nice legs are all I've got going for me?  Ha!

{ Bow dress by Three Little Ducks $95 }
I'm not quite sure how I'd wear this yet, but I need it. 

{ The Grey Dress by miablaz  $78 }
I have a thing for shirt dresses.  And I have a thing for all things grey.   I love the clean lines in this dress, and it would be so fun to accessorize!

{ Romantic Wrap Top by Lirola $85 }
This top comes in lots of pretty colors.  I want one of each.

{ Caramel Shimmer Feather tee by sealmaiden $28 }
This crew neck tee is silkscreened by hand.  I'd pair it with my fave pair of jeans.  It comes in other colors, too!

{ Heartland cargo wrap skirt by Simone's Rose $89 }
I love this.  I want this.  The end.

{ The Claudine embellished blouse by la marquise desagnes $65}
I really need to write an entire wishlist post on all the things I want from this shop.  Love. Them. All. 

{ The hooded Missy by Little Houses $95 }
The unique hoodies and jackets in this shop are right up my alley.  I love me a hoodie with character.

{ Blue Grey Poppy Bloc Top by thimble and acorn $38 }
I've had my eye on an "oscillate" shirt by thimble and acorn for a long time.  Then I came across this bloc top, and now I can't decide which one I like best.  What do you think?

{ Vault Jumper by Heir Apparel $110 }
For a more happy, girly look than the picture suggests, I'd like to pair this grey jumper with a short-sleeved blousy top in a fun color and nude heels.

If you've enjoyed my Etsy picks this time, please let me know!  And if you have an Etsy account, I'd love for you to leave a link to your faves in the comment section below, as well!

Etsy Love: Anna Joyce

In my last "What I Wore Wednesday" post, I showed off my favorite hoodie from fellow Pacific NW Etsy shop, Anna Joyce.  Here's a little reminder:

I cannot explain to you enough how much I love this hoodie.  I may complain about the rainy weather in Seattle 350 days out of the year, but on the bright side; that's 350 opportunities to wear this hoodie.  I'm wearing it right now.  For reals.

There's something so special about the items in the Anna Joyce shop.  Sure, you can find all kinds of appliqued goodness on Etsy.com.  But Anna Joyce designs are original appliques made out of the most beautiful fabric combinations, and applied to quality pre-made apparel.  The applique is so professionally done, that all the stitching looks brand new, even though I've washed and dried my hoodie at least twice a week since April.  Definetly worth the money. 

I also own a wrap cardigan from Anna Joyce.  It was my first purchase from her, and I fell in love with it the first time I saw it listed in her shop.  I love it, because it is the perfect way to dress up a jeans and t-shirt outfit and still be as cozy as if I put on an old sweatshirt.  I love to wear it with a white tank, my favorite jeans and flats...or skinny jeans and boots.  Or...the list goes on.



{photo via Anna Joyce}



I am guaranteed to receive a compliment or two on my Anna Joyce purchases each time I wear them.  I always make sure to tell people where I purchased the hoodie and wrap, because spreading the Etsy word is how I show my appreciation for an excellent product! 

The customer service I received from Anna Joyce was an A+.  It was a Monday when I contacted her saying I was interested in purchasing, but wanted to know if it was possible to put a "rush" on it, since I had an event I wanted to wear it to that weekend.  She happily agreed.  She made it, shipped it, and it was in my hands by that Wednesday!

The next Anna Joyce item on my wishlist is this hoodie:

{photo via Anna Joyce}

It's girly, but still casual and easy to wear.  I also like the "retro" feel of the design and the colors.  One can never have too much Anna Joyce, I'm convinced.  And right now there's a big SALE in her Etsy shop!  I'm going to head over there and purchase this hoodie now. 

I'll race ya!

Is it okay to squeeze the cheeks of someone else's child?

After you check out the photos in this post, the answer is sure to be an overwhelming "YES".  At least, I hope that's the case.  Spoiler alert: they're the cutest thing you'll ever lay eyes on...

I'll be offering at least three all-new styles in the Etsy shop this summer, and these pictures show off two of the styles.  The precious little model is the daughter of my wonderful product photographer, Andrea, from Andrea Turner Photography.  These styles are so new that they're not even listed in the shop yet. 

Here's your preview.  Enjoy.

See what I mean about the squeeze-able cheeks?!

Adorable.

But wait, there's more!

Can I please get these shoes in my size?

And for the Grand Finale...Are you ready for this??

Work it, Girl.

Etsy Love: peace.love.n.polkadots

This is going to be a post loaded with pictures.  Mostly because I just can't choose a favorite.  Here we go!

About a year ago I was in the market for a new handbag.  As most ladies will tell you, it is hard to find the perfect handbag.  It needs to be the right size, color, material, price.  It needs to be functional.  It needs to have style.  I really can't believe someone hasn't invented a match.com-like website to pair women with their soulmate of handbags.  Maybe they will, and in that case, the world will be a better place. 

But for now I'm here to save the day, along with peace.love.n.polkadots!

Of course, I turned to Etsy.com to search for my handbag soulmate.  And when I came across the precious little gems made by Arizona mother & daughter team, peace.love.n.polkadots, sparks flew.  Fireworks lit up the sky.  My knees became weak and I started to sweat.  At least, that's how I remember it. 

 Peace.love.n.polkadots creates beautiful handbags they call "carpet bags", most of which are made from vintage upholstery fabric.  The actual cotton lining used in each bag will vary, so it'll be a nice surprise upon arrival.  I purchased the medium gray carpet bag with double handles as shown in the photos above. 

As a seamstress myself, I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of my bag when I received it, and am still beyond happy with it a year later.  My handbags take a beating, too, but my peace.love.n.polkadots bag still looks brand new.  The bag is so sturdy that it stands up nicely, keeps its shape, and looks gorgeous even when strewn on the kitchen table, or uh, the floor of a bathroom stall...pretend I didn't just say that.

As you can see, there are plenty of colors to choose from.  There's a nautical stripes one that I'm particularly fond of.  Each bag has a strong, sturdy magnetic snap closure and a deep zippered pocket on the inside.  Customers have the option of replacing the regular straps with adjustable ones if they want.  And get this, Mommas and Mommas-to-be...

...Peace.love.n.polkadots' handbags come in a larger diaper bag size!  Yep, that's right.  I said it.  That's almost enough to make me want to hop right back on that baby makin' bandwagon just so I can order one.  Almost.

And, (I'm totally throwing one of my "I wish I had a girl" tantrums) they come in little girl sizes too.

Have you ever seen anything so precious?!  Prove it.

The carpet bags range in prices from $20 for the little girls' version to $60 for the diaper bag size, with the regular handbags falling somewhere right in the middle.  Totally affordable.  And the well-made, something-not-every-single-one-of-your-friends-has factor makes these bags must-haves.  The seller was as friendly as can be.  Shipping was fast, too, which is always a plus in my book!

If you make the wise decision to purchase one of these beauties, please let me know!  And tell the wonderful ladies at peace.love.n.polkadots that LilyBaby sent you.