Oh my...

...I love this ikea play kitchen. I think Henry needs this...who doesn't love a man who can hold his own in the kitchen?

wooden sewing machine...

...what a cool toy. Maybe not for Henry, but maybe if he has a sister someday.

toy discovered here

I want to make this...

idea found here

The month of May...

...will be a busy month around these parts. The first month as parents (assuming this child decides to be born), along with 3 birthdays, a wedding, and a graduation. I'm trying to get all of my gifts in order before the baby comes...although I'd be more than happy to do it after if he/she decides to make an appearance. Either way, while looking at the Olcott's website for a wedding gift idea, I came across this dinnerware:

It's Lenox's "Chirp Dinnerware" and it is lovely. I still love my dishes, but if I had my druthers I'd throw in a few pieces of this stuff to keep things interesting.

My favorite house...

There is a house in my neighborhood that I love. If this house is ever put up for sale I want to buy it. I have no idea what the inside looks like, but the outside is perfect. It is always meticulously kept and looks like the owners treat it with great care & concern. I walk by it every.single.time I go on a walk...no exceptions.

Isn't it fantastic?

(not the best picture, but hopefully you get the point)

Old door idea...

When Denise & Andrew moved into our Great-Grandma Bartel's old house the front door was in a state of desrepair. It was removed & replaced in order to ensure its occupant's security. Denise, recognizing buried treasure when she sees it, saved the door, and then gave it to me...I've been planning to do something wonderful with this door, and have had a few ideas, but I think this idea (discovered here) is by far the best I've seen yet.

The only problem for me is...I don't need a desk. And, I certainly don't need a desk without storage. However, I'm thinking I could use this idea and turn this door into an outdoor table (operation backyard improvement starts this summer). I'm wondering if I could make it with collapsible sawhorses so that it could be put up and taken down with ease (not sure that this would be a good idea for stability purposes...) And, the glass would be super heavy and not a great idea maybe, but I wonder if I could use a plexi-glass of some sort. Maybe that would be lighter & more outdoor friendly. I don't know, but it's fun to think about...I'll keep you posted.

Wooden block calendar...

I found this wooden block calendar tutorial here, via this website. It looks fairly easy and is very cute. I think I might try it...later.

Photo from Lark & Lola...the tutorial's creator.

Little Birdies...

Aren't these cute? I want to make about 100 of them...maybe more. I think I should probably start with one first though...the pattern is found here.

photo courtesy of purlbee

Isn't this cute...

I saw this idea here today. What a great way to use up cute fabric scraps.

The designer's blog can be found here

Have I ever told you...

...how much I love this hutch? If I could think of a place to put it then it would immediately find itself on my perpetually evolving home improvement/decor wish list.

Walking Tour...

...I went to visit my sister these last couple days. She lives in a very sweet old neighborhood. We went on a walk this morning & I captured a few of her neighborhood gems. Enjoy...

I never tire of this combination.

Loved this little house!

Inspiration...

I loved this little post I stumbled upon today. It gives a list of 10 big ideas for small houses. I love my small house, and I love to read about ways to make it live larger. (Plus, the post included a picture of the house below, which made me love it even more). Living simply and living with less is important to me, thus my interest in the topic. Read through it yourself & see if you enjoy it as much as I did.

Jewelry Inspiration...

Check out what this creative lady used to make jewelry:


She turned that bamboo placemat into this:

So cute.