going, going, gone

 

 

Letting go is hard. But it was time to say good-bye. January marks the four year "anniversary" since I closed the store and moved the shop back into my home. Four years of maintaining a product stockroom, packing area, studio and print shop inside a modest bungalow. With three kids and a lovely husband who never questioned (though he probably should have) the tower of Uline boxes living beside the furnace. Something had to give. So this weekend I did my best to blow out the merchandise to the bare walls, with the help of some mighty steep markdowns. Maybe that's how I know I was ready to say good-bye: I was OK with losing money in order to gain some order and breathing room.

 

So the shop will look different in the weeks to come. I probably won't change much until after the holiday rush, but ultimately most of the categories will be deleted and I will focus entirely on made-to-order, personalized products that don't have to be stockpiled, counted and warehoused.

 

Thank you dear customers for helping me clean house! Getting a bargain feels just as great as gaining an empty shelf.

 

 

-Nicole

Canada Day: ideas for your party

Top Row: Raspberry Cheesecake Popsicles, Flag Banner
Middle: Beaver Cupcakes, Handprint T-shirt, Chocolate Strawberries
Bottom: Moose Sandwich, Paper Straws

5-minute Canada Day handprint t-shirt craft

This brilliant t-shirt idea originally came from the workman family blog. I added the green painter's tape edging because I'm a perfectionist it was easier for my kids to judge how much room they had for the actual handprint.  

 

 

1. Using painter's tape, mask off the sides of the flag

2. Paint in the white area using red acrylic paint

3. Remove painter's tape and make handprint in the centre

4. Ta-da

 

 

We used old school uniform t-shirts and a dollar store tube of acrylic paint we had on hand, so this project came together for zero cost and zero fuss. Just the way I like it.

 



Have an A+ summer

Not taking my own advice, I left teacher gift-giving to almost the very last minute and made a sweaty stroller sprint to Cloverdale this morning to buy iTunes and Indigo gift cards. Scrambling around my work room for wrapping supplies, I stumbled across an unopened box. Sound of hand slapping forehead: I completely forgot about these notebook paper treat bags. I ordered them some months ago, along with the brilliant chevron and polka dot bags that did make it online. I had the intention of coming up with some, I don't know, product idea of some sort. Maybe I'll get it together for Christmas or back to school.

I don't know if Mr. Walters will fully appreciate the cuteness of it, but I am feeling the love.

One day left!

post-hiatus

Hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? But I have a good reason:

Meet Charlie. A few weeks before starting a major house reno last spring, I received the staggering news that I was indeed pregnant and not simply exhausted by tile selection and nauseous with hardwood floor options. I say staggering news because I am 44 years old and it's safe to say that I never saw that coming. Despite having wanted a third baby very, very much, I had given up the cause after several sad and frustrating years when it seemed that I couldn't. But here we are, a party of five. Squished into our freshly renovated bungalow. Happy as clams.

So, yes it's been a long while since I turned my attention to the blog. And when I say attention I mean free time. Because let's face it: a blog is a spectacular waste of time. Time that could be spent being productive in some tangible fashion. But here I am anyway on this fine Friday. A sleeping baby. A quiet house. A cup of tea. My blog. Hello. I intend to be here more frequently. (But wouldn't it be kind of awesome if I only blogged once a year for the rest of my life?) Expect gratuitous baby photos.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Wall Art for Baby: Jazz Style

Choosing wall art for a baby nursery is one of the best things about decorating a room for a new arrival. Oopsy Daisy added 170 new pieces to their portfolio recently, including this rather fabulous series of canvas art featuring musical animals. New Zealand-based artist Ellen Giggenbach created the original collages using shapes cut from rare and vintage papers, in the style of mid-century folk art. How delicious in a baby nursery! I think Laura Petrie would approve. They do look like something that would have hung in the Van Dyke family rumpus room, no?

They make me think of jazz album art from the 1940s and 50s. And make me want to spray lacquer my bob and wear skinny black pants with flats. Such a glorious time for design. 

Book illustrations:

(Uber Sax by Joe McLean)

Percussion Puppy is my absolute favourite. I can't resist a dog in a bow tie. 

All new Oopsy Daisy wall art designs are available to order in the shop, daddy-o.

Peel & Place Wall Stickers for Kids' Rooms

Decorating a baby nursery isn't in my future, but it might be in yours. Oopsy Daisy's new Peel & Place Wall Stickers were instant love for me. Could be because we are busy planning some spring renovations chez moi, and my kids are off and running planning re-dos of their bedrooms. We hit The Bunkhouse on Avenue Road over the weekend, checking out some loft and trundle beds in the hopes of maximizing two very petite rooms, but the furniture is just the beginning. It's really all about the theme, don't you know. I'm trying to sell Henry on the Woodsy Arbor pictured above. I am crazy about it. He's humouring me, but I think his heart lies here or here. I suppose we could do an outer space hockey theme. Who's to say there's anything wrong with that?

These wall stickers are no mere vinyl peel-and-stick decals. They are fabric-based, which gives them a nice texture, heft and above all, AMAZING colour. Too bad the company images are on the low res side, because these stickers are quite incredible in person. They are also GRANDE. Like five feet tall grande. So for a hundred bucks you've got your room pretty much covered. Did I mention that each set also comes with a complete alphabet and number set so you can personalize to your liking. And of course they are built to be moved around, so kids can create one scene on Monday and switch it up on Tuesday. Or once the lights are out and parents are watching TV.

All the wall sticker styles are now in the shop, if you'd like to take a closer look.