ohbrooke

What I’m Pinning

You’ve probably heard about Pinterest.com by now, a new social network of projects and products and anything in-between. Think of it as magazine clippings of things you want to make or use for reference later {While reading your blogs, you can ‘pin’ things you want to remember later. Then they’re all stored in one place!}. Since our condo is on the market, my little projects have fallen by the wayside {only to ramp back up when we get a new place, I’m sure!}. Anyway, here’s what I’m pinning lately… {You can follow what I’m pinning here}.

Click images to see original link…

Relocating and It Feels So Good

Not exactly, but I’m feeling a little sing-songy tonight.

So, here’s the scoop. Just six weeks into our condo being on the market, we got an offer. Suddenly we had possibly 30 days to pack up and ship out. But ship where? We’re planning on renting in the same area for a while until we find “THE” house we can stay in and grow 12 babies and no pets in. But that doesn’t really answer the question. I’m flexible on the city. I’m flexible on the property-type and the size. I’m not, however, flexible on price. How on earth did rent get so high?

With equal parts “Shoot!” and “Phew!”, the offer fell through. I felt the ground back under my feet and the swift kick in my pants about being more aware of the rentals in the area. I drove by four of the possible rentals on my list, only to cross them right off. Seems like $2300/month will get you a mid-century home in San Ramon with 30 year old carpets and tiled kitchen counter tops with brown grout. $2,000 might get you a 2-bedroom condo in Dublin, split on three levels. And $1800 gets you single-paned windows, a fenced-in miniature patio, and two car-ports.

Pffffftttttt…

I don’t ask for much. I need 3-bedrooms so I have office space and room to grow. I need a place for this baby {who thinks he’s four} to run around and thin out. I need 2 clean bathrooms that won’t make me want to take a shower after I’ve been in the shower. I need a kitchen that will motivate me to cook, not work against me. And my final plea, a garage for all the things that are ‘must-haves’ for babies, but were only had for a few months, bikes, food storage, and so I don’t ever have to pour a pitcher of water on my windshield.

It doesn’t feel like too much to ask, so why is it?

Loving Dresser Vanities

Via Google Image Search {click pictures for links}

…on my bucket list of “in my someday house”

If Someone MADE Me Buy It

If someone put a gun to my head and said “Brooke, your dining table is much too small. Take my checkbook and buy something bigger.”
I would buy this table {from here}:

If someone said, “But those chairs aren’t really ‘you’.” I’d say, “You’re right.”
Then I’d probably buy these {from here}:

If someone said, “Brooke, you seem to buy a new couch every year or so. Isn’t it time to buy another one?”
I’d say, “Jason, darling, I’m sorry I keep buying pretty couches that are uncomfortable. But I nailed it on this last couch and I still love it. I’ll keep it forever.”

Recent Work

I’ve been lucky enough to stay really busy with my web design business. I love working on different projects with different styles every day. Here are a couple things I’ve been working on:

Some simple changes to Brooke Ashley’s Photography blog. Her pictures say it all, we just wanted to compliment her great work with subtle design elements:

A brand new website for Zusti! Home Maintenance Service using WordPress:

A fun playful logo for La Olla products:

A throwback logo for Birds on a Line:

Just a few of the fun projects I’ve been working on. If you need help with your website or business image, visit my website www.brookehalldesign.com for more info.

Mama Love Play Date Sponsors

Last week I threw a little Valentine’s Day party for young moms in my area, and we had so much fun. It wasn’t a relaxing tea or a pampering pedicure, it was a rowdy toddler-chasing, cheerio and PBJ snacking unintentional cardio workout. Just the kind of party that would have given me a headache a year ago is the perfect fit now as my little one likes to get his wiggles out with his friends.

It all started with these adorable invitations

by Gracie Girl Notes. This Pennsylvania shop has fun prints and cute shapes for invitations, announcements and thank you cards. I provided the wording, and Bevin came up with the adorable concept of the little elephants with heart cardstock and kraft paper invitations. They really were cute and professional, and even better – I didn’t have to spend ANY time on them! She sent a proof via email before she shipped them out, so I was confident I was getting the perfect invitation. {Plus anybody that packages with Divine Twine is alright in my book}

Then came the sponsors

Several items were donated from companies that got me through the rough transition into new-mommyhood. You know how moms talk – we know who’s pooping, who didn’t nap, and who’s cutting teeth. It used to drive me crazy when I didn’t have kids and the conversation would continue at-length on any of these subjects. But now I get it – we’re all trying to be the best moms we can and it takes experience from our peers and the help of quality products.

A few things I was able to share

We bought at least 6 different brands of bottles for my underweight one-month old. Some bottles came out too fast, others too slow and frustrating. Some had him swallowing too much air, making an achy belly and big spit-ups. With a baby with colic, anything that could lessen the symptoms was a lifesaver. Switching to a more sensitive formula combined with these Tommee Tippee bottles made such a difference. He was less gassy, happy with the flow, and less starving! 9 months later he still loves them, and they are easy to hold in his big paws. By four months, he was holding them on his own.

And with colic comes LOTS of tears. I’m a firm believer in Dr. Karp’s “Happiest Baby on the Block” method that can get any crying baby soothed as long as there is no medical problem. I’m having flashbacks as I type this. It seemed like a century, but with the three months of colic came nights in the laundry room with the dryer on, running water to soothe cries and many many swaddles. These Aden + Anais swaddle blankets were the only ones sufficiently big and stretchy to pull tight enough for him to be sufficiently womb-like. They are definitely on my ‘must-have’ list for new moms {I even took mine to the hospital from day one}. They just made such a huge difference in our baby when he was little. Now that he’s older, they stay around covering a sleeping baby in the stroller, or as a blanket to crawl on.

When people tell me their babies wouldn’t take a pacifier, it almost doesn’t register. I can’t even IMAGINE. I got Owen sleeping 10 hours consistently at 3 months old using his favorite thing in the world: his Nuk pacifier. He is still happily using his pacifier at night, or when he’s embarrassing me with his volume level at a restaurant. He will only spit it out for two things: his bottle or his toothbrush. My only regret is that I didn’t know about these sports ones. Owen came home from the hospital wearing my baseball outfit from my birth, and this baseball binky would have topped it off!

You might remember Nicole Hoxie Photography doing my newborn’s pictures. They turned out better than I could have imagined, and I’m so lucky to have such great pictures. It’s so fleeting, they only stay that tiny for such a short time! Nicole is so crazy talented, you’ll notice that if you visit her home. Quilts, clothes for her kids, decor – all handmade! This is a diaper clutch that she designed and created – a perfect fit for a few diapers and wipes, and other essentials. Just in case you don’t feel like lugging your entire diaper bag, or you can leave it with the sitter while you’re away. She has created so many beautiful diaper clutches and you can buy them here.

Also pictured is a Baby Carrier Cover by Kukuku. No longer in stores, but a lifesaver for a chilly baby while he’s in your front carrier {works great with Baby Bjorn, Ergo, and other similar baby carriers}. My baby never liked to sleep, but I’ve managed to lure him to sleep with the fuzzy fleece lining of this cover and a little back rub.

In light of the rough first months, a one-of-a-kind frame like this one found it’s way to my doorstop {You can see my post about it here}. This frame was created by Face to Face Framing using reclaimed barn wood. They have an impressive Etsy shop with really amazing woodwork and home decor. Brigitte sent me one of these frames with a photo of my little one and it has got to be one of my most prized possessions. You can’t bottle that new baby smell or hang on to that feeling when your baby cozies up to your neck for the first time, but my frame with my baby’s little toes is as close as it gets. {Also pictured is my ‘Love Print‘}

Also from Face to Face Framing is this fun burlap pillow. I’m so jealous that they create these fun pillows – I would LOVE to do this {read: I would love to procrastinate on my daily house-wifing and work-from-homing duties to get involved in yet another project}. So cute!

And lastly, who knew it would be so hard to get back on the wagon? I went without a hairbrush and mascara for probably a good month after baby. So much feeding, diaper changing and soothing, all I ever wanted to do in my spare time was SLEEP. But the pieces had to be put back together, and if I was going to wear a pony tail, I was at least going to throw on a pair of earrings! :) These cute hoops are from a local brand, Twisted Silver. I’m seeing their cool jewelry more and more and my friends and family grow their Twisted Silver collection!

The baby food was provided by three great companies that I LOVE. How did anyone raise children without this stuff? He may have his sleeping faults, but Owen is an exceptional eater. I always have a few of these food pouches in my diaper bag in case our errands run long or he’s just a hungry dude. His legs start squirming at the very sight of these, and he loves that he can suck it out of the top all by himself! Plum Organics, Revolution Foods {who has the CUTEST website} and Ella’s Kitchen all have a version of these baby food pouches and they are a lifesaver. It’s organic {don’t roll your eyes}, it’s sneaky {crammed with veggies, but you’d never know it!} and fun for the baby’s to eat {Look ma, no spoon!}.

And lastly, just a few party details

Raffle tickets made using Just Something I Made‘s Vintage Frame graphics {Fun to use for quick projects like this}, and napkin flowers from Design Editor’s Tutorial here.

Brought a rug {Pottery Barn – circa 2009} and some toys for little crawlers.

Penants made from a less-than-favorable book and some scrapbook paper {Sorry for the backlighting here, you can see great penants from the Crafting Chicks here}

Food for kids and mommies {Weight Watchers Chicken Salad recipe here – I added slivered almonds and Fuji apples}

A little something extra for the mommies {when they’re hands aren’t full}

And the guests of honor!

Owen all dressed up for the event {hang on little buttons!}

Who Poofed?

Catherine Davis, author of the Design Editor blog {and cute Etsy shop “Print!”} sent us a great tutorial on how to make these beautiful napkin flowers. They are very similar to Martha Stewart’s tissue paper pom poms, but these use napkins and are slightly easier in my opinion, smaller and so delicate. Below are some pom poms I made using Catherine’s tutorial for my Valentine party tomorrow.

Here they are individually. So beautiful. A little time-consuming, but I made 6 while watching American Idol, so not all bad.

Here they are grouped in tree bark bowls I bought on clearance for $2.50 each at a florist closing sale.

And I’m toying with making them a topiary here in a tea light candle holder.

Here is Catherine’s Tutorial for these beautiful napkin flowers {$1.50 in napkins gets you 8 flowers}

From Croffice to Playroom :(

In the time it takes me to take a 2 minute shower, my little 9 month monster can accomplish this:

Which is why my office went from this:

To this:

Oh, the glamor of motherhood!

So, a question to you work-at-home moms… what’s your routine? I am lucky enough to stay home with baby, but part of being able to do that means that I do have to work a little bit. I sprint to the computer during both naps, but sometimes those are short and there’s more to do. Please leave your tips for getting work done, aside from giving him a brother.

DIY Cakestand and Party Dishes

Another bargain at Goodwill: beautifully tarnished sterling silver candlesticks – $2.99 for the pair. I thought I’d hop on the bandwagon and make these become stemmed partyware for my upcoming Valentine’s Day mommy party. The plastic bowl and small plate are dishes I had and didn’t mind re-purposing. I used Gorilla Glue, but I wished I had the craft size of Liquid Nails. Regardless, it seems to be holding up well, and I can’t wait to show you what I’m going to put in these.

And as a side note, these would be gorgeous in a guest bathroom with a decorative soap and hand towel, or in the kitchen with fruit, or on your nightstand to take of your jewelry at night, or…

I’d love to see your DIY cakestands, post a link in the comments if you’ve got one too!

Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape Winners

Winners were chosen via random.org. I will be emailing you each individually. Congrats!

Big News: Our Condo is For Sale

Yep, our condo was listed yesterday. It feels right, and we’re excited. So, if you’re looking for a cute 3 bedroom with great neighbors who will make you dinner on occasion, come watch your baby when you’re sick, and play Sequence with you well into the night, then look no further! Check out the listing on Redfin. {Call our Realtor Sue McKinley with questions}

Digital Scrapbooking Again

This is my third year creating a digital scrapbook. It’s officially a tradition {I’m thinking ‘trinity’ tradition. Knee deep in Dexter Season 4 – can’t help myself}. I even decided that instead of doing a ‘scrapbook’ for each child, I would just do family books each year. Baby pretty much bogarted all of the camera time this year, so the book is three times as thick and all about him anyway. {I’ve done a previous post about digital scrapbooking here}

I also need to clarify. I am crafty, yes. But something about scrapbooking makes me want to melt into a puddle. I don’t have the patience or the desire to organize, cut and glue the photos. This year, Kodak SAVED ME.

Kodak very generously offered to pay for my photo book this year. After I had separated the photos on my hard drive that I wanted to use, I uploaded them to the kodak website and this is what happened:

No joke, the book was done.

Pictures were AUTOMATICALLY arranged in date order, and placed into perfect little layouts. Melt into a puddle, I did not. I spent about 15 minutes moving a few pictures via a super-easy drag and drop method, added a few captions and was done! If this is not a life saver, it’s at least a TIME-saver. I love how the book turned out, and loved how easy it was. Other programs I have used for digital scrapbooks line all of your images along the bottom, and one by one you place them into a layout. It can take HOURS. Kodak is the bomb, ’nuff said.

Loving my new photo book, it arrived just a few days later. Look at my little boo and how much we’ve done this year!

So no, it wasn’t just about a free photo book. It was about trying a great new product, that has totally won me over. I LOVE when an easy solution comes around to make my ordinarily busy life somewhat more manageable.

Goodwill Party Pleasers

Needing to get out of the house the other day, I sent an “S.O.S” to my mom to meet me for lunch. Some mexican food and diet coke killed an hour, but I wasn’t ready to go back home, so baby and I stopped by Goodwill. I always hesitate when I go there because it’s such a hit or miss. Some days I leave with treasures, and some days I leave with fleas and ringworm. Despite getting the heebies, I found a couple great finds for a Valentine’s Day party I’m throwing next month.

This straight-out-of-the-seventies ceramic owl planter {$6.99} met my can of white spray paint {free} for a fun favor holder:

And this wooden tray got slightly less country and a little more Valentine-y when it met a fun pink spray paint {$4} and spray glitter {$3} and piece of scrapbook paper + mod podge. I wish you could see better, it is COATED in glitter!

A Makeover and a Giveaway!

It sounds impossible, but painting straight lines is easy to do. I helped my friend update her master bedroom with a few straight lines and a strie paint technique. This only took about three hours of work and a thirty minute trip to TJ Maxx for Accessories.

The secret to a great line when you’re painting is getting the right tape! Scotch’s Blue Painter’s Tape with Edge-Lock will give you great results each time if you do this secret extra step. Check out my little video on how I tape off lines (please disregard the fact that I think my hair is long enough to wear a pony-tail when it’s not). The really dimply wall texture Shannon had put this tape to the test, but we had almost no touch up to do!

Here are the before pics:

Here are the after pics:

The stripe behind the low bed draws your eye up, making the room look bigger. The natural look of the strie ties in the shells on the lamps and the other browns in the room. It helps give the room dimension.

We mirrored the stripe on the opposite wall behind the dresser.

Close-Up of the Strie:

Here’s a quick look video at the before and after.

Now for the Giveaway!

Scotch is giving away a FREE ROLL OF Blue Painter’s Tape with Edge Lock to 16 READERS! Leave a comment below for your chance to win!

Comments will close at midnight PST on Wednesday Jan. 26 2011. Good Luck!

Immortalized T-Shirt Strikes Again

I bought a bunch of these silly T-shirts back when I was painting on the reg for David Bromstad’s show on HGTV. Why I bought a medium, I’ll never know. One load later it was a tube top.

But I still dig it, so I hung it in my office above my computer. I’m not sugar-coating the status of my desk – here it is, in the raw, my home base for my business. Looks like I need to stop fiddling with T-shirts and fix this up a bit.

{See more immortalized T-shirts here}