Winter Fun For Kids

My son, Eugene, is obsessed with snowmen lately, and no, not because of Frozen.  Wisconsin got dumped on with snow once so far this year (odd) and I took Eugene outside to make a snowman.  It was roughly 2 inches in totality (the snow was not packing snow) and melted within the week.  It hasn't snowed since, so paper snowman crafting it was!! We had a blast making this and Eugene is very proud of his work.

Holiday Art Print

I have been working on designing our Christmas cards this year- as in, I am creating the artwork for said card in Photoshop.  I finished the design and loved it so much I went ahead and turned it into an art print available in my Society6 and Etsy shops. This would make a great gift for a buddy or to put on your own holiday wish list.

Cheers!

Bat and Owl Buddies: Printable Tracing Templates

Greetings friends! There is nothing too spooktacular (sorry!) about the owl and bat that Eugene and I created one rainy afternoon.  However, I like them because it is a good reminder of how simple materials such as paper, glue, scissors and sequins can come together to result in an awesome, fun project.  Not very crafty?  Not to worry, here are free printable bat and owl templates you can trace to make this project even easier.  Cut a bunch of these guys out and make Halloween garland to hang around your home.  Enjoy and have fun getting creative, friends!

DIY Clay Pumpkin Patch

Most days lately, Eugene excitedly runs to the doors that open to the art/activity supply storage extravaganza and yells, "MAKE, MAKE!!" until I agree that it is indeed time for a creative activity.   He also happens to be obsessed with pumpkins currently.  Almost every day he insists that we make or draw something pumpkin-y.  Today we made these clay pumpkins.  Eugene helped by rolling the clay into pumpkin shapes and coloring a few of them orange with oil pastels.  Eugene helped me find a little stick from outside and then helped paint it white.  After the stick was dry, I simply broke it into a bunch of tiny pieces which became the stems for the pumpkins.  This is an easy, fun, fall activity to do with or without kids. Enjoy!

Autumn Fun: Leaf Art Project for Kids and Adults

It's that time of year again...YAHOOOO! The leaves are turning colors and are beginning to fall from the trees.  Why not grab a few of them next time you are outside for this fun sensory project?  You can go also on a nature hike to gather leaves/weeds which is what we did.  Leaf art can not be any easier to do with your wee ones.  Eugene dipped the leaves in paint and went crazy.  We leaf-stamped, used the weeds as a paint brush and got messy with the paint.  The point of this project is to use different textures to create a design and introduce your child to using nature as a tool.  The end results are always awesome.  I ended up framing Eugene's work and he is so proud of himself! Enjoy 

3-D Hanging Bird Project for Children

Hi friends! I have another fun and simple project that you can do with your kids. These will be sure to brighten your child's day and your house.  Enjoy!

To assemble birds start by cutting out various bird shapes using any cardboard type of material (we used a cereal box).  Paint both sides a fun color and let birds dry.  Poke a small hole in the middle of the bird and insert feathers on each side. We added sequins for the eyes and then hung them using lace and washi tape.  Eugene is loving pointing to them and saying "birdie".  Another fun project would be to make a bunch of trees that could house your birds.  The possibilities are endless!

Paper Bag Owl Craft Project for Children

This is a pretty self-explanatory activity to do with your littles.  It turned out really cute and was easy enough that Eugene, who is 22 months old, was able to help.  I started by tearing two holes where the eyes would go and tearing the wings out from some scrap paper.  Eugene and I used a glue stick to attach the wings.  I let him go crazy with the pink paint (acrylic...gasp! It's not washable but we were careful, sort of).  I let Eugene scribble all over the owl and I added the details using a black Sharpie.  Any number of materials can be used, including kid-friendly ones.  You could get über creative and add sparkle, sequins, feathers etc...

Spring Love

1. Fedora 2. Margarita 3. scarf 4. Brass Earrings 5. Floral Art 6. Skirt 7. Bag 8. Umbrella 9. Sunglasses

Well, it is not exactly warm in Wisconsin, but on those random sunny/nice days this is what I will be dreaming of.  I hope your corner of the world is delicious + Springy!  

Elsa Joy

Welcome to the world our sweet girl!!!! 

You were due March 23rd, mama had a C-section scheduled for March 18th + you made a very unexpected (yet so welcomed) appearance on February 22nd, 2014.  You were 4 weeks + 1 day early. To say I was surprised when my water broke early that Saturday morning would be putting it mildly.  On paper, we were not ready for you, but in our hearts we couldn't have been more excited to meet you.  As the medical team rushed about to get you out via an emergency C-section your father leaned over to ask me if I could feel all the joy in the room.  I could.  And so my beautiful Elsa, that is how you got your middle name, by bringing immeasurable joy to us that cold, winter, February morning.

We love you so much + look forward to everyday spent with you. 

Elsa's Nursery Art

Lately, I have been getting ready for Elsa's arrival which is SIX weeks from today!!!  This is also the reason I have been pretty non-existent from the blog-o-sphere.  What I have been up to however, is making Elsa some new artwork for her nursery, which I will call a huge accomplishment!  I would love for you to see what I have designing.  I hope you enjoy my work & feel free to comment.  You can also follow on Instagram, where I post a lot more often! Thanks for stopping by.

Available for purchase on Society6

Available for purchase on Etsy



Heat Wave In Wisco

 

Hello from Wisconsin, where it is so hot I can't even breathe if I step outside.  Who's with me in wishing for autumn?  Summer really takes a lot out of me physically so anytime the temperatures want to dip back into the 80's or 70's that would be great! I would even take 60's, gladly.  Anyway, I took some photos of the babe a few days ago & thought I would share them with you. Little Eugene is 7.5 months old already.  What a little gent. Hope today is a good one!
 

Xoxo,

Heather





 

Quiet Afternoons

Good afternoon.  Hoping this finds you all well! This is what happens when we have a busy month of visiting friends & family, our sweet baby Eugene slept for 13 hours last night & most of today! Happy 7 months, little champ.  Thanks for letting your mama make art today.



Xoxo,

Heather

Quirky Art

 

 

This is what I have been up to today while baby Eugene naps.  I have always thought animals in clothes were whimsical, hence the new creations.  I hope they brighten up your day!  And to see more creations, please click here.  I hope your weekend was grand!  Until next time, friends.

 

Xoxo,

Heather

 



Customizable Teepee Art For Your Nursery

 

Hello!  This is a whimsical teepee print that I made for my son Eugene's nursery.  I thought you might also like to have this artwork for your baby's nursery or to give away as a fun baby shower gift.  You can visit my Etsy shop to have the teepee customized to any name. 

 



 



It was so fun to make & I feel inspired to make more art for Eugene's room.  I hope the sun is shining brightly in your corner of the world.

 

Xoxo,

Heather

Our DIY Wood Headboard

 

I want to share with you a very simple, DIY headboard project that my husband & I did together to celebrate the warm weather & sunshine. 

 

 

We started by gathering a total of 6 pieces of wood from Home Depot.  We used 5 longer boards for the actual visible part of the headboard that each measured 8' x 1&3/4".  Our bed is a king & measures 76" in length.  We realized that the headboard would be about 10" longer than the bed on each side, but wanted this grand, over-scaled look.  The hope is to one day put lighting or hang plants on each side of the bed, utilizing the extra length & space of the headboard.  We also purchased a 108" thicker piece of wood that we cut in half to use as the support/legs of the headboard.

 

Next we cleaned & stained all the wood using a Polyurethane stain in Espresso.  We gave the wood 2 coats of stain & 2 coats of a clear Polyurethane finish, letting each coat dry for at least 2 hours in a well ventilated area (outside).  With the finished sides facing down we put the 5 boards together vertically on a clean surface & measured in 24" from both ends.  We then positioned the legs horizontally on the back of the headboard at the 24" mark.  Each leg, which acted as a brace, got 5 long wood screws screwed in directly over the center of each of the vertical boards. That was it.  We let the piece dry outside overnight & then excitedly put it behind our bed. The final look is rustic chic & we love it.  I painted a whimsical field of flowers on a large canvas & hung that above the bed.  

 

 

To complete the look I threw a variety of fun, colorful pillows on the bed. 

 

 

 

Everyone in the McDonald house seems to be enjoying the new space!  It was such a fun, simple project which has inspired us to try making a coffee table next.  Stay tuned...

 

Xoxo,

Heather



Little Boys

With thoughts of my family's move this weekend I have been day dreaming about decorating our new space.  I found some really adorable items for a boy's nursery/room & I thought it would be fun to share these finds with you.  Next time I am out thrifting or antiquing I will have to snap a few shots of other unique items I would add to a child's room.  I always try to add my own style to existing items purchased from the bigger retailers! I hope you enjoy.

 

Xoxo,

Heather & Eugene

 

1. Zoo Mobile 2. Blocks 3. Blue Scooter 4. Fun Art by Me 5. Make-Shift Changing Table  

6. Deer Hook 7. Grey Hanging Lamp 8. Grey Crib

 

 

 

Patterns A Plenty

Howdy friends!  I hope this day finds you well & warm, wherever you may be. This is what I have been up to as of late. Creating, designing & launching my artwork on Etsy & Society6.  I am sure you know about at least one of these sites, if not you must check them out! You can find these note cards shown below here for purchase, if you'd like. 

And if you want to see these designs as pillows, iphone cases & more, swing on over here!

From my heart to yours, have a lovely day friends.

Xoxo,

Heather

A Whimsical New Art Series

Here is my latest work that is largely inspired by my new son!  I am having so much fun creating lately.  I will be selling these prints on Etsy very soon.

Xoxo,

Heather

A Babe's Arrival

My husband & I are excitedly awaiting the arrival of our first child.  We recently found out we are having a BOY!!!  I was convinced it was a girl, but to my surprise, it will indeed be our little man.  Yesterday, as the rains fell & the temperatures stayed under 70 (for once) I felt inspired to make some new art for baby Eugene's room.  I thought a woodland creature theme seemed adorable.  Let me share with you the results of yesterday in my art studio.

Xoxo,

Heather



Life's Novella

I have been feeling very inspired as of late.  We found out we're expecting our first child, due in the beginning of December.  I would bet this may have something to do with the heart being all a flutter.  I wanted to share with you some of my lastest artwork, inspired by sweet baby McDonald. 

I hope you enjoy!

Xoxo,

Heather